A Guide to Selecting the Best Season for Your Dream Wedding

When deciding on what date to have your wedding it can be overwhelming choosing a single date from the 365 on offer. Weddings aren’t like birthdays where the date is set out for you. Some people decide to have their wedding on a specific date like New Years Eve, they will never forget it, or on a birthday or on their engagement date. Some of our couples have chosen their wedding date because it was the same date as their parents wedding. Others have chosen their date because the date itself has some symmetry. For example, before recently booking that date we had multiple enquiries for the 25/5/25.

At the end of the day, it is entirely up to you. If you are struggling to pick a date why not narrow it down to a preferred season first. There are four seasons for you to choose from, you just need to find which one suits you best.

Summer weddings

Summer is a great time to have a wedding as you are more likely to get lovely blue clear skies and warm weather during these months. Like with most seasons, but even more important with summer weddings, it’s important to send out your invitations early in order to ensure everyone you want to come will be able to, before they begin planning their summer holidays. Summer weddings are a complete mood booster, as everyone is in holiday mode, the weather is better than normal and the scenery is bright. Here are a few reasons why Summer is one of the best seasons to have your wedding to suit you.

Summer wedding in Northern Ireland

Perfect for an outdoor ceremony

Summer usually provides fabulous weather and if an outdoor wedding is something you have always dreamed of a summer wedding is just the solution. Of course, we can’t exactly predict what the weather will look like on a specific day in the future, but the summer offers that extra security that the sun may shine.

Bright summer colours

Summer offers gorgeous vibrant colours of pinks, reds, blues and greens, the perfect scenery for your wedding photos. Also, Summer sunrises and sunsets are exquisite which of course all wedding photographers love. If clear skies and blooming flowers are the aesthetic you are going for, then Summer is the perfect season for you.

You are going for a minimalist look

Summer, yes even in Northern Ireland can get very hot, this is something to remember when buying your wedding dress. If simplicity is what you are going for, Summer really suits this look, flowy dresses, effortless hairstyles and natural makeup all work very well in this season. If the dress of your dreams is of heavy and thick material and your hair doesn’t react well to humidity then maybe a summer wedding is not for you. The heat and humidity of the summer season can cause your hair to frizz and makeup to melt.

If you are trying to find a venue for an outdoor summer wedding, we would highly recommend Larchfield Estate in Lisburn, Old Court Strangford Lough in Strangford, Breckenhill in Ballyclare and Tullyveery House in Downpatrick.

 Autumn wedding

Autumn is definitely one of the most popular seasons to have weddings, it has even been dubbed the “wedding season”, with many shops advertising wedding gifts and accessories during this time. So, why is Autumn the top choice for so many people?

Well, Autumn offers cool temperatures and beautiful aesthetic backgrounds. Autumn is also quiet time of year for lots of people with many people having already gone on their holidays and it is still a good bit away from the expense of Christmas.

Children are going back to school in Autumn though so for friends or family with children this is maybe something to consider. More people can attend an Autumn wedding as they have less on and less expenses at this time of the year. The popularity of having a wedding in Autumn means you have to be organised if you are looking for a specific venue and date together. Here's how to know if Autumn is the best season to have your wedding to suit you.

Autumn wedding in Northern Ireland

You want dry but mild weather

Early autumn can sometimes provide nicer weather than the summer months. Of course, there is more chance of rain than in the summer months, but typically Autumn can be crisp and cool.

You like rich and bold colours

What better backdrop to your wedding photos than the colours of Autumn. If you are looking for those warm and cosy foliage colours of oranges, yellows and reds to compliment your wedding day then Autumn is the season for you. Every wedding photographer in Northern Ireland loves Autumn because of this. The light and colours that Autumn provides can make for beautiful bride and groom portraits.

You are undecided on a wedding dress style

Autumn provides the perfect temperatures to suit any wedding dress style, short or long-sleeved dresses, chiffon, sequin or lace dresses, off shoulder or ball gown. You will not have to compromise on style to match the weather in Autumn.

