The best month for an outdoor wedding near Louisville
By the Venue Answers team · · 3 min read
Late September and October are the driest, most comfortable months for an outdoor wedding around Louisville. May is the wettest month of the year, and July and August are the hottest. Here is the full picture, month by month, from NOAA's 30-year averages.
Rain and temperature by month
These are the 1991 to 2020 NOAA normals for Louisville's airport. "Wet days" are days with at least a hundredth of an inch of rain. Rural venues in Southern Indiana and the outer Kentucky counties tend to run a few degrees cooler at night.
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Wet days | Sunset, mid-month |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March | 58° | 39° | 4.6 in | 12 | 7:50 pm |
| April | 70° | 49° | 4.8 in | 12 | 8:18 pm |
| May | 78° | 59° | 5.2 in | 13 | 8:47 pm |
| June | 86° | 67° | 4.3 in | 11 | 9:08 pm |
| July | 89° | 71° | 4.1 in | 10 | 9:07 pm |
| August | 88° | 70° | 3.7 in | 8 | 8:39 pm |
| September | 82° | 62° | 3.7 in | 8 | 7:54 pm |
| October | 71° | 50° | 3.7 in | 8 | 7:07 pm |
| November | 58° | 39° | 3.4 in | 10 | 5:32 pm |
Sunset times are Eastern time for Louisville on the 15th. Use the sunset calculator for your exact date.
Season by season
Spring (April and May)
Green, mild and the wettest stretch of the year. May averages more than five inches of rain across about 13 wet days, so the odds that some rain falls on your date are close to even. A spring outdoor ceremony is lovely, but pick your venue on its rain plan, not its lawn. Nights in April still drop into the 40s; ask whether the indoor space is heated.
Summer (June to August)
Long evenings, with sunset after 9 pm in June and July, and real heat. Average highs sit in the upper 80s, and the humidity makes it feel hotter. For a summer date, air conditioning matters more than almost anything else on the venue sheet. Plan the ceremony for early evening and keep it short.
Fall (September and October)
The sweet spot. September and October have the fewest wet days of the warm months, highs in the 70s and low 80s, and comfortable evenings. That is why these are the most booked months at most venues. If you want a fall Saturday, start touring a year or more ahead, or look at Fridays and Sundays.
Late fall and winter
Sunset comes before 5:30 pm from November into January, so an outdoor ceremony has to start in the early afternoon. Indoor weddings in these months are often the best value of the year. Ask venues for off-season pricing even if they do not publish it.
Plan around sunset
For the best light, end an outdoor ceremony 30 to 45 minutes before sunset. That puts a mid-October ceremony around 6:00 to 6:15 pm and a mid-June ceremony closer to 8:00 pm. Check the venue's curfew too: a late summer ceremony leaves less time to party if the music has to stop at 10:30.
What this means for picking a venue
- Spring date: filter for venues where everyone fits indoors if it rains. On our venue search, that is the first must-have in the filter list.
- Summer date: filter for heated and cooled indoor space.
- Fall date: book early and ask about Friday and Sunday pricing.
- Winter date: ask for off-season rates and check how early the venue can open for an afternoon ceremony.
Weather is an average, not a forecast. Whatever month you choose, the rain plan is the question that decides an outdoor venue. What to ask about a venue's rain plan.