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Complete Article: Choosing Your Wedding Month in the Northwest. by Krista Dunk, NWweddingplace.com

We’ve put together some practical tips and information that will help you decide which month might be the best option for your wedding… if in fact you have the option to pick any month you’d like!  Some of you don’t because of military deployment, jobs, or other circumstances happening for you. Or maybe you’ve already set the date!  No worries, you will still get valuable information here.  First, we’ll run through each month’s pros and cons.  Then at the end, we will present you with some more general thoughts and ideas. 

January –  Pros - January is a fun month to start a new year, have a wedding, and start a new marriage!  Since January is one of the least busy wedding months, all vendors & most guests are normally available. Some people have a 3-day weekend available.  Winter-themed weddings will benefit from all the available cheap seasonal décor, such as lights, fake snow, snowflakes, candles, holiday floral, etc.
Cons - Generally, people have less money because of the Christmas holiday.  January weather in the Northwest is always cold & fairly bad, with occasional windstorms. No native flowers will be in bloom.  An oddity is that lots of wedding vendors have wedding shows and expos that take place in Jan. each year.

February –  Pros - It’s the month known for love & you could have a nice Valentine’s theme!  There are usually some extra days off in Feb. There’s the President’s Day 3-day weekend, and also many school districts in our area do a mid-winter break in February. Guests are usually fairly available in Feb, unless they’re gone for a mid-winter break vacation.  Keep in mind you’ll want to alert people to save the date early in for February.
Cons - February weather is almost always bad.  Florists are especially jammed and flowers normally cost more in Feb.  Limo services and are busy right around Valentine's Day. No native flowers are in bloom yet.

March – Pros - If you’re Irish, March could be fun! It's a great month for all vendors and guests, however weather is spotty still in March. Some areas still have snow.  Very few flowers are blooming yet – maybe early tulips, crocus and some daffodils. No major holidays to get in the way.  Honeymoons are still cheap – flights and hotels are normally priced very well this time of year. 
Cons - March has potentially bad weather. There are no extra days off for work or school.

April – Pros - April weather is getting better and is a very beautiful spring month in the Pacific Northwest.  Many flowers are in bloom, there are no big holidays to clog vendors’ schedules.
Cons - April does become a slightly busier month for scheduling wedding vendors & venues. The biggest issue for April is spring break.  Nearly every school district in our area does Spring Break in April.  People may be on vacation.  Keep Spring Break in mind for your April honeymoon plans as well!

May – Pros - Normally, May is a good weather month in the NW, and many native flower choices are available.  It tends to be a good month for guest availability. The potential for outdoor weddings starts now (maybe ☺). There’s the Memorial Day 3-day weekend you could take advantage of.
Cons - Keep in mind that vendors and venues become busier in May. Florists are very busy for Mother’s Day and you may find that flowers are more expensive.  Honeymoons will start to have higher rates now.

June – Pros - Normally June is a fairly good weather month in the NW, with even a few hot days here and there. Many native flower choices are available.  No major holidays will get in your way. Caribbean & Hawaii tend to have lower rates now for honeymooning.
Cons - June is an interesting month.  People are very busy with graduations, end of the school year events, vacations, etc.  Vendors are also getting busier now that the summer wedding season has arrived.  Many honeymoon destinations have higher summer rates.  Cake bakers and florists are very busy in June.  Give guests plenty of notice for June weddings, and secure your vendors early now through Sept.

July – Pros - Usually July has very good, warm weather.  Abundant flower choices are available.  No major holidays deter vendors in July.  Sun is up until late in the evening.  The 4th of July is a national holiday, which most people have off.  Actually, a 4th of July themed wedding could be quite fun!
Cons - It's a very busy wedding month for all vendors and venues.  Give guests lots of notice for July weddings.  People may be on vacations, and many community events & fairs happen this month.  Honeymoons cost more in July (except for Hawaii & Caribbean areas).  Mosquitoes and bees can be obnoxious in July, so keep that in mind for outdoor weddings near the water especially.

August – Pros - One of the best NW weather months, but it can be hot.  Near the end of the month, evenings get cool.  No major holidays deter guests or vendors.  Homegrown flower choices are blooming now!  August might be your best bet for an outdoor wedding.
Cons - A very busy wedding month for vendors and venues. You might have to consider a Friday night or Sunday afternoon wedding unless you plan way ahead. Honeymoons are still more expensive now, and there are no extra days off work to utilize.  Some of your guests may be on vacations before school starts.  Grass tends to be brown and dry in August.  If you're planning an outdoor wedding, make sure your location will still be green!

September – Pros - Sept weather is nice and it's basically the last chance for an outdoor wedding.  The evenings are cooling down.  Either a fall or summer wedding theme works in Sept.  No major holidays will clog up vendors' schedules.  The Labor Day 3-day weekend is available.
Cons - The last month of the busy wedding season is Sept.  School starting makes schedules crazy for families with children, so keep that in mind for your bridesmaids and groomsmen.  Honeymoons are still expensive until the end of the month, and then prices start to go down.  Give guests plenty of notice for September weddings!

October – Pros - Weather is OK, but cool and potentially rainy.  The Fall leaves are gorgeous.  No major holidays deter vendors, venues or guests in October (except for venues potentially on the Halloween weekend).  If you love Halloween, you could have a costume-themed wedding.  Honeymoons are cheap (except Hawaii & Caribbean)!
Cons - No flowers are blooming anymore.  There are no days off to take advantage of.  If you don’t like Halloween, stay away from having your wedding at the end of the month, as you may not enjoy having your anniversary near that holiday forever.  Florists in your city may be busy with high school homecoming orders in October.

November – Pros - Pretty Fall leaves are still out in force during the first part of Nov.  A 3-day weekend for Veteran’s Day is available.  Honeymoons are cheap in most places unless it’s Thanksgiving week, then flight prices will be significantly up.  November is not a busy wedding month, therefore scheduling vendors and venues won't be as difficult.
Cons - Weather is very sketchy.  Thanksgiving can make florists, bakers and caterers a bit busier, and everyone goes somewhere for at least Thanksgiving Day.    Weather can be snowy at higher elevations now.

December – Pros - Excellent for a holiday-themed wedding.  There are plenty of potential days off at the end of the month if you need them.  Beautiful seasonal flowers are available.  Ample decorations are available, and many venues are already decorated for the holidays.  Honeymoons are cheap in the first half of the month, and more expensive the 2nd half, due to Christmas
Cons - Some types of vendors are busy because of Christmas and New Year ’s Eve, as well as some venues hosting Christmas parties.  People can be strapped for cash this month and potentially traveling between Christmas and New Year’s. Give guests lots of notice for December weddings.  Weather is bad and snowy depending on where you live.  Your anniversary will forever be right next to the biggest holiday of the year…it’s kind of like having your birthday near Christmas –depending on how you look at it, it could be a blessing or a bummer!

That wraps up our look at each month and their pros and cons.  Here are a few more general things to consider:  First, about the Northwest specifically, unfortunately no matter which month you choose, depending on where you live, having an outdoor wedding can be a gamble.  Although certain months have higher odds than others for no rain! 

Next, the availability of your wedding guests will always vary.  It’s unlikely that you’ll have 100% of everyone invited in attendance, although your closest friends and family will make it no matter what day you choose.  

Also, think about spreading out your family celebrations. For example, when is your birthday?  What about your fiancé’s? If you celebrate Christmas, that’s always December 25th of course.  Have you known someone with a December birthday before?  It’s usually a bummer for them!  It might be nicer to spread out these family events and special dates throughout the year.  That may or may not work out for you but, it’s just an idea – just a thought.  

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