Chicago is definitely our favorite place to have a wedding because there is so much for the city to offer. One of the biggest reasons we think that Chicago is a great place for your wedding though is that the weather generally is really great for so much of the year in the city! We think that it is really hard to tell exactly what dates are going to be good for your wedding just because we really can’t predict or change the weather as much as we try as your wedding coordinators, but we do our best to recommend times that seem to work well for our couples! Here are some of the best months in our opinion to have your wedding in Chicago.

September

September is the most popular month to get married, and there’s no guessing why that is for Chicago. September truly has some of the most temperate weather in Chicago that you possibly can get, which means your wedding day is very likely to have an even average high of 74 degrees with a very low chance of rain. The city will still have beautiful, green leaves for some lovely nature photos and it’s very unlikely that you would need a jacket which is great for your wedding day and for your wedding guests too. The sunset also is still late enough at about 7pm where you can take lots of photos without having to worry too much about losing sunlight! If you can find a date at your dream wedding venue in September in Chicago, we definitely recommend it because you are very likely to have an amazing day for the weather!!

October

October is second most popular, and again it has everything to do with the weather. The sun sets a little earlier in October at about 6pm, and there is a slightly higher chance of rain than September, but really not by a lot so we definitely recommend it. If you go later into the year in the last week you’re also likely to get some lovely photos of the leaves starting to change colors! We noted that in 2023, the weekend of October 28 was the perfect weekend for the leaves to change, and for 2024 it was October 25. The average temperature in Chicago in October is also 62 degrees during the day, so it is starting to become a little more crisp, but it’s definitely still good for outdoor photos and a good time overall!

May

May is truly some of the best weather in the second half of the month. With an average temperature in Chicago at 66 degrees, it is just starting to be beautiful in the city with the buzz of the summer right around the corner. There is the same chance of rain as October, but you’re likely to find more wedding dates available because it is less popular than September or October. Memorial Day weekend is also very popular because couples are hoping that their family and friends will already have the holiday off, but it is a very popular wedding weekend so be careful that you’re not booking the same dates as your family and friends too!

June

June is actually the third most popular month to get married in Chicago, but we actually find that June can be a little on the hotter side with an average temperature in Chicago at 77 degrees and 2 additional days more on average that it is likely to rain. We think that it is still a beautiful month to get married, but we would actually recommend some weeks in May more than June just because of this higher chance of the heat and the rain!

Honorable Mention: July

July actually has the least expected rain from all of these months, so if you’re worried about rain for your wedding day we would recommend July! The only problem is that the heat can be more tough potentially in July with an average temperature in Chicago of 82 degrees. We definitely wouldn’t recommend having an outdoor ceremony or cocktail hour in July if possible - it might bake your guests in the heat! However, there are definitely dates in July that are the perfect 70 degrees, so if you’re already booked up in July, there are definitely going to be weekends that are beautiful!

Honorable Mention: August

August has the same amount of expected rain as July, which is actually some of the lowest averages in the year for Chicago! The main potential problem though for August is the same as July though - the heat. August has an average temperature in Chicago of 81 degrees, which of course is very toasty for wedding parties when it’s time to be outside in suits and tuxes for photos. We know this is a very popular time though for weddings and you can definitely get around the heat, but if you’re thinking about having any outdoor elements to your wedding day like an outdoor ceremony or cocktail hour, we might recommend you try checking out September or May first if it’s available! We have found the last few years that August has had the most hot days for our couples, so we might recommend another month if you have the chance still to look around for dates.

Chicago has so much to offer for weddings, but these are definitely the best months for everything Chicago has to offer! Of course, you can definitely get married outside of this timeframe, but you will likely have colder temperatures. If you’re looking for a winter wonderland or you like the idea of the lower costs in the “off season” for weddings, you can definitely look in other months for your wedding in Chicago! If you need help figuring out more on when to have your wedding or how to manage the details of your wedding like the weather plans, reach out to us at our contact page and we can definitely make sure you don’t have to worry about a thing.