Which months are cheapest?

January, February, March and November are usually the quietest, and venues often have more free dates and more room on price. Prices are set by each venue, so we show how busy a date usually is, never a price.

Are bank holiday weddings a good idea?

They can be. A bank holiday weekend gives guests an extra day, and some couples choose one for that. Travel and accommodation are likely busier, and guests may have plans of their own. We mark bank holidays by nation, because Scotland and Northern Ireland differ from England and Wales.

Is a midweek wedding cheaper?

Often, yes. Saturdays are by far the most requested day, so many venues charge less for a Friday, a Sunday or a weekday. Your venue's own quote is the one that matters, and we never show a price.

What time does it get dark in December?

Sunset is around 3.50pm in southern England and about 3.30pm in Edinburgh in mid-December. A winter wedding works best with the ceremony early and the photographs before sunset. Add your town and the picker gives the exact time.

Do you pick the date or the venue first?

Most couples start with the venue, because its free dates decide the date. If a date matters more (a season, a family event), start with the date. Either way, compare two or three dates before you commit.

How far ahead should we book?

Popular venues are often booked 12 to 18 months ahead for a summer Saturday. Quieter months and weekdays are easier to book at shorter notice.

What about half term and school holidays?

We mark the usual half-term weeks (February, late May and late October) and the school holidays as a hint. Councils set the real dates, so check your area before you book.

When is wedding season in the UK? Compare your dates

Compare up to four dates side by side: weekday, how busy, bank holidays, sunset and the usual weather. Shortlist three and make one your date.

Where

Town

A town is enough. It gives the sunset, the clock changes and the usual weather. Towns in the UK for now.

Add a town to see sunset and the usual weather. Everything else works without one.

When

Pick a season or the months you are thinking about. You can pick exact dates in the calendar.

Year

Which days would you consider?

Are most of your guests travelling?

This changes the notes on weekdays and holiday weekends.

More options

Show these dates too

Easter and Christmas always show. These are marked on the calendar and in the comparison.

Jewish holidaysEid and RamadanDiwaliLunar New Year

Eid, Diwali and Lunar New Year are approximate. Check locally.

Explore

Each day is shaded by how busy it usually is for weddings. Tap a day to add it to the comparison (up to four). Days marked with a dot have a bank holiday or a holiday weekend.

Shading shows how busy a day usually is: darker is busier.A dot means a holiday or the start of a long weekend.

Pick a season or some months above to see the calendar.

Compare

Tap up to four days in the calendar, or type a date below, and they appear here side by side.

Make this our date

Open your checklist around a date above, or sign in to keep your date everywhere and move your reminders with it.

Your own dates

Pin anniversaries and birthdays so they show beside the dates, and mark dates you want to stay away from. They stay with you and are never in a share link.

A date to remember

A date to avoid

Dates your venue offered

Type the two or three dates a venue gave you and compare them. We never contact anyone.

Star up to three dates. The link carries the town, the months and these dates, and nothing personal.

No dates on your shortlist yet.

How busy each month usually is

JanQuieter
FebQuieter
MarBusy
AprBusy
MayPeak
JunPeak
JulPeak
AugPeak
SepPeak
OctPeak
NovBusy
DecQuieter

A Saturday in each month. Fridays and Sundays are a step quieter; Monday to Thursday are quieter still. These come from when weddings usually happen. They are a guide, never a price. Peak, Busy, Quieter.

Where the data comes from

Bank holidays: gov.uk (Open Government Licence v3.0). Dates after 2028 are worked out by rule and marked expected.
Weather: Met Office station averages, 1991 to 2020, from the nearest station. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Sunset and golden hour: calculated from the town's position (suncalc).
Places: GeoNames (geonames.org), CC BY 4.0.
Jewish holidays: Hebcal.com (CC BY 4.0). Eid, Diwali and Lunar New Year come from a table we check by hand.

Place names from GeoNames (geonames.org), CC BY 4.0.

When is wedding season?

In the UK most weddings happen between May and September. August, May and September are the busiest months (Bridebook's 2026 report puts them at 17%, 13% and 12% of weddings), and winter is the quietest. The strip under the calendar shows each month for a Saturday, and a Friday, a Sunday or a weekday is a step quieter. These are typical patterns: your venue sets its own prices and its own free dates.

