# The best time to get married in France: month by month, region by region

> Météo-France’s climate normals for eight places couples marry, how many couples marry in each month (INSEE), the best months for each region, the holidays, ponts and events of 2027, and sunrise, sunset and golden hour for 2027 in eight cities.

- Updated 2026-10-13
- URL: https://lensandvows.com/journal/best-time-to-marry-in-france
- Português: https://lensandvows.com/pt/journal/best-time-to-marry-in-france.md
- Français: https://lensandvows.com/fr/journal/best-time-to-marry-in-france.md
- Lens & Vows: https://lensandvows.com/

**In short**

- June is France’s wedding month: 42,181 of the 248,174 marriages of 2024 (17.0%), ahead of September (13.1%), August (12.2%), May and July (12.1% each); 79.4% of them were on a Saturday (INSEE).
- Late spring to early autumn is the season almost everywhere: average highs of 23.4 °C in June and 21.5 °C in September in Paris, 27.9 °C and 25.9 °C at Marseille-Marignane (Météo-France normals, 1991–2020).
- The south is dry in summer and wet in autumn — Nice gets 13.6 mm of rain in July and 138.4 mm in November — while the north and west see rain in every month: 8 to 14 rainy days a month in Caen.
- Sunsets are late: on 15 June 2027 the sun sets at 22:08 in Caen, 21:56 in Paris, 21:50 in Bordeaux and 21:14 in Nice, and evening golden hour lasts 55 to 79 minutes.
- In 2027, 1 and 8 May fall on Saturdays, when town halls hardly marry anyone (370 and 543 couples on those dates in 2010, against 6,502 the next Saturday), while Saturday 15 May, at Pentecost, is usually one of the year’s busiest wedding days.

France has several climates: an Atlantic north and west with showers in every season, a Mediterranean south that is hot and dry in summer and stormy in autumn, an east with cold winters and warm summers, and the Alps, with a summer season and a winter one. So “the best month” depends on where. This guide puts the official numbers side by side — Météo-France’s climate normals, INSEE’s count of weddings by month and by day, the sun’s times for 2027 and the calendar of holidays — and turns them into a choice for each of the eight regions on Lens & Vows. For each region’s landscape and character, start from [France](https://lensandvows.com/france).

## Where do the numbers come from?

- **Temperature and rain** are Météo-France’s climate normals for **1991–2020**, from the national weather service’s station sheets: Montsouris park in Paris, and the airports of Marseille (at Marignane), Nice, Tours, Bordeaux, Caen, Annecy and Dijon. Avignon, Biarritz, Rennes, Brest, Les Houches near Chamonix and Chambrecy in the Champagne vineyards are quoted in the text.
- **A rainy day** means 1 mm of rain or more.
- **Weddings by month** are INSEE’s definitive figures for 2024, published in April 2026, for every marriage celebrated in France, overseas departments included; the Saturday column is our own arithmetic on INSEE’s day-by-day series.
- **Sunrise, sunset and golden hour** were computed for the 15th of each month of 2027 and checked against the US Naval Observatory; the method is set out further down.
- **Holidays** are the Ministry of Education’s school calendar and Service-Public’s list of public holidays, as they stood on 13 October 2026.

> **Averages, not a forecast.** A normal is what a month is like on average over thirty years, not what your day will be. Any June can be cooler and any September wetter. Use these numbers to choose the month and to decide how much plan B you need; use the forecast in the last week.

## Which months do couples in France marry in?

Marriages celebrated in France, by month, in 2024 (INSEE). The last column is how many couples married on an average Saturday of that month — the day the French marry: 79.4% of the year’s weddings were on a Saturday, 11.0% on a Friday and 0.2% on a Sunday.

| Month | Marriages in 2024 | Share of the year | On an average Saturday |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| January | 6,872 | 2.8% | 1,296 |
| February | 7,917 | 3.2% | 1,466 |
| March | 9,889 | 4.0% | 1,556 |
| April | 16,996 | 6.8% | 3,357 |
| May | 30,019 | 12.1% | 5,788 |
| June | 42,181 | 17.0% | 7,151 |
| July | 29,961 | 12.1% | 5,910 |
| August | 30,333 | 12.2% | 4,788 |
| September | 32,445 | 13.1% | 6,674 |
| October | 19,440 | 7.8% | 3,752 |
| November | 11,118 | 4.5% | 1,797 |
| December | 11,003 | 4.4% | 1,902 |

June stands out, with 17.0% of the year’s weddings; the busiest single day of 2024 was Saturday 22 June, with 8,240. Unlike Spain, where August is a quiet month, high summer stays busy here: July and August each had about 12%, and May to September held two weddings in three (66.5%). Then the numbers fall fast — October 7.8%, November to March together 18.9%. A month’s total also depends on its Saturdays: June 2024 had five; June 2027 has four, and July 2027 five. For you this means two things. **Saturdays from late May to September are the most asked-for dates** — for venues and for photographers, so book those first. And **a date outside them is easier to get**: an April or October Saturday, or a Friday or a Sunday, which suits a symbolic ceremony.

