I Do Abroad

Written and checked by the I Do Abroad team · Last updated 10 November 2026 · Sources listed at the end of this page

Ask ten Italian venues for the best month and you will get ten answers, because each one is selling its own calendar. Ask a UK couple who married there and the answer narrows fast. For most couples flying from Britain, the choice comes down to two windows: late May to mid June, or September into the first half of October. Everything else is a trade, and the trades are worth knowing before you fall in love with a date.

When is the best time of year to get married in Italy?

The honest answer is September, with May as the close second. September in Florence averages a daytime high of 27.1°C with around 80 mm of rain across the month, according to Climates to Travel, which puts it firmly in warm-but-wearable territory for a ceremony outdoors and a long dinner after it. May averages 24.5°C and 70 mm. June is warmer at 29.1°C and drier at 55 mm, but the second half of the month can tip into heat that makes a 3pm ceremony hard work for older guests and anyone in a suit.

Italian Venues, a UK-facing venue directory, ranks September as its first recommendation and May alongside it, and describes both as high shoulder months priced roughly 10 to 15 per cent below peak summer. That is a venue trade view rather than a survey, so treat it as an indication, not a rule, and ask any venue for its own seasonal rate card in writing.

What is the weather like in Italy month by month?

Figures below are for Florence, which sits between the cooler north and the hotter south. Coastal and southern venues run a few degrees warmer. The lakes and the Dolomites run cooler and wetter.

Month Average daily high (°C) Average rainfall (mm) What it means for a wedding
April 20.0 85 Fresh and green, but a wet-weather plan is essential
May 24.5 70 Warm, light evenings, gardens at their best
June 29.1 55 Reliable sun. Late June can be hot inland
July 32.3 35 Driest month, but hot for a daytime ceremony
August 32.6 55 Hottest month, and Ferragosto closures around 15 August
September 27.1 80 Warm days, cooler nights, harvest light
October 21.6 105 Golden first half, wettest second half

Source: Climates to Travel, Florence monthly averages, https://www.climatestotravel.com/climate/italy/tuscany

Is August a bad month to get married in Italy?

Not impossible, but it is the month with the most friction. Two things happen at once. The temperature peaks, with inland Tuscany and the south regularly above 32°C, and much of Italy takes its summer holiday around Ferragosto on 15 August. Italian Venues advises against the first two weeks of August specifically because many businesses close for around a fortnight and prices and crowds are at their highest. If your date has to be August for school-holiday reasons, aim for the last ten days, choose a coastal venue with sea breeze, and book a ceremony time after 5pm.

What is the cheapest month to get married in Italy?

The cheapest months are the ones most couples do not want: November to March. Italian Venues puts off-season pricing at 30 to 50 per cent below peak, but days are short, many outdoor venues close, and the weather is a gamble. The value sweet spot for UK couples is April and October, which the same source describes as low shoulder at roughly 20 to 30 per cent below peak. Early October in particular gives you September’s light at October’s price, provided you accept a higher chance of rain and hold a covered space in reserve.

Day of the week matters as much as month. The same directory reports Friday and Sunday dates at 15 to 25 per cent below Saturday, and midweek at 25 to 40 per cent below. A Thursday in early October is often the best-priced date a good Italian venue will offer all year.

Does the month change the legal paperwork?

It changes the timing, not the rules. What usually applies for a UK couple marrying legally in Italy is a civil ceremony at the town hall, with documents prepared in advance, including a certificate of no impediment from your local register office, which GOV.UK says requires a notice period of at least 28 days. The comune where you marry sets its own calendar for civil ceremonies, and many do not perform them on Sundays, on public holidays, or during the Ferragosto break. Who confirms it for your case is the comune’s ufficio di stato civile and, for the UK-side documents, your own register office. Ask the comune for available ceremony dates before you sign a venue contract, because the two calendars do not always agree.

So which month should we pick?

If guests matter most, choose late May or the first half of June: school terms are still running, flights from the UK are plentiful, and the evenings are long. If light, food and value matter most, choose September or the first ten days of October. If budget is the deciding factor, choose April or October on a weekday. Avoid the first half of August unless the sea is in the picture.

I Do Abroad Top Tip: before you commit to a month, ask the venue two questions in writing. What is the price for the same package on a Thursday in the month before and the month after the one you want, and what is the plan if it rains. The gap between the answers is usually the size of your saving.

Every couple’s answer is different, which is why we built the Dream Wedding Quiz. Two minutes, no pressure, and it tells you which Italian setting and which month fit the way you actually want to marry.

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