Traditionally the wedding season in Porto is from May to September, when the weather is most reliable, but here are a few considerations to ponder when you choose your wedding date.
If you are going to get married in July or August, then the heat can become too much of a good thing, particularly if you are going to have your wedding inland from Porto itself. Porto is located right next to the Atlantic and the cool ocean waters generally help to keep the air temperatures manageable even in mid-Summer (so it rarely strays over 30ºc (86° Fahrenheit) and you tend to get a refreshing sea breeze). Once you head inland, the temperatures can begin to soar, which is not for everyone. For Summer weddings, which often incorporate outside space into all parts of the wedding (the ceremony, drinks and the meal can sometimes all be outside), then shade is incredibly important. If you are not used to a hot climate, then standing outside in direct sunlight in fancy wedding clothes for several hours can be no fun at all! As wedding planners in Porto, we are of course very much aware of this, but it is worth underlining.
In the Winter months you can get a lot of rain in northern Portugal, so if you are considering a wedding from October to April you have to accept that whilst the weather can often be very pleasant, there is a chance that you will get rained on! Once again, if you move inland from the city of Porto, you also tend to get much lower temperatures also, as during the Winter, the ocean serves to warm up the air on the coast, whereas inland (up in the mountains) it can be much cooler and temperatures can drop to below freezing.
If you are considering have your wedding outside of peak season, then you can save a lot of money! The more desirable wedding venues are generally booked up for the Summer well in advance and they will typically charge a lot more at these times. Conversely, a lot of venues have little to do during the cooler months so can offer some outstanding deals. On this point it is also worth noting that many venues offer some more competitive prices if you are able to get married mid-week, which is rarely a possibility for domestic weddings, but can be an option for destination weddings when guests are having to take a few days off anyway.
Spring and Autumn can be the most beautiful times of the year in northern Portugal; whilst August may see the most sun, the land is often rather parched, whereas outside of peak Summer, there can be a riot of colour as flowers bloom left, right and centre. However, be aware that if you are planning to hold your wedding at a vineyard, the Autumn is the time for the grape harvest, which can be a lot of fun to witness, but does tend to attract more tourists to see it, so accommodation can be more of an issue.
A lot of our clients come to us with a blank canvas about their wedding in Porto, so one of our first jobs is to talk our clients through the very specific impact that the different seasons have on weddings. If you are unsure when would be the best time of year for your wedding, please get in touch and we can talk you through your options!