## How warm are the days?

Average daily maximum temperature, °C (Météo-France, 1991–2020).

| Month | Paris | Marseille | Nice | Tours | Bordeaux | Caen | Annecy | Dijon |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| January | 7.6 | 11.8 | 13.3 | 7.7 | 10.5 | 8.3 | 5.6 | 5.6 |
| February | 8.8 | 12.8 | 13.5 | 9.0 | 12.0 | 9.1 | 7.6 | 7.6 |
| March | 12.8 | 16.4 | 15.4 | 12.9 | 15.5 | 11.7 | 12.3 | 12.5 |
| April | 16.6 | 19.3 | 17.4 | 16.0 | 18.0 | 14.4 | 16.3 | 16.2 |
| May | 20.2 | 23.5 | 21.0 | 19.6 | 21.7 | 17.4 | 20.3 | 20.0 |
| June | 23.4 | 27.9 | 24.7 | 23.4 | 25.0 | 20.5 | 24.2 | 24.2 |
| July | 25.7 | 30.7 | 27.5 | 25.9 | 27.1 | 22.9 | 26.5 | 26.7 |
| August | 25.6 | 30.5 | 27.9 | 26.0 | 27.6 | 23.2 | 26.1 | 26.2 |
| September | 21.5 | 25.9 | 24.8 | 22.1 | 24.2 | 20.4 | 21.3 | 21.7 |
| October | 16.5 | 21.3 | 21.0 | 17.0 | 19.6 | 16.2 | 16.3 | 16.1 |
| November | 11.1 | 15.7 | 17.0 | 11.4 | 14.1 | 11.8 | 10.0 | 9.7 |
| December | 8.0 | 12.4 | 14.1 | 8.1 | 11.0 | 8.8 | 6.3 | 6.1 |
| Year | 16.5 | 20.7 | 19.8 | 16.6 | 18.9 | 15.4 | 16.1 | 16.1 |

Provence is the hottest: Marseille-Marignane averages 30.7 °C in July, with 20 days of 30 °C or more that month, and inland Avignon 31.5 °C, with 22 such days. On the Riviera the sea tempers the heat — Nice’s warmest month averages 27.9 °C, with fewer than four days above 30 °C. The Atlantic keeps the north-west mild: 23.2 °C in Caen’s warmest month, 20.9 °C in Brest’s. Paris and the Loire sit between the two, at about 26 °C in July and August, and the east swings most over the year: Dijon goes from 5.6 °C in January to 26.7 °C in July.

## How cool are the evenings?

Average daily minimum temperature, °C (Météo-France, 1991–2020) — roughly what the air feels like late at night, when the party is outside.

| Month | Paris | Marseille | Nice | Tours | Bordeaux | Caen | Annecy | Dijon |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| January | 3.2 | 3.6 | 5.8 | 2.5 | 3.7 | 2.9 | −1.4 | −0.2 |
| February | 3.3 | 3.7 | 6.1 | 2.3 | 3.6 | 2.8 | −1.0 | 0.0 |
| March | 5.6 | 6.5 | 8.3 | 4.3 | 5.8 | 4.2 | 1.7 | 2.6 |
| April | 7.9 | 9.4 | 10.8 | 6.0 | 8.0 | 5.5 | 5.0 | 5.2 |
| May | 11.1 | 13.3 | 14.5 | 9.4 | 11.4 | 8.5 | 9.2 | 9.2 |
| June | 14.2 | 17.2 | 18.1 | 12.6 | 14.6 | 11.2 | 12.7 | 12.8 |
| July | 16.2 | 19.7 | 20.8 | 14.4 | 16.2 | 13.1 | 14.4 | 14.9 |
| August | 16.0 | 19.4 | 21.1 | 14.3 | 16.3 | 13.3 | 14.2 | 14.6 |
| September | 13.0 | 15.9 | 17.7 | 11.4 | 13.3 | 11.1 | 10.7 | 11.0 |
| October | 9.9 | 12.6 | 14.0 | 9.0 | 10.7 | 8.8 | 7.2 | 7.6 |
| November | 6.2 | 7.7 | 9.7 | 5.3 | 6.7 | 5.6 | 2.5 | 3.3 |
| December | 3.8 | 4.4 | 6.6 | 2.9 | 4.4 | 3.3 | −0.6 | 0.7 |
| Year | 9.2 | 11.1 | 12.8 | 7.9 | 9.6 | 7.5 | 6.2 | 6.8 |

French weddings run late — drinks after the ceremony, then dinner and dancing past midnight — so the night matters as much as the afternoon. Mediterranean nights are the warmest: Nice averages 20.8 °C in July and 21.1 °C in August. In the north the same June night is cool — 14.2 °C in Paris, 11.2 °C in Caen — so plan a layer, heaters or an indoor room for the late hours. Inland, autumn nights cool quickly: 7.6 °C in Dijon in October, 7.2 °C in Annecy. Most of these stations are airports; villages in the hills are cooler, and the mountains much cooler — Les Houches, at 1,004 m below Mont Blanc, averages 11.1 °C on July nights.

