Update: Okay, so we couldn’t have possibly predicted that 2020 would go down the way it did, but these dates still stood up for elopements and micro weddings.
Many a bride and groom have eagerly awaited the release of the 2-week forecast to know what to expect for their big day. Will it be unbearably hot? Will the sky open up and dump rain on the string quartet as they set up at the reception site? Will a polar vortex prevent guests from making it to the ceremony at all?
While rain won’t make or break a wedding day, it is, Alanis Morisette said it first: it’s a little ironic. Who doesn’t envision a wedding day with mild-to-perfect temperatures? We decided the best way to avoid these frustrations was to use historical weather data to predict the best and worst days to get married in 2020. If you crave the confidence in knowing that your only wedding no-shows will be the rain and the snow, read on.
Table of Contents
i. Methodology
ii. The Best Days to Get Married in 2020 Around the U.S.
iii. The Worst Days to Get Married in 2020 Around the U.S.
iv. Wrapping Up
i. Methodology
We looked at historical weather data to predict the best and worst days to get married in 2020 in 21 of the largest metro areas in the U.S. We pulled data from the Farmers Almanac on the average daily temperature and precipitation on every 2020 weekend day (Friday – Sunday) for the last 5 years. We also incorporated the Farmers Almanac’s 2020 temperature predictions into our averages.
The “best” days to get married were those that haven’t had any history of rain in the past 5 years and the temperatures closest to 70 degrees. The “worst” days are those with the highest amount of rain and coldest or hottest temperatures.
ii. The Best Days to Get Married in 2020 Around the U.S.
We began by searching for clear weather forecasts to determine the best day to get married in 2020 in each of the metro areas in the study.
It’s not a surprise that nearly all of the best days fall between May to October, a timeframe in which it’s estimated that 78% of weddings take place. The only cities whose best falls out of the typical wedding season date range are Phoenix and Jacksonville, with their best days being April 3 and November 1, respectively.
September appears to be an ideal month to get married in the U.S. – 6 out of the 21 cities’ best day falls in the month. Opting for a September wedding date could be the way to go in Columbus, New York City, Philadelphia, San Diego, San Francisco, and Washington D.C. in 2020. June was the second-most common month for best wedding days. Various June days are predicted to have the most appealing weather conditions in Boston, Detroit, Houston, and Indianapolis.
We didn’t stop there – we also predicted the second- and third-best days to get married in each of the cities using the same data. All of these days fall in the May to October wedding season range, which explains the popularity of booking a venue in one of these months.
iii. The Worst Days to Get Married in 2020 Around the U.S.
Next, we moved to the opposite end of the weather spectrum and determined the worst days to get married in 2020 in the same cities. These are the days with the least ideal weather conditions based on the past 5 years.
The Avett Brothers are solid musicians, but don’t follow their wedding planning cues—10 of the 21 cities’ worst day to get married falls in January. The first month of the year brings cold temperatures and, in many cases, snow. Travel can be challenging when there’s snow in the mix, so it makes sense for couples to steer away from a January wedding date, especially in cities like Boston and New York City.
The day after Christmas, December 26, may not be a couple’s first choice for a wedding date for many reasons, but the weather is also a possible deterrent in both Los Angeles and San Diego.
To round out our analysis, we also predicted the second- and third-worst day to get married in each city. Unsurprisingly, nearly all of these days fall in the wedding offseason, and more often than not in January or February. It’s no secret that peak summer days may not be the best wedding date in Texas cities due to high temperatures. August dates were some of the worst days to get married in Austin, Dallas, and San Antonio.
iv. Wrapping Up
While we all tend to worry about the weather conditions leading up to our wedding days, we can guarantee it won’t be what you remember most (or at all) about your big day. Rain or shine, what will stand out are the memories of time spent officially uniting with your perfect person, surrounded by family and friends. And luckily we have numerous options to outfit your wedding party perfectly no matter what the temperature happens to be when you tie the knot.