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

Turkey is the destination UK couples underestimate. It is a four-hour flight, it sits outside the eurozone, and the Antalya coast has one of the longest dry seasons in the Mediterranean. The catch is that the same sun makes July and August hard work for a ceremony. For most couples flying from Britain, the answer sits in two windows: late May into June, or September into early October.

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

September, with late May as the close second. On the Antalya coast, September averages a daytime high of 31°C, 11 hours of sunshine a day, around 11 mm of rain across the whole month and a sea temperature of 27°C, according to Weather2Travel’s climate guide. That is warm enough for a beach ceremony and a late dinner outdoors, without the 34°C afternoons of July and August. May is fresher at 25°C with 29 mm of rain and a sea that has only just reached 21°C, which suits a garden or clifftop venue more than a beach.

June is the compromise: 30°C, 12 hours of sun and only 9 mm of rain, but by the last week the heat is building.

What is the weather like in Turkey month by month?

The figures below are for the Antalya coast, which covers Antalya, Belek, Side, Kemer and Alanya. Bodrum and Fethiye on the Aegean run a degree or two cooler with more breeze. Istanbul and Cappadocia are a different climate altogether.

Month Average daily high (°C) Rainfall (mm) Sea temperature (°C) What it means for a wedding
April 21 46 17 Green and quiet, but a covered space is essential
May 25 29 21 Warm, long evenings, venues not yet full
June 30 9 24 Reliable sun. Book a ceremony after 5pm
July 34 3 27 Driest month, but too hot for a daytime ceremony
August 34 5 29 Hottest month, peak UK school-holiday pricing
September 31 11 27 Warm days, warm sea, softer light
October 26 73 25 Golden first half, rain returns in the second

Source: Weather2Travel, Antalya Coast climate guide, https://www.weather2travel.com/climate-guides/turkey/antalya-coast

Is August a bad month to get married in Turkey?

Not impossible, but it carries the most friction. The temperature peaks at an average high of 34°C, and UK school holidays push flight and hotel prices to their annual high. If August is the only month that works, choose a coastal venue with a breeze, hold the ceremony at sunset, and give guests shade between the vows and the meal.

Which dates should we avoid in Turkey?

Turkey’s two main religious festivals follow the lunar calendar and move roughly 11 days earlier each year. For 2027, Office Holidays lists Ramazan Bayramı from 9 to 12 March and Kurban Bayramı from 16 to 19 May, with Republic Day on 29 October. Municipal marriage offices close on public holidays, domestic travel surges and hotels fill with Turkish families. If you are looking at May 2027, the week of 16 May is the one to avoid.

What is the cheapest month to get married in Turkey?

The cheapest months are the wettest: November to March, when the Antalya coast sees 130 mm to 246 mm of rain a month and many beach venues close. The value months for a UK couple are May and October. Both sit outside the school holidays, both have flights from most UK regional airports, and venues tend to price them below July and August. Ask for the seasonal rate card in writing, and for the same package on a weekday in the month either side of the one you want.

Turkey remains a volume destination for Britons, with Travel Weekly reporting 4.24 million UK arrivals in 2025, so flights are plentiful outside the peak and competition for a Saturday in September is real. Book the date before the dress.

Does the month change the legal paperwork?

It changes the timing rather than the rules. What usually applies for a UK couple marrying legally in Turkey is a civil ceremony at the municipal marriage office, with documents prepared before you travel. GOV.UK’s guidance on marriage abroad is the starting point for the UK-side documents, and your local register office confirms what it can issue and the notice period. On the Turkish side, the marriage office for the district where you marry confirms its own document list, translation requirements and ceremony calendar. Those calendars do not run on public holidays, so ask the office for available dates before you sign a venue contract. Who confirms it for your case is the marriage office, not the hotel.

So which month should we pick?

If guests matter most, choose the last week of May or the first three weeks of June. If light, sea and value matter most, choose September or the first ten days of October. If budget decides, choose a weekday in May or October. Avoid Kurban Bayramı, and treat August as a sunset-only month.

I Do Abroad Top Tip: ask the venue for the sunset time on your date and work backwards. In September on the Antalya coast the sun sets around 7pm, so a 5.30pm ceremony gives you golden light for the vows, a short shaded drinks hour and a dinner that starts cool. The same ceremony at 3pm is a different wedding.

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

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