Data study · Updated October 2026

What's the best month to get married? Official data from 17 countries

Name: Weddings by month in 17 countries (official statistics)
Creator: Easy Wedding Album
Published: 2026-10-24
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

We gathered the latest official count of weddings by month from the statistics offices of 17 countries, from the United States and the UK to Australia, Brazil and Japan. Here is when couples actually get married, and when they don't.

The short answer

September and June are the most popular months to get married in the northern hemisphere, with about 13% of the year's weddings each, followed by August and July.
January is the quietest month in 11 of the 17 countries.
In Australia and New Zealand the calendar flips: November, February and March are busy, July is the quietest.
The “best” month depends on what you want: the peak months for the classic summer wedding, May or October for a busy-but-not-peak date, winter for the most availability.

The most popular months to get married, ranked

Average share of the year's weddings in each month across 13 northern-hemisphere countries (United States, UK, Canada and ten European countries). Each country counts equally, whatever its size. The last column shows in how many of those 13 countries the month is one of the three busiest.

#	Month	Share of weddings	Top 3 in
1	September	13.0%	10 / 13
2	June	13.0%	10 / 13
3	August	12.6%	8 / 13
4	July	11.9%	7 / 13
5	May	10.7%	3 / 13
6	October	8.8%	1 / 13
7	April	7.4%	0 / 13
8	December	5.4%	0 / 13
9	November	4.8%	0 / 13
10	March	4.7%	0 / 13
11	February	4.2%	0 / 13
12	January	3.5%	0 / 13

September edges June by less than a tenth of a point, so treat them as joint first. Together, May to October hold 70% of weddings, and the five months from November to March barely a fifth. Japan is left out of this ranking because it counts registrations, not ceremonies (see below).

Northern vs southern hemisphere

Weddings follow the weather. North of the equator the season runs from May to October; in Australia and New Zealand it is reversed, with a winter low in June and July.

Northern hemisphere

Average of 13 countries

4%3.5%

4%4.2%

5%4.7%

7%7.4%

11%10.7%

13%13.0%

12%11.9%

13%12.6%

13%13.0%

9%8.8%

5%4.8%

5%5.4%

Australia & New Zealand

Average of 2 countries

8%8.4%

11%11.4%

12%12.4%

9%9.5%

6%6.4%

5%5.3%

5%4.7%

6%6.0%

7%7.3%

9%9.3%

11%11.3%

8%7.9%

Brazil, the third southern country in the data, follows neither pattern: its weddings build steadily towards November and December, and its quietest month is February, the month of Carnival.

Wedding season country by country

Each chart shows the share of the year's weddings in each month. The busiest month is shown in dark, the quietest in gold.

United States

2009 · 2,076,000 marriages · month of registration

Busiest: June (10.5%), then July and August. Quietest: January (5.9%).

6%5.9%

6%6.1%

7%7.0%

8%7.9%

9%8.6%

10%10.5%

10%10.2%

10%9.9%

9%9.4%

7%7.4%

7%6.6%

The United States has no current official count of weddings by month. The latest one is the CDC’s provisional 2009 series, and it records marriages in the month the paperwork reached the registration office, which flattens the curve and shifts it later. Even so, June and July tie at the top (10.5% each) and January is the quietest month (5.9%). The Knot’s survey of couples who plan on its site, which is not an official count, puts October and June ahead, at about 16% of weddings each.

Source: CDC/NCHS, National Vital Statistics Reports Vol. 58 No. 25, Table B2: Provisional number of marriages by month, United States, 2009

United Kingdom (England & Wales)

2023 · 224,402 marriages

Busiest: August (14.3%), then July and September. Quietest: January (2.6%).

3%2.6%

4%3.6%

5%5.2%

8%8.3%

10%10.0%

11%11.5%

13%12.9%

14%14.3%

13%12.6%

8%8.5%

5%5.5%

5%5.1%

August is the busiest month in England and Wales (14.3% of 2023 weddings), ahead of July and September. January is the quietest (2.6%): there were 5.5 times as many weddings in August as in January. Scotland and Northern Ireland publish their own figures and are not included.

Source: ONS, 'Marriages in England and Wales: 2023' data tables, Table 8 (marriages by day and month of occurrence)

Canada

2004 · 146,242 marriages

Busiest: July (17.6%), then August and September. Quietest: January (2.9%).

