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The Best Month to Get Married in Phoenix & Scottsdale, Arizona
October, November, February, and March are the strongest months to marry in Phoenix or Scottsdale. Each combines comfortable temperatures, low rainfall, and manageable humidity — the three variables that most affect how a wedding day actually feels, and how it photographs. The numbers below are pulled from NOAA’s official 1991–2020 climate normals for Phoenix, not estimates.
Every couple planning an Arizona wedding eventually asks the same question: when should we actually do this? Most answers online are opinion — “spring is lovely,” “fall is popular” — without a single hard number behind them. After sixteen years photographing weddings across the Valley, we wanted to replace the vague advice with the real data: official temperature normals, humidity, rainfall, sunset timing, and the monsoon window, laid out month by month so you can weigh the tradeoffs yourself.
This is built for couples choosing between a phoenix wedding photographer season with perfect golden-hour light and one with a triple-digit forecast — because in the desert, that choice matters more than almost anywhere else in the country.
Phoenix Wedding Weather by Month: The Full Data
These figures are the official NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals for Phoenix Sky Harbor, the benchmark 30-year dataset used by meteorologists and researchers. “Rain days” reflects the average number of days per month with measurable precipitation.
| Month | Avg. High | Avg. Low | Humidity | Rain Days | Sunset (mid-month) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 68°F | 46°F | 47% | 4 | 5:44 PM |
| February | 71°F | 49°F | 45% | 4 | 6:13 PM |
| March | 78°F | 55°F | 40% | 3 | 6:37 PM |
| April | 86°F | 61°F | 31% | 2 | 6:59 PM |
| May | 95°F | 70°F | 23% | 1 | 7:22 PM |
| June | 104°F | 79°F | 16% | 0.5 | 7:40 PM |
| July | 107°F | 85°F | 29% | 4 | 7:40 PM |
| August | 105°F | 84°F | 35% | 5 | 7:16 PM |
| September | 100°F | 78°F | 32% | 3 | 6:36 PM |
| October | 89°F | 66°F | 30% | 2 | 5:56 PM |
| November | 77°F | 54°F | 35% | 2 | 5:27 PM |
| December | 66°F | 45°F | 45% | 4 | 5:23 PM |
Month-by-Month Breakdown for Wedding Planning
Comfortable, but the year’s shortest days
A 68°F average high makes January genuinely pleasant, and it’s one of the driest windows outside of early summer. The tradeoff is daylight — sunset at 5:44 PM means an evening reception either starts earlier than couples expect, or the golden-hour portrait window has to be planned right after the ceremony rather than saved for later in the night.
One of the two strongest months of the year
71°F average high, 45% humidity, and only 4 rain days puts February in the top tier. It’s also popular for exactly this reason, so premium venues and photographers book out further in advance than any other month.
The best overall balance
78°F average high with humidity dropping to 40% and rain days down to 3. Sunset has moved to 6:37 PM, giving a longer usable evening window than midwinter. This is the month we recommend most often when a couple has no other constraint pulling them toward a different season.
Still very workable, heat starting to build
86°F average high is warm but manageable for an evening ceremony. Humidity drops to 31%, which is part of why desert light photographs so cleanly this time of year — less haze in the air.
The heat turn begins
95°F average high changes the calculus for any outdoor daytime portion of the day. Evening ceremonies after 6:30 PM still work well, but midday portrait sessions need real shade planning.
Longest daylight of the year, but 104°F average high
June offers the year’s longest evenings — sunset doesn’t arrive until 7:40 PM — but with humidity at its annual low of 16% and highs averaging 104°F, this is a month for indoor ceremonies and after-dark outdoor portraits only.
Peak heat, and the start of monsoon season
107°F average high, the hottest month of the year, combined with the start of Arizona’s monsoon window (see below). Humidity climbs back to 29% as monsoon moisture moves in, and rain days jump to 4 — a different kind of weather risk than the dry heat of May and June.
