Would you attend a ceremony in the cold?!

It depends on how cold you're referring to. I hate the cold, so anything less than 50 is super uncomfortable for me. We're planning on having our wedding outside, but if it's less than 50 degrees we'll move it inside instead. I'd rather miss out on having an outside ceremony than have our guests be uncomfortable.

If it’s winter and cold outside, I’d be hesitant to attend and possibly show for the indoor reception. As a guest, I typically show up about 20 minutes prior to the ceremony beginning. So that’s additional time in the cold, on top of sitting through the actual ceremony. Being cold is uncomfortable and it’s not what you want people to remember about your ceremony.

How long will the ceremony be and what’s the average temperature for that time of year?


My cousin had her outdoor wedding in October and should have had perfect fall weather but that weekend was especially cold (45-50). She really really wanted it outdoors and didn’t want to move it into the venue but cut down on the ceremony length to accommodate. The guests were able to dress appropriately but it was a little rough on the bridesmaids since we were all sleeveless.
I think as long as your ceremony isn’t too long and you can pre-plan a wrap/sleeve option for the bridesmaids in case of cold weather then it should be okay

Yes, and we have! We've attended two outdoor ceremonies in the winter. One in New Jersey and one in Colorado. And it was COLD. Like 32 cold with snow on the ground (in Colorado at least). Both couples made a lot of accommodations for guests though. The invites & website mentioned the ceremony would be outside, they had heat lamps by the chairs, guests were able to bring long jackets since they knew it would be outside, one provided blankets & hand warmers, and the other provided hot drinks. Both ceremonies were around 15 minutes long.

I haven't been to a ceremony when it has been cold before, but I wouldn't mind at all. But I tend to run warm as it is so for me if someone has an outdoor ceremony in the summer I am very uncomfortable. Honesty I would rather warm myself up from being outside in the cold than to trying to cool myself down from it being hot, humid and just generally uncomfortable.

We had an original DW where the ceremony location would be about 40 degrees. Everyone said they'd be fine with it BUT we were worried about elderly guests. This location was also very close to a parking lot so people could sit in heated vehicles before walking a few feet to the lookout. The reception would have been held inside at a mountain resort. I think it is doable but it needs to be fast and have the option for people not to freeze for too long

There are a lot of factors here. How cold? What are the other conditions? 40 degrees and sunny is way different from a cloudy and windy 40 degrees. Are you providing any accommodations; heaters, blankets, hot drinks?

Looking online it seems you'd be looking at temps between 45-65, which is cold but still doable. I'd make sure to inform your guests that the ceremony is outside, if you have a section for dresscode on your invitations or wedding website this is the perfect place. You can also have more subtle hints in the invitation wording referencing the ceremony "by the water/in the garden/etc."

I've been to a cold/November wedding that I didn't realize was outdoors, but was fine as long as I kept on my coat during the ceremony. They also had their cocktail hour outdoors and were thoughtful in putting out large heat lamps for guests (think the kind you may see in a restaurant). It was a bit uncomfortable toward the end of cocktail hour as the sun was going down, so my only suggestion would be to try and plan as much as you can around the sunset and have guests inside before then good luck!

Probably not. I get sick really easily (I'm actually sick now), so if it's cold I probably would opt out of the ceremony & only come to the reception.

As long as I know before hand it's going to be outside I personally wouldn't let temperature stop me at all, I'd just wear more layers

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Nikki said almost exactly what I would have said! My cousin also had a wedding in October where the temp was right around 45 degrees. I just packed a jean jacket and really embraced the fall weather feel, but the bridesmaids looked very chilly.

Yeah! It was on Peaks Island, Maine in January. It wasnt bad at all, and Im pretty sure it started late. Outdoor heaters are really helpful.

I’m the wrong person to ask since I’m always cold. I live in the burbs of Chicago and I can’t stand winter time. But I’ll definitely go to a wedding regardless of the weather, but that doesn’t mean I won’t be uncomfortable lol. 40-45 degrees I can probably handle, anything below that I’ll most likely be trying to find shelter.

I live in Chicago but having my wedding in Florida next January because all of my family and FH's family is there. Similar situation where I'd be comfortable in almost anything Florida could throw at me, but my guests might not be. When we signed our contract, I set a rain plan (even though it's not rainy season), but not something temperature based. Might not be a bad idea to see if I can get that added... Either way, I'd rather people have to add jackets or bring a blanket than be sweating! Like others have said, make sure your guests know the plan ahead of time and I think you'll be fine.

As much as I may love my friend and desire to support her union I’d decline and send a great gift. But I just don’t like cold weather.

It depends on where you live honestly. I'd say if you're having a shorter ceremony and it's a little chilly outside it'll be fine. But if it's too cold, make sure you and your venue have a backup plan in place.

My FH and I are doing the same thing. We're getting married in 39 days in South Carolina. Typically our weather is very unpredictable. Two days ago it was 73 and when I left my house for work this morning it was 26. We're planning on having our ceremony outside and the reception inside. Since our ceremony is only going to be around 10 minutes, we think it is fine to have it outside if it's over 63 outside (my FH came up with the number, lol). If it is too cold, our venue coordinator and I have a plan on how to move the ceremony inside.