## How often does it rain?

Average number of days with 1 mm of rain or more (Météo-France, 1991–2020).

| Month | Paris | Marseille | Nice | Tours | Bordeaux | Caen | Annecy | Dijon |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| January | 9.9 | 5.1 | 5.8 | 11.0 | 12.2 | 11.6 | 11.4 | 10.6 |
| February | 9.1 | 4.6 | 5.1 | 9.8 | 10.1 | 11.2 | 9.0 | 8.4 |
| March | 9.5 | 4.2 | 4.9 | 9.3 | 10.7 | 10.0 | 9.8 | 9.2 |
| April | 8.6 | 5.8 | 6.4 | 8.9 | 11.2 | 10.0 | 9.8 | 9.1 |
| May | 9.2 | 4.4 | 5.1 | 9.0 | 10.0 | 9.5 | 11.7 | 10.3 |
| June | 8.3 | 2.8 | 3.8 | 7.6 | 8.3 | 8.6 | 9.6 | 8.9 |
| July | 7.4 | 1.4 | 1.8 | 6.7 | 7.1 | 8.0 | 9.6 | 7.8 |
| August | 8.1 | 2.7 | 2.3 | 6.6 | 7.0 | 8.3 | 9.4 | 7.9 |
| September | 7.5 | 4.8 | 4.9 | 7.5 | 9.3 | 9.1 | 8.7 | 7.9 |
| October | 9.5 | 5.9 | 7.5 | 9.8 | 10.7 | 12.2 | 10.8 | 9.8 |
| November | 10.4 | 7.0 | 8.5 | 11.4 | 13.3 | 13.4 | 11.0 | 11.1 |
| December | 11.4 | 4.7 | 6.0 | 11.5 | 12.7 | 14.2 | 11.3 | 11.3 |
| Year | 108.9 | 53.5 | 62.1 | 109.0 | 122.5 | 126.1 | 122.2 | 112.3 |

Two patterns. In the south summer is nearly dry — 1.4 rainy days in July at Marignane, 1.8 in Nice — and the rain comes in autumn, often in short, heavy storms: Nice gets 81.0 mm in September, 127.9 mm in October and 138.4 mm in November, with 3.5 to 4.0 thunderstorm days a month from August to October. In the north and west it rains a little in every month: 7 to 11 rainy days in Paris (634 mm a year), 8 to 14 in Caen (740 mm), and 159.5 days and 1,230 mm a year in Brest. The fewest rainy days come in July and August in Tours and Bordeaux, in July and September in Paris. Annecy gets between 95 and 113 mm in every month from April to December. Sunshine runs the same way: 2,898 hours a year at Marignane, 2,761 in Nice, 1,746 in Caen, 1,717 in Paris. Whatever the month, read [the rain plan](https://lensandvows.com/journal/rain-plan) before you sign for an outdoor-only venue.

## The best months, region by region

In short — the same months the region pages recommend, with the reason behind each:

| Region | Best months | Also good | Watch out for |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| [Paris](https://lensandvows.com/france/paris) | May, June, July, September | April, August, October | Showers in any month; heat and summer closures in August |
| [Provence](https://lensandvows.com/france/provence) | May, June, September | April, July, August, October | 30.7–31.5 °C in July; autumn storms from September |
| [French Riviera](https://lensandvows.com/france/french-riviera) | May, June, September | April, July, August, October | The Cannes festival (11–22 May 2027) and the Monaco Grand Prix (4–6 June); heavy rain in October and November |
| [Loire Valley](https://lensandvows.com/france/loire-valley) | June to September | May, October | Showery May and October |
| [Bordeaux & the South West](https://lensandvows.com/france/bordeaux) | June to September | May, October | Rain from October; a wetter Basque coast |
| [Normandy & Brittany](https://lensandvows.com/france/normandy) | June to September | May, October | Rain in any month; cool evenings |
| [The French Alps](https://lensandvows.com/france/french-alps) | June to September | December to March for snow; October | Summer afternoon storms; many lifts shut in May and late autumn |
| [Burgundy & Champagne](https://lensandvows.com/france/burgundy) | June to September | May, October | The grape harvest, from August; cold nights from late October |

### Paris

May, June, July and September bring highs of 20–26 °C and the longest evenings — sunset at 21:56 on 15 June. Paris has no dry season: 7 to 11 rainy days in every month and May the wettest by total (69.0 mm), so plan a covered option. August is warm (25.6 °C) and quieter: many Parisians are away, some restaurants close for their summer break, and a heatwave is possible. On 21 June the Fête de la musique fills the streets with free concerts, and 14 July is the national holiday. For a winter elopement (a wedding for just the two of you), December averages 8.0 °C, with sunset at 16:54. Venues: [wedding venues in France](https://lensandvows.com/journal/wedding-venues-france).

