Best Time of Year to Get Married in Italy: Weather, Light and Crowds

This is one of the questions I’m asked most, and my answer is always the same: it depends on whether you care most about weather, light, or having the place to yourselves. Here’s how the seasons really feel in Italy, especially around Lake Como.

Spring, roughly April to early June. This is one of my favourite windows. The gardens are in full bloom, the hills are green rather than sun-bleached, and the light is soft and clear. Temperatures are comfortable for a full day outdoors, and the crowds haven’t peaked yet. The trade-off is that spring can bring rain, so a plan B is essential.

High summer, late June through August. Long days give you the most flexibility with timing, and warm evenings are lovely for outdoor dinners. But midday heat can be intense, the light at noon is harsh and unflattering, and the lake towns are at their busiest with tourists. If you marry in summer, I’d strongly suggest a late-afternoon ceremony and portraits at golden hour rather than midday.

Early autumn, September to mid-October. If I had to pick one window, this would be it. The heat has eased, the light turns warm and golden earlier in the evening, the crowds thin out noticeably, and the landscape takes on beautiful warm tones. It’s genuinely the sweet spot for weather, light and atmosphere together.

Late autumn and winter, November through March. This is the quietest and most affordable time, and there’s something wonderfully atmospheric about misty mornings over the water. Days are short and much of the lakeside hospitality closes for the season, so it works best for very intimate elopements with an indoor option.

A note on light rather than weather. Whatever month you choose, the single biggest factor for your photos is timing your portraits near golden hour, in the hour or so before sunset. In June that’s late in the evening; in October it’s much earlier in the afternoon. Building your timeline around that light matters more than the month itself.

My honest recommendation. For the best balance of pleasant weather, beautiful light and manageable crowds, aim for May, early June, September or the first half of October. If budget and privacy matter most, the shoulder and winter months can be magical.

FAQ

What is the best month to get married in Italy? September and early October offer the best combination of warm weather, golden light and fewer crowds, with May a close second.

Is August a bad time for an Italian wedding? Not bad, but it’s the hottest and busiest month, so plan a late-afternoon ceremony.

When is Italy cheapest for a wedding? The winter and shoulder months, roughly November through March, are the quietest and most affordable.

When is golden hour in Italy? It shifts a lot by season, arriving late in the evening in midsummer and much earlier in autumn — worth building your timeline around.