The best month

The best month is the one that suits the people you want there. Late spring suits long evenings and blossom; September suits warm days and fewer crowds; winter suits quiet venues and flexible dates. Pick a town and compare two or three dates, and the usual weather and the sunset sit right beside each other.

The cheapest months

Venues have the most free dates and the most room on price in the quietest months, usually January, February, March and November. We never show a price, because it is the venue's to set, but the Peak, Busy and Quieter bands tell you where to look first.

The best day of the week

Saturday is the most requested day (about half of UK weddings, in Bridebook's report), so a Friday, a Sunday or a midweek date is often easier to book and cheaper. Use the Dates your venue offered box and copy the line that asks about the Friday or Sunday of the same weekend.

Dates to avoid

Not "bad" dates, just dates to think about: bank holiday weekends (Easter, early May, late May and August), half term, the week of a big family event, and any date that clashes with a local event. Scotland and Northern Ireland have different bank holidays from England and Wales, and we mark them by nation. Add your own to the Dates to avoid box.

Do you pick a date or a venue first?

Most couples start with the venue, because its free dates decide the date. If a season or a family event matters more, start with the date and ask venues for those weeks. Either way, ask each venue for two or three dates and compare them here.

Special dates in 2027

Some couples like a date that is easy to remember. These Friday, Saturday and Sunday dates in 2027 read as a pattern. 7/7/27 is a Wednesday, so it is not in this list.

1/1/27, Friday 1 January 2027: the month and the day match.
27/2/27, Saturday 27 February 2027: the day and the year match.
27/3/27, Saturday 27 March 2027: the day and the year match.
4/4/27, Sunday 4 April 2027: the month and the day match.
6/6/27, Sunday 6 June 2027: the month and the day match.
27/6/27, Sunday 27 June 2027: the day and the year match.
8/8/27, Sunday 8 August 2027: the month and the day match.
13/8/27, Friday 13 August 2027: the month and the day match.
27/8/27, Friday 27 August 2027: the day and the year match.
10/10/27, Sunday 10 October 2027: the month and the day match.
27/11/27, Saturday 27 November 2027: the day and the year match.
12/12/27, Sunday 12 December 2027: the month and the day match.

How to choose your wedding date

Start with where and when. Pick a town and a season or a few months. The town gives the sunset and the usual weather; the months give the calendar.
Look at the shading. Each day is shaded by how busy it usually is for weddings: Peak, Busy or Quieter. Bank holidays and long weekends are marked.
Compare up to four dates. Tap days to put them side by side: weekday, how busy, bank holidays, sunset, golden hour and the usual weather.
Add the dates your venue offered. Type the two or three dates a venue gave you. We write a line you can send to ask about the Friday or Sunday.
Shortlist three, then pick one. Star up to three, share the link with a parent or partner, and make one your date. Your checklist moves with it.

Frequently asked questions

When is wedding season in the UK?: It runs from May to September, with August, May and September the busiest months. Winter and early spring are the quietest, so venues are easier to book and often more flexible.
Which months are cheapest?: January, February, March and November are usually the quietest, and venues often have more free dates and more room on price. Prices are set by each venue, so we show how busy a date usually is, never a price.
Are bank holiday weddings a good idea?: They can be. A bank holiday weekend gives guests an extra day, and some couples choose one for that. Travel and accommodation are likely busier, and guests may have plans of their own. We mark bank holidays by nation, because Scotland and Northern Ireland differ from England and Wales.
Is a midweek wedding cheaper?: Often, yes. Saturdays are by far the most requested day, so many venues charge less for a Friday, a Sunday or a weekday. Your venue's own quote is the one that matters, and we never show a price.
What time does it get dark in December?: Sunset is around 3.50pm in southern England and about 3.30pm in Edinburgh in mid-December. A winter wedding works best with the ceremony early and the photographs before sunset. Add your town and the picker gives the exact time.
Do you pick the date or the venue first?: Most couples start with the venue, because its free dates decide the date. If a date matters more (a season, a family event), start with the date. Either way, compare two or three dates before you commit.
How far ahead should we book?: Popular venues are often booked 12 to 18 months ahead for a summer Saturday. Quieter months and weekdays are easier to book at shorter notice.
What about half term and school holidays?: We mark the usual half-term weeks (February, late May and late October) and the school holidays as a hint. Councils set the real dates, so check your area before you book.