In short: The best time to get married in Europe is May, June and September for most places, with early October added in the south. These months give warm afternoons without the peak heat of July and August. In the Mediterranean, the official station of Palma de Mallorca averages 24.8 °C in July and 25.1 °C in August, with afternoon highs near 31 °C. In Denmark and the north, June to August is the season, with as many as 19 hours of daylight, says Visit Denmark. December to February works for small winter-sun weddings in the south, with short days and more rain.
The best time to get married in Europe, by what matters to you
This is our advice as photographers, based on light and on the official climate data below. The data is as of November 2026 and comes from national weather services and tourism boards. Climate normals are long-term averages, not forecasts, so any single year can be hotter, cooler or wetter.
| You want | Best months | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Warm, not hot, long evenings | May, June, September | Italy, Spain, Portugal, Greece, southern France |
| Midsummer light, outdoor dinner | June, July | Denmark, Norway, Scotland |
| Sea swimming, strong sun | July, August, early September | Mediterranean islands and coasts |
| Quiet, cozy, small group | November to February | Southern coasts, city halls |
| Colour and a slower pace | Late September, October | Italy, Greece, Portugal |
choose the month by the evening. Ask when the sun sets on your date and where you will be at that moment. The calendar matters less than the light, and our wedding day timeline for the best light shows how to use it.
Ronna & Liad · Copenhagen · see the full wedding →Best month to get married in Europe: month by month
Mean temperatures are daily means in °C. They are cooler than the afternoon. The first column gives three official stations: Palma de Mallorca airport (AEMET, 1981 to 2010), Nice (Météo-France, 1991 to 2020) and Lisbon (IPMA, 1991 to 2020).
| Month | Palma / Nice / Lisbon, mean °C | North and mountains | Our view |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 9.5 / 9.5 / 11.8 | Cold. Alps in ski season | Winter-sun elopements only |
| February | 9.8 / 9.8 / 12.8 | Denmark’s coldest month | Elopements, city halls |
| March | 11.3 / 11.8 / 14.9 | Denmark: still winter | Cool, early spring in the south |
| April | 13.6 / 14.1 / 16.3 | Denmark: mild spring starts | Showers, good for small groups |
| May | 17.5 / 17.7 / 18.8 | Mild. Italian lakes mild | One of the best months |
| June | 21.7 / 21.4 / 21.5 | Denmark’s hot season begins | Best in the north, very good south |
| July | 24.8 / 24.1 / 23.2 | Best for Denmark and Norway | Hot at midday in the south |
| August | 25.1 / 24.5 / 23.8 | Denmark’s warmest month | Hottest month at all three stations |
| September | 22.2 / 21.2 / 22.1 | Denmark: autumn, more rain | One of the best in the south |
| October | 18.5 / 17.5 / 19.1 | Rainy and overcast in Denmark | Good in the south, rain risk rises |
| November | 13.7 / 13.3 / 15.0 | Rainy | Wettest months in Nice and Lisbon |
| December | 10.8 / 10.3 / 12.4 | Denmark’s winter, cold | Winter sun, short days |
Sources: AEMET standard values for Palma, Météo-France’s 1991 to 2020 sheet for Nice and IPMA’s 1991 to 2020 normals for Lisbon. For Denmark, Visit Denmark gives a national mean of 7.7 °C, February as the coldest month (0.0 °C) and August as the warmest (15.7 °C). It calls April and May the mildest months, June to August the hottest, September to November rainy and overcast, and December to March cold with frost and snow. Italy’s tourism board, Italia.it, describes mild spring temperatures at the northern lakes and autumn as one of the most romantic seasons, and pitches winter around skiing and spas.
The Mediterranean in detail: Palma, Nice and Lisbon
Palma’s official table shows why May and September are so popular. Here are the figures from AEMET’s 1981 to 2010 normals for the airport station.
| Month | Mean high °C | Rainy days (1 mm+) | Sunshine hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 15.2 | 5.7 | 163 |
| March | 17.5 | 4.5 | 202 |
| May | 23.7 | 3.8 | 283 |
| July | 31.2 | 0.5 | 342 |
| September | 27.9 | 4.3 | 222 |
| October | 23.9 | 6.1 | 203 |
| December | 16.1 | 6.4 | 152 |
May has afternoons around 24 °C and nearly four rainy days. July is dry but the average afternoon reaches 31.2 °C. In Nice, the Météo-France sheet shows July and August as the driest months (13.6 mm and 17.2 mm) and October and November as the wettest (127.9 mm and 138.4 mm). In Lisbon, IPMA records 2.6 mm in July and 5.4 mm in August, against 110.6 mm in October and 133.9 mm in November. September and October are cooler than August, but the rain returns: Nice records 81.0 mm in September and 127.9 mm in October, and Palma’s rainy days rise from 4.3 in September to 6.1 in October. For more on these places, see our pages on photographers in Spain, France and Portugal.
Greece works the same way. Visit Greece says the dry hot days of summer are cooled by seasonal winds called the meltemi and points to the National Observatory of Athens (meteo.gr) for exact figures. We have not quoted Greek temperatures, because we did not open a station table. Check meteo.gr for your island and your dates.