### Provence

May, June and September are warm and bright (23.5–27.9 °C at Marignane). July and August are hot — 30.7 °C at Marignane and 31.5 °C in Avignon in July — so ceremonies move to the end of the day. The lavender flowers from mid-June around Valensole and Apt to the end of July on the higher plateaus, and harvesting starts in mid-July (Routes de la Lavande): if it is why you chose Provence, aim for late June or early July, and expect heat. Autumn rain arrives in September — 82.0 mm at Marignane, 91.1 mm in Avignon — in short, heavy storms, and the mistral, the cold north wind, can blow for days. Every July the Festival d’Avignon fills the city.

### The French Riviera

May, June and September are warm (21.0–24.8 °C in Nice), and by September the sea has had all summer to warm up. July and August are hot, dry and crowded, with nights above 20 °C. Autumn turns stormy — 3.9 thunderstorm days in September, 4.0 in October — and October and November are the wettest months (127.9 and 138.4 mm). Winter is the mildest of the eight regions: 13.3 °C in January. Two events fill the coast in spring: the 80th Cannes Film Festival, 11–22 May 2027, and the Monaco Grand Prix, 4–6 June 2027, after the Monaco E-Prix on 1–2 May. Book rooms early around those dates.

### The Loire Valley

June to September is the season: highs of 22.1–26.0 °C at Tours, rarely too hot, and the fewest rainy days in July and August (6.7 and 6.6). May is fresh and green (19.6 °C) but showery, with 9.0 rainy days; October is mild (17.0 °C), with 9.8. The sun sets as late as in Paris — 21:56 on 15 June in Tours — which leaves long evenings for a château garden.

### Bordeaux and the South West

June to September are warm (24.2–27.6 °C at Mérignac), and July and August the driest months, with about seven rainy days each. Rain picks up in September (81.2 mm on 9.3 days) and peaks in November and December (114.5 and 106.4 mm). The Basque coast is wetter all year: Biarritz gets 1,474 mm over 141 rainy days, and 9 to 10 rainy days a month even from July to September. Many wine estates host weddings, and the harvest, at the end of the summer, is their busiest time — ask about it before you choose a September date.

### Normandy and Brittany

June to September is the season: mild rather than hot (20.4–23.2 °C in Caen), with the longest evenings in France — Caen’s sun sets at 22:11 at the end of June, Brest’s at 22:23. It rains in every month, though: 8 to 9 rainy days a month in Caen from June to September, 7 in Rennes in July and August, 9 to 11 in Brest. From October the Atlantic weather returns, with 12 to 14 rainy days a month in Caen. A covered space belongs in every wedding here; the reward is soft, changing light over the sea.

### The French Alps

Two seasons. In summer, from late June to September, the lifts and mountain huts are open; Annecy averages 24.2–26.5 °C from June to August, and Les Houches, at 1,004 m, 21.8–23.9 °C. Summer is also the wettest time in the high valleys — 121–126 mm a month at Les Houches from May to August, on 11 to 13 days, often in afternoon storms — so mornings are the safest for a ceremony on a meadow. In winter the 2026–27 ski season opens between 21 November, at Val Thorens and Tignes, and 20 December, resort by resort, and on 28 November in Chamonix (France Montagnes); January at Les Houches averages 1.2 °C by day and −5.6 °C at night. In May and late autumn many lifts and resort hotels close.

### Burgundy and Champagne

June to September is the season: 24.2–26.7 °C at Dijon from June to August, 25.4 °C in July in the Champagne vineyards, and the fewest rainy days from July to September. May is the wettest of the warm months (76.1 mm on 10.3 days); October is mild by day (16.1 °C), and November nights average 3.3 °C. The harvest, the wine houses’ busiest time, now comes early: in 2026 picking began in Champagne on 6 August, the earliest ever recorded there, with nearly 100,000 pickers to house (Comité Champagne), and in Burgundy on 8 August, running into mid-September (BIVB). The dates are set each summer, so keep a wine-estate date flexible. In mid-November the Hospices de Beaune wine auction fills Beaune.