Larchfield Estate in Lisburn is again a great option for an Autumn wedding venue as is Drenagh Estate in Limavady, lots of trees means lots of fallen leaves. If you are having a Belfast wedding and your venue is near Stormont Estate or Sir. Thomas & Lady Dixon Park, both are a great choice of location to use at this time of the year for photographs, as Autumn colours are spectacular at both. If your venue in near Lurgan the park there is also beautiful during Autumn. If you are getting married anywhere near Bangor, for example at the Clandeboye Lodge or The Old Inn near by the walled gardens at Bangor Castle are still open in early Autumn, (they usually close the gardens to the public in late October) and can be an amazing place for Autumn wedding photography.

 Winter wedding

 Winter can be one of the quietest seasons to have a wedding. The changing weather and cold temperatures can put people off from having a wedding in Winter. If good weather isn’t high up on your list of your wedding must-haves, then maybe a Winter wedding is perfect for you as it has so much to offer. It must be said however, if you are planning a big wedding at a venue that is further away, weather may disrupt travel. If people have to travel far in bad weather conditions it may stop them from arriving, but this is a chance you take when having your wedding in Winter.  Here are some reasons why Winter is the best season to have your wedding to suit you.

Winter wedding in Northern Ireland

Winter weddings can be less expensive.

If organisation isn’t a strong point of yours and you struggle to make decisions maybe a Winter wedding is for you. Winter weddings are less frequent and less popular than other seasons. For this reason, there may be more dates available and venue costs are usually lower. Of course, this all down to what date in Winter you decide on, close to Christmas and New Years are quite popular and venues can be just as expensive as they would be for a Summer wedding.

Everyone is in a festive mood

If you have your wedding before Christmas everyone is enjoying the festive cheer surrounded by this time of the year in anticipation for Christmas, and a wedding is a great way to celebrate the party season. After Christmas people can feel low and suffer from the after Christmas blues. A wedding is a great way to carry on the fun and festivities of the season and to gather everyone together during what can be a lonely time for some people.

Cosy and warm atmosphere

Winter weddings means mulled wine and hot chocolate receptions. The delicious and comforting food at this time of the year is always a treat. We spend the whole year waiting for Christmas dinner so why not have two Christmas dinners in one year by having those mouth-watering tastes and smells at your wedding.

When choosing a venue for a winter wedding our advice would be, if possible, to choose an all-in-one type venue. Somewhere that can cater for both your wedding ceremony and reception and that also has its own grounds available for photography. The venues we have already mentioned would all be a good fit for a wedding during the winter months, as would Galgorm Resort in Ballymena and The Wool Tower in Broughshane.

Traveling is always a hassle at this time of the year and in terms of your wedding photography available light is going to be limited. It’s also a good idea at this time of the year to have an earlier than normal ceremony time. For further tips on weddings at this time of the year, check out this blog post. Winter Wedding Tips

 Spring wedding

Spring marks new beginnings so what better season to have your wedding, which marks a new beginning in your life, than Spring. Although the weather can be quite unpredictable during this season, you can be lucky with cool temperatures and dry skies in the later months. Spring offers picturesque backgrounds and pastels colours for your wedding photos. If it's the fresh and floral look you are going for, Spring has just that for you. Here’s how to know if Spring is the best season to have a wedding to suit you. 

Spring wedding in Northern Ireland

You want fresh and colourful flowers

As Northern Ireland wedding photographers we will incorporate the range of flowers in Spring to make your wedding photos stand out. Of course, with Spring come allergies and high pollen counts. If you are sensitive to these maybe an outdoor ceremony at this time of year may not be the best option for you.

Spring flowers bring a fabulous colour palette to your wedding. If pastels are your theme, Spring compliments this perfectly with baby blues, pinks, bright yellows and sage greens. Bridesmaid’s dresses in these colours go very well with the Spring scenery.

Flexibility of a Spring Wedding

Spring isn’t the most hectic time of the year, which means having everyone closest to you at your wedding is that little bit easier. Weddings around Easter, Valentine's Day and St. Patricks day may be more expensive and harder to find availability with venues and vendors but Spring still offers plenty more dates for you to choose from.

Late spring in Northern Ireland often has some of the best weather of the year, especially in the last few years with April and May having been particularly great.

When choosing a venue for a Spring wedding because you don’t have the same issues as you would do say with a Winter wedding it also allows more scope in terms of your venue choice. You might find this blog article useful for choosing a Spring wedding venue. Best Wedding Venues in Northern Ireland

Tommy + Laurene