Light and daylight: why summer evenings matter
These sunset times are for the 15th of each month in 2027, local summer time, from the US Naval Observatory’s sunrise and sunset tables (we looked up each place and date there). Positano stands for the Amalfi Coast, Palma for Mallorca and Bellagio for Lake Como. Hills and mountains can hide the sun earlier than the official time.
| Place | 15 June | 15 July | 15 October |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amalfi Coast | 20:35 | 20:32 | 18:22 |
| Mallorca | 21:18 | 21:16 | 19:11 |
| Lake Como | 21:15 | 21:11 | 18:38 |
| Copenhagen | 21:55 | 21:44 | 18:10 |
| Oslo | 22:41 | 22:24 | 18:09 |
In the south, the midday sun in July is harsh, so we advise a ceremony around 17:30. In the north, golden hour falls in the middle of dinner, so plan a break for portraits. Above the Arctic Circle in Norway the sun stays up all night for weeks around midsummer. Clocks go back on Sunday 31 October 2027, the last Sunday of the month, which moves sunset an hour earlier overnight.
Tim & Harriette · Provence · see the full wedding →What each season means for your photographs
A photographer’s notes, written as practical advice rather than statistics:
- Spring (April to May): soft light, green hills and a real chance of showers. Choose a ceremony spot with a roof or a room with large windows as a plan B. Rain light is flattering, and a short break is enough for portraits.
- Early summer (June): the longest evenings in the north and warm evenings in the south. The best balance of light and comfort.
- High summer (July and August): strong sun from about 11:30 to 16:00 in the south. Put the ceremony late, give guests shade and water, and plan family groups in open shade.
- Early autumn (September): low, warm light and cooler afternoons. The days are already shorter, so the schedule has less room to slide.
- Late autumn and winter: dusk comes early. Do portraits first, ceremony earlier, dinner indoors, and book enough hours so getting ready is covered.
Whichever month you pick, we work with the light that is there. Our packages run from 5 hours to a full day, so the schedule can follow the sun and not the clock.
Winter wedding in Europe: best country in December, ideas and an itinerary
Calendars differ on winter. Visit Denmark’s climate page runs it from December to March, and its travel FAQ from November to February. For a winter wedding, the south is the practical choice. On the official numbers we opened, Palma has 6.4 rainy days in December, against 10 in Lisbon, and 152 hours of sunshine, with afternoons around 16 °C. Lisbon has the warmest December on a daily mean (12.4 °C, against 10.8 °C in Palma and 10.3 °C in Nice) but about 10 rainy days and 108.5 mm of rain. Nice averages a 14.1 °C afternoon and 90.3 mm of rain. So, for December, our pick on these figures is Mallorca for dry, bright days, with Lisbon as the milder option if you accept rain. These are station figures, not guarantees.
Winter ideas that work: a small group, a ceremony at lunchtime with the light in your favour, a long indoor dinner, candles and a fireplace, a city hall ceremony. Winter-wedding itinerary, three days:
- Friday: arrive, welcome dinner at 19:30.
- Saturday: getting ready at 11:00, a first look, portraits while the sun is up, ceremony at 14:30 or 15:00, a long dinner indoors.
- Sunday: brunch at 11:00, a walk in the town.
Days are short. In mid-October, sunsets in our table fall between 18:09 and 19:11, and December is earlier still, so check your date and plan the portraits first. Book the hours you need for getting ready, as an early dusk leaves no spare time. See our legal marriage guide for where a winter city hall ceremony is possible.
Best time to get married in Europe in September, 2024, 2025 or 2027
September is one of the best months in the south: Palma averages 22.2 °C, Nice 21.2 °C and Lisbon 22.1 °C, cooler than August at each. In the north it is the start of the rainy season. The pattern is the same in every year, because normals change slowly. What changes is prices, availability and individual weather, so date questions for 2024 and 2025 have the same answer as for 2027: May, June and September.
Whatever the month, popular dates book early. Our planning timeline shows what to do and when, and the legal route in our legal guide may decide the month for you: some registries need documents weeks ahead.
Edward & Rachel · Bordeaux · see the full wedding →Can you get married in Europe, and at what age
Yes. Many European countries marry visitors, with different documents and waiting times. Marriage rules are national, Your Europe says, and its page gives no EU-wide minimum age. In France, Service-Public states that you must be at least 18, and minors need a waiver from the public prosecutor. For other countries, ask the registry.
The average age is another matter. Eurostat’s 2023 data shows the oldest mean age at first marriage for women in Spain (36.9) and for men in Sweden (37.0), and the youngest in Romania (28.3) for women and in Poland (30.8) for men. The page gives no single EU figure.
FAQ: choosing the month
What is the best month to get married in Europe?
For most of the continent, June or September. May suits the south and the lakes, and July suits Denmark and Norway.
What is the best time to get married in Europe in September?
Early and mid-September, in the south, when afternoons are warm and the evening light is soft. Check the sunset for your date.
Which month is the hottest?
August, at all three stations above. Palma’s mean high reaches 31.3 °C.
Which month is the wettest in Nice and Lisbon?
November. October is the second wettest.
What is the best country for a December destination wedding?
On the official figures above, Mallorca for dry, bright days. Lisbon is milder on average (12.4 °C against 10.8 °C), with more rain.
What age can you get married in Europe?
It depends on the country. France says 18. Ask the registry for yours.
Planning yours?
We are a team of six photographers and filmmakers with one documentary style, working across Europe. Photography and film packages from €1,390, with no extra travel fees anywhere we work. A 20% deposit holds the date, and you can book any package and change it later.
Check your date on the contact page and see prices on the prices page.