## What time does the sun set?

Sunset on the 15th of each month of 2027, local time. All of mainland France keeps one clock, but from Brest to Nice it spans almost 12 degrees of longitude — 47 minutes of the sun’s time — so the same clock reads very differently across the country. Around the equinoxes sunset moves by up to two minutes a day, so for a date far from the 15th, look up the exact day.

| Month | Paris | Marseille | Nice | Tours | Bordeaux | Caen | Annecy | Dijon |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| January | 17:21 | 17:28 | 17:19 | 17:33 | 17:47 | 17:31 | 17:17 | 17:16 |
| February | 18:11 | 18:09 | 18:01 | 18:20 | 18:30 | 18:21 | 18:01 | 18:03 |
| March | 18:55 | 18:44 | 18:37 | 19:02 | 19:08 | 19:06 | 18:41 | 18:45 |
| April | 20:42 | 20:21 | 20:14 | 20:46 | 20:47 | 20:53 | 20:22 | 20:29 |
| May | 21:25 | 20:56 | 20:49 | 21:27 | 21:24 | 21:37 | 21:00 | 21:09 |
| June | 21:56 | 21:20 | 21:14 | 21:56 | 21:50 | 22:08 | 21:28 | 21:38 |
| July | 21:50 | 21:17 | 21:11 | 21:50 | 21:46 | 22:02 | 21:23 | 21:33 |
| August | 21:07 | 20:42 | 20:35 | 21:10 | 21:09 | 21:18 | 20:44 | 20:52 |
| September | 20:04 | 19:49 | 19:42 | 20:10 | 20:14 | 20:15 | 19:48 | 19:53 |
| October | 19:02 | 18:56 | 18:48 | 19:10 | 19:18 | 19:12 | 18:50 | 18:53 |
| November | 17:11 | 17:14 | 17:06 | 17:22 | 17:34 | 17:20 | 17:04 | 17:05 |
| December | 16:54 | 17:03 | 16:54 | 17:07 | 17:22 | 17:03 | 16:51 | 16:50 |

- **The latest sunsets of 2027** come around the end of June: 22:11 in Caen (22 to 28 June), 21:58 in Paris (20 June to 1 July) and Tours, 21:53 in Bordeaux, 21:40 in Dijon, 21:30 in Annecy, 21:23 in Marseille and 21:17 in Nice.
- **The earliest** come in early and mid-December: 16:49 in Dijon, 16:50 in Annecy, 16:54 in Paris and Nice, 17:03 in Marseille and Caen, 17:06 in Tours and 17:21 in Bordeaux.
- **North and west are later in summer.** On 15 June the sun sets in Caen 54 minutes after Nice; in December the gap is 9 minutes. Bordeaux, far to the west, sets 28 to 36 minutes after Nice all year, and Brest, at the tip of Brittany, 1 hour 7 minutes after it in mid-June (22:21).

## When is golden hour?

Golden hour, as we use it, is the time when the centre of the sun is between 6° above and 4° below the horizon — the warm, low light most photographers plan portraits around. In France it is long: in the evening it begins **38 to 56 minutes before sunset** and runs **17 to 26 minutes after it**, for 55 to 79 minutes in all — longest in the north and around the solstices, shortest in the south near the equinoxes (55 minutes in Marseille in March and September). Evening golden hour on the 15th of each month of 2027:

| Month | Paris | Marseille | Nice | Tours | Bordeaux | Caen | Annecy | Dijon |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| January | 16:29–17:44 | 16:43–17:48 | 16:34–17:39 | 16:44–17:55 | 17:01–18:07 | 16:38–17:53 | 16:29–17:37 | 16:26–17:38 |
| February | 17:26–18:31 | 17:29–18:27 | 17:20–18:19 | 17:37–18:40 | 17:49–18:49 | 17:36–18:41 | 17:19–18:20 | 17:20–18:23 |
| March | 18:13–19:15 | 18:07–19:02 | 17:59–18:54 | 18:22–19:21 | 18:29–19:26 | 18:24–19:26 | 18:01–18:59 | 18:04–19:04 |
| April | 19:59–21:02 | 19:43–20:39 | 19:35–20:32 | 20:05–21:06 | 20:08–21:06 | 20:11–21:14 | 19:42–20:41 | 19:47–20:48 |
| May | 20:39–21:48 | 20:14–21:15 | 20:08–21:09 | 20:42–21:49 | 20:41–21:45 | 20:51–22:01 | 20:17–21:21 | 20:25–21:31 |
| June | 21:06–22:21 | 20:37–21:42 | 20:30–21:36 | 21:08–22:20 | 21:05–22:12 | 21:18–22:34 | 20:41–21:51 | 20:50–22:02 |
| July | 21:01–22:14 | 20:34–21:38 | 20:28–21:32 | 21:04–22:13 | 21:02–22:07 | 21:13–22:26 | 20:38–21:45 | 20:46–21:56 |
| August | 20:23–21:28 | 20:03–21:01 | 19:56–20:54 | 20:27–21:30 | 20:29–21:28 | 20:34–21:40 | 20:03–21:04 | 20:10–21:12 |
| September | 19:23–20:24 | 19:12–20:07 | 19:04–20:00 | 19:30–20:29 | 19:35–20:32 | 19:33–20:35 | 19:08–20:06 | 19:12–20:11 |
| October | 18:18–19:21 | 18:17–19:14 | 18:09–19:06 | 18:28–19:29 | 18:38–19:36 | 18:28–19:32 | 18:10–19:09 | 18:11–19:12 |
| November | 16:21–17:32 | 16:32–17:33 | 16:23–17:25 | 16:35–17:42 | 16:50–17:54 | 16:31–17:42 | 16:19–17:24 | 16:17–17:25 |
| December | 15:59–17:17 | 16:17–17:24 | 16:07–17:15 | 16:14–17:29 | 16:33–17:43 | 16:08–17:27 | 16:01–17:12 | 15:57–17:12 |