3%2.9%

4%4.1%

3%3.3%

4%4.3%

9%9.1%

11%10.9%

18%17.6%

17%17.2%

12%12.4%

10%9.9%

4%3.9%

4%4.5%

Statistics Canada stopped publishing marriages by month after 2004, so this is the most recent official breakdown and is best read as the shape of the season. That shape is very summery: July (17.6%) and August (17.2%) together hold more than a third of the year’s weddings, and January has the fewest (2.9%).

Source: Statistics Canada, Table 39-10-0009-01 Marriages, by type of marriage and month (inactive), Canadian Vital Statistics Marriage Database

Australia

2024 · 119,795 marriages

Busiest: November (11.5%), then October and March. Quietest: July (5.3%).

6%6.2%

8%8.4%

11%10.7%

10%9.9%

7%7.4%

6%6.1%

5%5.3%

7%7.4%

9%9.2%

11%10.9%

12%11.5%

7%7.0%

Australian weddings follow the southern seasons. November is the busiest month (11.5%), with October and March close behind, and July, in the middle of winter, is the quietest (5.3%). The curve is flat by European standards: the busiest month has only about twice as many weddings as the quietest.

Source: ABS, Marriages and Divorces, Australia, 2025 - Table 2: Month of marriage occurring in 2021-2025

New Zealand

2024 · 17,853 marriages

Busiest: February (14.5%), then March and November. Quietest: July (4.0%).

11%10.5%

14%14.5%

14%14.0%

9%9.1%

5%5.5%

5%4.6%

4%4.0%

5%4.7%

5%5.5%

8%7.6%

11%11.2%

9%8.9%

Late summer and early autumn are the peak in New Zealand: February (14.5%) and March (14.0%), then November. July is the quietest month (4.0%). Stats NZ randomly rounds each count to a multiple of 3 to protect privacy, which makes no visible difference at this scale.

Source: Stats NZ Infoshare, Marriages and civil unions by month and year of marriage (Monthly), Total all marriages

France

2023 · 241,080 marriages

Busiest: July (15.1%), then June and September. Quietest: January (2.7%).

3%2.7%

3%3.2%

4%3.8%

7%7.2%

12%12.2%

15%14.9%

15%15.1%

11%10.9%

15%14.6%

7%7.3%

4%3.6%

5%4.6%

July (15.1%), June (14.9%) and September (14.6%) are almost level in France, so the season is spread over the whole summer rather than a single month. August is noticeably lower (10.9%). January is the quietest month (2.7%).

Source: INSEE, 'Les mariages en 2023 et en séries longues' - Selon le mois et le jour de l'année (file Retro11.csv: mariages par mois, 1946-2023)

Germany

2024 · 349,216 marriages

Busiest: August (13.4%), then May and June. Quietest: January (2.4%).

2%2.4%

4%3.9%

5%4.5%

8%8.3%

12%12.3%

12%12.1%

11%10.6%

13%13.4%

11%11.2%

9%8.8%

5%5.2%

7%7.2%

August is the peak in Germany (13.4%), followed by May and June. December (7.2%) is busier than November or March, a bump often attributed to couples marrying before the end of the tax year. January is the quietest month (2.4%).

Source: Destatis GENESIS-Online table 12611-0002 'Eheschließungen, Eheschließungen je 1000 Einwohner: Deutschland, Monate' (variable BEV003 Eheschließungen)

Italy

2024 · 173,272 marriages

Busiest: September (18.8%), then June and July. Quietest: January (2.2%).

2%2.2%

3%2.6%

3%3.1%

6%5.9%

12%11.7%

18%17.7%

12%11.7%

9%8.9%

19%18.8%

9%9.4%

3%2.7%

5%5.2%

Italy has the sharpest season of the 17 countries. September (18.8%) and June (17.7%) alone account for more than a third of weddings, and September has 8.6 times as many as January (2.2%). August, by contrast, is only sixth (8.9%).

Source: ISTAT, 'Matrimoni, unioni civili, separazioni e divorzi – Anno 2024' (Jan 2026), Tavole e grafici, Figura 6 data: Totale matrimoni per mese di celebrazione

Spain

2024 · 175,364 marriages

Busiest: September (13.1%), then June and October. Quietest: January (3.8%).