Still brutal, and the wettest month of the year
105°F average high with 5 rain days, the highest of any month. This falls squarely inside peak monsoon season — outdoor weddings need a firm covered backup plan, not just a tent.
The turning point
100°F average high still sounds extreme, but September marks the start of the cooldown, and by the back half of the month evening ceremonies are comfortable again. Monsoon season technically continues through September 30, so a backup plan is still worth having for early-month dates.
One of the two best months of the year
89°F average high with humidity down to 30% and only 2 rain days. This is peak wedding season in the Valley for good reason, and venues book up accordingly — often a full year out for popular Saturdays.
The most reliably comfortable month
77°F average high, and this is the month we’d point to first if pressed for a single best answer. Sunset at 5:27 PM does mean planning an earlier evening timeline, but the weather reliability is hard to beat.
Mild days, genuinely cool nights
66°F average high and 45°F average low — the only month where an evening reception might actually call for a wrap or light jacket, which some couples enjoy for the novelty in a desert climate.
What Arizona’s Monsoon Season Actually Means for a Wedding
The National Weather Service defines Arizona’s monsoon season with fixed calendar dates: June 15 through September 30. Before 2008, the start date was tied to three consecutive days of dew points above 55°F, but the NWS moved to a fixed window to make planning simpler. The most active stretch within that window typically falls between mid-July and mid-August, when storm frequency and intensity both peak.
What this means in practice for a wedding day: mornings during monsoon season are usually clear, with storms building through the afternoon and hitting hardest from roughly 3 PM to 8 PM — which unfortunately overlaps with typical ceremony and reception timing. Storms in this region can include sudden dust storms (haboobs) as well as heavy rain, so any outdoor wedding scheduled within this window needs a genuine indoor or covered backup, confirmed with the venue in advance, not a contingency added as an afterthought.
Sunset Timing: The Detail Most Couples Miss
Phoenix sunset times swing by more than two hours across the year — from 5:23 PM in December to 7:43 PM at the June solstice. This matters more here than in most parts of the country because so much of Arizona wedding photography depends on that specific window of light in the hour before sunset. A ceremony timeline built around a “7 PM golden hour” in December will miss the light entirely, since the sun is already down by then.
Practical planning rule
Confirm the exact sunset time for your wedding month before setting the ceremony start time — not a general assumption carried over from a friend’s wedding in a different season. A photographer working in this market daily should be building the timeline backward from sunset, not forward from an arbitrary ceremony start.
Camelback Mountain, one of the Valley’s defining backdrops for evening portraits.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best month to get married in Phoenix or Scottsdale, Arizona?
October, November, February, and March are the strongest months. They combine comfortable temperatures (high 60s to high 80s), low humidity, minimal rainfall, and sunset times that work well with an evening reception timeline.
When is monsoon season in Arizona and does it affect weddings?
Arizona’s monsoon season runs officially from June 15 to September 30, with the most intense storm activity between mid-July and mid-August. Outdoor weddings during this window need a covered backup plan, since afternoon thunderstorms and dust storms are common, though mornings are usually clear.
What time does the sun set in Phoenix for wedding planning?
Sunset in Phoenix ranges from about 5:23 PM in December to 7:43 PM in late June. Because the swing is over two hours across the year, couples should confirm the exact sunset time for their wedding month rather than assuming a fixed evening schedule.
Is it too hot to get married in Phoenix in the summer?
June and July average highs of 104-107°F make outdoor daytime ceremonies difficult, though many couples still marry in summer using indoor venues, early evening start times, and shaded or air-conditioned reception spaces.
Planning Your Arizona Wedding Date?
We’ve photographed weddings across every month on this chart — including a few in July. Let’s talk through your date and what it means for your timeline.
For more on planning around Arizona’s light and climate, see our guide to the best time of day for a photo session, or browse the full Arizona wedding portfolio to see how different seasons actually look in the final gallery.