### Sunrise, for elopements and empty viewpoints

Famous places are emptiest at dawn. Sunrise on the 15th of each month of 2027 — the morning golden hour starts 17 to 26 minutes before it:

| Month | Paris | Marseille | Nice | Tours | Bordeaux | Caen | Annecy | Dijon |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| January | 08:39 | 08:08 | 08:02 | 08:40 | 08:37 | 08:51 | 08:13 | 08:23 |
| February | 07:59 | 07:37 | 07:30 | 08:03 | 08:03 | 08:11 | 07:39 | 07:46 |
| March | 07:05 | 06:51 | 06:44 | 07:11 | 07:15 | 07:16 | 06:49 | 06:54 |
| April | 07:00 | 06:57 | 06:49 | 07:10 | 07:19 | 07:11 | 06:50 | 06:52 |
| May | 06:09 | 06:15 | 06:06 | 06:21 | 06:34 | 06:19 | 06:04 | 06:04 |
| June | 05:47 | 05:58 | 05:49 | 06:00 | 06:16 | 05:56 | 05:45 | 05:43 |
| July | 06:03 | 06:12 | 06:03 | 06:16 | 06:30 | 06:12 | 06:00 | 05:58 |
| August | 06:43 | 06:43 | 06:35 | 06:53 | 07:04 | 06:53 | 06:35 | 06:36 |
| September | 07:27 | 07:18 | 07:10 | 07:34 | 07:41 | 07:37 | 07:13 | 07:17 |
| October | 08:10 | 07:52 | 07:45 | 08:15 | 08:17 | 08:22 | 07:52 | 07:58 |
| November | 07:59 | 07:31 | 07:25 | 08:01 | 07:59 | 08:11 | 07:35 | 07:44 |
| December | 08:37 | 08:04 | 07:57 | 08:38 | 08:33 | 08:49 | 08:10 | 08:20 |

### How these times were worked out

We computed every time ourselves with the solar-position equations published by the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), for the 15th of each month of 2027 at the centre of each city, on the French clock. Sunrise and sunset are the moments the top edge of the sun meets a flat, sea-level horizon, allowing for normal refraction — the standard almanac definition. We checked them against the US Naval Observatory’s data service: 190 of the 192 sunrises and sunsets match to the minute and the other two differ by one, a matter of rounding seconds; at 32 sampled golden-hour limits, the Observatory puts the sun within 0.01° of +6° and −4°.

> **Your horizon is not the almanac’s.** Almanac times assume a flat horizon at sea level. A mountain, a ridge, a forest or a château’s own walls to the west end direct sunlight earlier — in an Alpine valley the sun can go behind the peaks long before the official sunset — while a Breton or Norman headland with open sea to the west keeps it to the end. Ask your photographer how the light falls at your venue at your hour.

## What changes with the clocks in 2027?

These times assume France changes its clocks in 2027 as the EU’s summer-time directive sets out — forward on Sunday 28 March, which is also Easter Sunday, and back on Sunday 31 October, at 01:00 UTC. Sunsets jump accordingly: in Paris from 19:13 on 27 March to 20:15 on 28 March, and from 18:34 on 30 October to 17:32 on 31 October. If your date is close to either change, check again nearer the time.