4%3.8%

5%5.0%

6%5.9%

8%8.4%

10%10.2%

13%12.8%

10%9.9%

6%6.1%

13%13.1%

12%11.6%

8%7.9%

5%5.3%

Spain has two peaks, September (13.1%) and June (12.8%), with October third (11.6%). August drops to 6.1%, below November. January is the quietest month (3.8%).

Source: INE Spain, Estadística de Matrimonios (MNP) table 77171 'Matrimonios por comunidad autónoma de residencia del matrimonio, mes y forma de celebración' — Total Nacional, Total

Netherlands

2024 · 68,682 marriages

Busiest: June (13.5%), then September and May. Quietest: January (4.5%).

4%4.5%

5%4.9%

5%4.6%

8%8.1%

12%11.8%

14%13.5%

10%10.2%

11%11.2%

13%12.6%

8%7.6%

5%5.2%

6%5.8%

June is the busiest month in the Netherlands (13.5%), then September and May. The Dutch season is gentle: January, the quietest month (4.5%), still has a third as many weddings as June.

Source: CBS StatLine 83519NED 'Huwen, partnerschap; sluiting en ontbinding per maand' (Huwelijkssluitingen, Totaal)

Belgium

2023 · 46,564 marriages

Busiest: September (13.6%), then July and June. Quietest: January (3.6%).

4%3.6%

4%4.4%

5%5.2%

7%7.0%

12%11.7%

13%12.8%

13%13.3%

12%12.2%

14%13.6%

7%7.1%

4%4.2%

5%4.8%

September (13.6%), July (13.3%) and June (12.8%) lead in Belgium, with August close behind. January is the quietest month (3.6%).

Source: Statbel (Statistics Belgium), Huwelijksstatistiek 2023, Tab 2 'Evolutie van het aantal huwelijken per maand en gewest, sinds 2000' (België)

Switzerland

2024 · 36,769 marriages

Busiest: May (11.8%), then August and June. Quietest: November (4.8%).

5%5.4%

6%6.0%

6%5.9%

9%9.3%

12%11.8%

12%11.6%

10%9.8%

12%11.8%

11%10.7%

8%8.4%

5%4.8%

Switzerland has the flattest curve in Europe. May and August are level at the top (11.8% each), June is right behind, and even the quietest months, November and December, hold 4.8% each.

Source: BFS (Swiss Federal Statistical Office), BEVNAT table su-d-01.06.01.01.16 'Heiraten nach Monat, 1970-2024' (sheet Total)

Austria

2024 · 45,810 marriages

Busiest: August (14.9%), then June and September. Quietest: January (3.1%).

3%3.1%

5%4.8%

4%4.3%

8%8.2%

12%12.2%

13%13.2%

10%10.2%

15%14.9%

12%12.2%

9%8.8%

4%4.1%

4%4.0%

August leads clearly in Austria (14.9%), followed by June (13.2%), then May and September level at 12.2%. January is the quietest month (3.1%).

Source: Statistik Austria, 'Ehen und Begründungen eingetragener Partner:innenschaften' (.ods), Tabelle 3: Eheschließungen nach Ereignismonat seit 1989

Poland

2024 · 135,402 marriages

Busiest: August (19.2%), then June and September. Quietest: February (2.4%).

3%2.5%

2%2.4%

3%2.9%

6%6.4%

7%7.3%

16%16.3%

11%10.8%

19%19.2%

14%14.5%

9%8.8%

3%3.2%

6%5.8%

Poland has the most concentrated season: August alone accounts for 19.2% of weddings, and June to September for 61%. May is only sixth (7.3%); a popular Polish saying holds that months with an “r” in their name bring luck, and maj has none. February is the quietest month (2.4%), just below January.

Source: GUS (Statistics Poland), Rocznik Demograficzny 2025, Tabl. 20(44) 'Małżeństwa według miesiąca zawarcia małżeństwa oraz województw w 2024 r.' (Polska, ogółem)

Portugal

2024 · 36,633 marriages · month of registration

Busiest: August (13.7%), then September and July. Quietest: January (4.2%).

4%4.2%

4%4.3%

5%5.3%

6%6.3%

10%9.9%

11%11.0%

12%11.6%

14%13.7%

13%13.2%

9%9.3%

5%5.1%

6%6.1%

August (13.7%) and September (13.2%) lead in Portugal, with July third. January is the quietest month (4.2%). Statistics Portugal counts weddings by month of registration, which for civil and Catholic weddings follows the ceremony within days.

