If a spring wedding isn’t your cup of tea, whether you live in a rainy area or your family and friends aren’t available at that time of year, you can always consider one of the early summer months. May and June are incredibly popular months for weddings. The weather is bright and clear, the flowers in bloom are plentiful, and many students are out of school.

A summer wedding does have some drawbacks. Remember that even in the northern states, June days can become very warm, very quickly. It would be wise to choose a location that you can use for both your ceremony and reception so that your guests do not have to trek out to their cars and wilt along the way to the cake-cutting. The weather also plays a part in your ability to have an outdoor ceremony. May is probably still cool enough in almost every area to have an outdoor ceremony without frying your guests. However, if you live in the south, even early June days will become uncomfortably warm by midday. And there is nothing worse than sweating in a suit and tie or pantyhose. So if your heart is set on an outdoor wedding, spare your guests the suffering and get married in the spring or fall.

The popularity of summer weddings is another drawback. With thousands of other brides vying for rehearsal halls, churches, gardens, country inns, vineyards, and other choice wedding locales, you will have competition galore when choosing your space. If you can plan your wedding at least a year in advance, you will probably still have a good chance at securing your first choice for a wedding date. But if, like most brides, you only have a six to nine month engagement, you may call your favorite bed and breakfast only to find that the weekend you want to get married is already booked solid. You can get around this difficulty by holding the ceremony at an unusual time when most facilities are still open. Sundays and weekday evenings are less popular than Friday evenings, and any time on Saturday.

Finally, a summer wedding means a summer honeymoon. This time of year is a very popular vacation time also. Most resorts are packed with vacationers. Again, if you have a year or so to plan and make your honeymoon reservations, you should be okay here. But if you only have six months, you will find most of the choice locations booked. You can always look into more out of the way spots, those which are still in the vicinity of your first choice large resort, but are less well known and more likely to be available.

If you have a nice long engagement and pay careful attention to your guests’ comfort during the planning stages, your summer wedding could be the day you have always dreamed of.