## Public holidays and “ponts” in 2027

France has eleven public holidays (Service-Public). Two things about them matter for a wedding. A holiday that falls on a Saturday empties that Saturday: every legal marriage in France is celebrated by the town hall, the mairie, and few town halls marry anyone on a holiday. And a holiday on a Thursday or a Tuesday often becomes a “pont”, a bridge: many people take the day between it and the weekend off, which gives guests a four-day weekend.

| Holiday | Date in 2027 | What it means for a wedding |
| --- | --- | --- |
| New Year’s Day | Friday 1 January | — |
| Easter Monday | Monday 29 March | A long Easter weekend, 27–29 March |
| Labour Day | Saturday 1 May | A holiday Saturday: few town halls marry anyone |
| Victory in Europe Day | Saturday 8 May | A holiday Saturday: few town halls marry anyone |
| Ascension Day | Thursday 6 May | Schools are off until Sunday 9 May: a four-day weekend |
| Whit Monday | Monday 17 May | Saturday 15 May, the start of the long weekend, is one of the most-booked days of the year |
| Bastille Day | Wednesday 14 July | A midweek holiday, with fireworks in the evening |
| Assumption | Sunday 15 August | The heart of the summer holidays |
| All Saints’ Day | Monday 1 November | A long weekend, 30 October–1 November, inside the autumn school holidays |
| Armistice Day | Thursday 11 November | A likely pont: 11–14 November |
| Christmas Day | Saturday 25 December | A holiday Saturday |

INSEE’s day-by-day counts show both effects. When 1 and 8 May last fell on Saturdays, in 2010, 370 and 543 couples married on those days, against 6,502 on Saturday 15 May. And the Saturday of the Pentecost weekend was the busiest wedding day of the year in 2019 and 2022, and the second and third busiest in 2023 and 2024. In 2027 that Saturday is 15 May — and with 1 and 8 May out, May 2027 has only three usable Saturdays. A symbolic ceremony, which has no legal effect, can be held on any day.

## School holidays in 2027

France staggers its winter and spring school holidays over three zones; the others are the same across mainland France. Zone A includes Bordeaux, Dijon, Grenoble (and so the northern Alps) and Lyon; zone B Marseille, Nice, Orléans-Tours, Normandy, Rennes and Reims; zone C Paris, Créteil, Versailles, Toulouse and Montpellier. The dates below run from the first Saturday off to the last day before school starts again.

| Holiday | Zone A | Zone B | Zone C |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Winter | 13–28 February | 20 February–7 March | 6–21 February |
| Spring | 10–25 April | 17 April–2 May | 3–18 April |
| Ascension | 6–9 May | 6–9 May | 6–9 May |
| Summer | 3 July–1 September | 3 July–1 September | 3 July–1 September |
| Autumn (Toussaint) | 23 October–7 November | 23 October–7 November | 23 October–7 November |
| Christmas | 18 December–2 January 2028 | 18 December–2 January 2028 | 18 December–2 January 2028 |

Holidays cut both ways: guests with children can travel more easily, but families fill the trains, the coasts and — in February — the ski resorts, and prices follow. In July and August many French families are away, and some restaurants, shops and smaller suppliers close for a few weeks around 15 August. For the Alps in February or the coast in summer, book rooms as soon as you have the date.

## Events that fill towns in 2027

- **Monaco**: the E-Prix on 1–2 May and the Formula 1 Grand Prix on 4–6 June 2027.
- **Cannes**: the 80th Festival de Cannes, 11–22 May 2027.
- **Everywhere**: the Fête de la musique on Monday 21 June; Bastille Day on Wednesday 14 July.
- **Provence**: the lavender, from mid-June to late July; the Festival d’Avignon in July.
- **Wine country**: the grape harvest, from August to September depending on the year.
- **The Alps**: the ski season from late November, and the February school holidays.

## Planning the day around the light

- **In June the light lasts.** With sunset at 21:56 in Paris, a ceremony at 17:00 or 18:00 leaves the drinks in daylight and the portraits for golden hour, from about 21:06.
- **In July and August in Provence**, keep the ceremony out of the afternoon heat — 30.7 °C average highs at Marignane — and step away for portraits as the sun drops: golden hour starts at about 20:34 in Marseille in mid-July.
- **In September and October** the light goes earlier by the clock — sunset at 20:04 in Paris on 15 September, 19:02 on 15 October and 17:32 from 31 October — so move the ceremony earlier or take the portraits before dinner.
- **In the north and west**, keep the portraits flexible: with eight or nine rainy days a month even in summer in Caen, a break in the clouds is often all you need.
- **In the mountains**, plan outdoor moments for the morning, before the afternoon storms build.

For a full day planned hour by hour, see [a wedding-day timeline](https://lensandvows.com/journal/wedding-day-timeline); for how photographers price summer Saturdays against quieter dates, [what a wedding photographer costs in France](https://lensandvows.com/journal/wedding-photographer-cost-france).