Source: INE Portugal (Statistics Portugal), indicator 0012694 'Casamentos celebrados (N.º) por Local de registo (NUTS - 2024) e Mês de registo; Anual' — Portugal, 2024

Brazil

2024 · 937,303 marriages

Busiest: November (10.4%), then December and October. Quietest: February (6.0%).

7%7.1%

6%6.0%

7%7.3%

8%7.8%

8%8.5%

8%7.9%

8%8.2%

8%8.1%

9%9.0%

9%9.3%

10%10.4%

Brazil does not follow the hemisphere pattern. Weddings build through the year to November and December (10.4% each), and February, the month of Carnival and high summer, is the quietest (6.0%). May, traditionally called mês das noivas (the brides’ month), ranks only fifth (8.5%).

Source: IBGE, Estatísticas do Registro Civil - SIDRA Tabela 4412: Casamentos, por mês de ocorrência (Brasil, 2024)

Japan

2025 · 489,158 marriages · month of registration

Busiest: July (11.8%), then March and November. Quietest: September (5.3%).

7%6.7%

8%8.2%

11%11.1%

6%6.2%

9%8.6%

6%6.3%

12%11.8%

8%8.5%

5%5.3%

8%8.2%

10%9.8%

9%9.2%

Japan only publishes marriages by month of registration, and many couples pick the registration date for its meaning. July 2025 (11.8%) includes Tanabata on 7 July, March (11.1%) closes the fiscal year, and November (9.8%) includes 22 November, read as “good couple day”. These are paperwork dates, not ceremonies, so this curve is left out of the averages.

Source: MHLW / e-Stat, 人口動態統計確定数 2025, 上巻婚姻第9.3表届出月別にみた年次別婚姻件数 (marriages by month of registration)

The quietest months to get married

January is the quietest month in 11 of the 17 countries. In most of Europe and in Canada it holds less than 4% of the year's weddings, roughly one wedding for every five held in the peak month.

Country	Quietest month	Share
United States	January	5.9%
United Kingdom (England & Wales)	January	2.6%
Canada	January	2.9%
Australia	July	5.3%
New Zealand	July	4.0%
France	January	2.7%
Germany	January	2.4%
Italy	January	2.2%
Spain	January	3.8%
Netherlands	January	4.5%
Belgium	January	3.6%
Switzerland	November	4.8%
Austria	January	3.1%
Poland	February	2.4%
Portugal	January	4.2%
Brazil	February	6.0%
Japan	September	5.3%

Is a quiet month a cheaper month? Official statistics count weddings, not prices, so they can't tell you. They do show where demand is lowest, and fewer weddings means more open dates at venues and suppliers, and more room to ask for an off-season or weekday rate.

Methodology and sources

For each country we used the most recent year for which the national statistics office publishes a complete count of marriages by month. A month's share is its number of marriages divided by the total of the twelve months. Averages are simple means of the country shares, so a small country weighs as much as a large one. The series differ in a few ways that matter:

United States: no current official monthly series exists. The CDC's National Vital Statistics Reports published provisional monthly counts until 2009; we use 2009. The figures are rounded to the thousand and count marriages in the month they were received by registration offices, so they lag and flatten the ceremony calendar.
Canada: Statistics Canada's monthly table stops in 2004, the year used here. It shows the shape of the season, not today's volumes.
Japan: counts are by month of registration at the city office, which couples often time for a symbolic date. They are not ceremony dates, and Japan is excluded from the averages.
New Zealand: Stats NZ randomly rounds counts to a multiple of 3.
Portugal: month of registration, which closely follows the ceremony date.
United Kingdom: England and Wales only. Australia: 2024 taken from the 2025 release so that late registrations are included. Belgium: marriages celebrated in Belgium, 2023. Italy excludes civil unions, the Netherlands registered partnerships. Brazil: civil marriages by month of occurrence, excluding late registrations from earlier years.

All monthly shares in one table

Country	Year	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
United States	2009	5.9	6.1	7.0	7.9	8.6	10.5	10.5	10.2	9.9	9.4	7.4	6.6
UK (Eng. & Wales)	2023	2.6	3.6	5.2	8.3	10.0	11.5	12.9	14.3	12.6	8.5	5.5	5.1
Canada	2004	2.9	4.1	3.3	4.3	9.1	10.9	17.6	17.2	12.4	9.9	3.9	4.5
Australia	2024	6.2	8.4	10.7	9.9	7.4	6.1	5.3	7.4	9.2	10.9	11.5	7.0
New Zealand	2024	10.5	14.5	14.0	9.1	5.5	4.6	4.0	4.7	5.5	7.6	11.2	8.9
France	2023	2.7	3.2	3.8	7.2	12.2	14.9	15.1	10.9	14.6	7.3	3.6	4.6
Germany	2024	2.4	3.9	4.5	8.3	12.3	12.1	10.6	13.4	11.2	8.8	5.2	7.2
Italy	2024	2.2	2.6	3.1	5.9	11.7	17.7	11.7	8.9	18.8	9.4	2.7	5.2
Spain	2024	3.8	5.0	5.9	8.4	10.2	12.8	9.9	6.1	13.1	11.6	7.9	5.3
Netherlands	2024	4.5	4.9	4.6	8.1	11.8	13.5	10.2	11.2	12.6	7.6	5.2	5.8
Belgium	2023	3.6	4.4	5.2	7.0	11.7	12.8	13.3	12.2	13.6	7.1	4.2	4.8
Switzerland	2024	5.4	6.0	5.9	9.3	11.8	11.6	9.8	11.8	10.7	8.4	4.8	4.8
Austria	2024	3.1	4.8	4.3	8.2	12.2	13.2	10.2	14.9	12.2	8.8	4.1	4.0
Poland	2024	2.5	2.4	2.9	6.4	7.3	16.3	10.8	19.2	14.5	8.8	3.2	5.8
Portugal	2024	4.2	4.3	5.3	6.3	9.9	11.0	11.6	13.7	13.2	9.3	5.1	6.1
Brazil	2024	7.1	6.0	7.3	7.8	8.5	7.9	8.2	8.1	9.0	9.3	10.4	10.4
Japan	2025	6.7	8.2	11.1	6.2	8.6	6.3	11.8	8.5	5.3	8.2	9.8	9.2

Official sources

Free to reuse

Journalists, bloggers and wedding planners are welcome to use these figures and charts. They are published under CC BY 4.0: please cite EasyWeddingAlbum with a link to this page.

Source: EasyWeddingAlbum analysis of official marriage statistics, easyweddingalbum.com/best-month-to-get-married

Download the dataset (CSV, 17 countries)

Frequently asked questions

What is the best month to get married?

There is no single best month, but the data shows clear favourites. Across 13 northern-hemisphere countries, September and June are tied as the most popular months (13.0% of weddings each on average), followed by August and July. If you want good odds of mild weather with less competition for dates, May and October are busy but not peak months. In Australia and New Zealand the season is reversed: November and March are popular, July is the quietest.

What is the most popular month to get married?

September, by a hair. Averaged across 13 northern-hemisphere countries, September holds 13.0% of the year’s weddings and June 13.0% as well, ahead of August (12.6%) and July (11.9%). Country by country the winner changes: August in the UK, Germany, Austria, Poland and Portugal; September in Italy, Spain and Belgium; July in France and Canada; June in the Netherlands and, tied with July, the United States.

What is the cheapest month to get married?

Official statistics count weddings, not prices, so they cannot name a cheapest month. What they do show is when demand is lowest: January and February in Europe and North America, June and July in Australia and New Zealand. Fewer weddings means more open dates at venues and suppliers and more room to negotiate. Ask venues directly for their off-season and weekday rates.

What is the best time of year to get married?

In the northern hemisphere, late spring to early autumn: May to October holds 70% of weddings on average across 13 countries. In Australia and New Zealand, spring (October and November) and late summer into early autumn (February and March) are the busiest times.

What are the most popular wedding dates?

Official statistics are published by month, so they do not rank individual dates. The busiest dates fall inside the peak months above. Symbolic dates also move the numbers: in Japan, registrations jump on 7 July and on 22 November, read as “good couple day”.

What is the least popular month to get married?

January. It is the quietest month in 11 of the 17 countries, often with fewer than 3% of the year’s weddings. In Australia and New Zealand the quietest month is July, in mid-winter.

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