## Questions couples ask

### What is the best month to get married in France?

June and September for most of the country. In Provence and on the Riviera, May, June and September; in Paris, the Loire, the north-west, Burgundy and the Alps, June to September. June is also the busiest month — 17.0% of 2024’s weddings (INSEE) — so book early.

### Is August a good month for a wedding in France?

It is warm, with few rainy days in the Loire and Bordeaux (6.6 and 7.0 at Tours and Mérignac), but hot in Provence (30.5 °C average highs at Marseille-Marignane, Météo-France 1991–2020), and it is the heart of the summer holidays: the coasts are full, and some restaurants and smaller suppliers close for a few weeks. Still, 12.2% of France’s 2024 weddings were in August.

### What time does the sun set in Paris in June?

At 21:56 on 15 June 2027, and at 21:58, the latest of the year, from 20 June to 1 July. Evening golden hour on 15 June runs from 21:06 to 22:21. In Caen the sun sets at 22:08 that day; in Nice at 21:14.

### Where in France can we get married in winter?

The Riviera has the mildest winter: Nice averages 13.3 °C in January, with 5.8 rainy days (Météo-France, 1991–2020). For snow, the Alps: the 2026–27 ski season opens between 21 November and 20 December, resort by resort, and January at Les Houches, near Chamonix, averages 1.2 °C by day and −5.6 °C at night.

### Does it rain in Normandy and Brittany in summer?

Yes, a little: Caen averages 8 to 9 rainy days a month from June to September, Brest 9 to 11, and Rennes about 7 in July and August. It stays mild — 22.9 °C in July and 23.2 °C in August in Caen — and the evenings are the longest in France. Plan a covered space for any wedding there.

### Which Saturdays should we book first in 2027?

June’s, to start with: on an average June Saturday in 2024, 7,151 couples married in France. Then Saturday 15 May, at the start of the Pentecost weekend — one of the three busiest wedding days of the year in 2019, 2022, 2023 and 2024 (INSEE). Avoid Saturday 1 May, 8 May and 25 December: public holidays, on which hardly any town hall marries anyone.

Next: where to hold it — [wedding venues in France](https://lensandvows.com/journal/wedding-venues-france) and, for something small, [where to elope in France](https://lensandvows.com/journal/where-to-elope-in-france); the paperwork is in [getting married in France](https://lensandvows.com/journal/getting-married-in-france). Then [find a photographer who is free on your date](https://lensandvows.com/#concierge), or browse [the photographers](https://lensandvows.com/photographers).

## Sources

1. [Météo-France — Fiche climatologique Paris-Montsouris (75114001), statistics 1991–2020](https://donneespubliques.meteofrance.fr/FichesClim/FICHECLIM_75114001.pdf)
2. [Météo-France — Fiche climatologique Marignane (13054001), statistics 1991–2020](https://donneespubliques.meteofrance.fr/FichesClim/FICHECLIM_13054001.pdf)
3. [Météo-France — Fiche climatologique Nice (06088001), statistics 1991–2020](https://donneespubliques.meteofrance.fr/FichesClim/FICHECLIM_06088001.pdf)
4. [Météo-France — Fiche climatologique Tours (37179001), statistics 1991–2020](https://donneespubliques.meteofrance.fr/FichesClim/FICHECLIM_37179001.pdf)
5. [Météo-France — Fiche climatologique Bordeaux-Mérignac (33281001), statistics 1991–2020](https://donneespubliques.meteofrance.fr/FichesClim/FICHECLIM_33281001.pdf)
6. [Météo-France — Fiche climatologique Caen-Carpiquet (14137001), statistics 1991–2020](https://donneespubliques.meteofrance.fr/FichesClim/FICHECLIM_14137001.pdf)
7. [Météo-France — Fiche climatologique Annecy-Meythet (74182001), statistics 1991–2020 (temperature and rain 1992–2020)](https://donneespubliques.meteofrance.fr/FichesClim/FICHECLIM_74182001.pdf)
8. [Météo-France — Fiche climatologique Dijon-Longvic (21473001), statistics 1991–2020](https://donneespubliques.meteofrance.fr/FichesClim/FICHECLIM_21473001.pdf)
9. [Météo-France — Fiche climatologique Avignon (84007005), statistics 1991–2020 (temperature 1993–2020, rain 1994–2020)](https://donneespubliques.meteofrance.fr/FichesClim/FICHECLIM_84007005.pdf)
10. [Météo-France — Fiche climatologique Biarritz-Pays-Basque (64024001), statistics 1991–2020](https://donneespubliques.meteofrance.fr/FichesClim/FICHECLIM_64024001.pdf)
11. [Météo-France — Fiche climatologique Rennes-Saint-Jacques (35281001), statistics 1991–2020](https://donneespubliques.meteofrance.fr/FichesClim/FICHECLIM_35281001.pdf)
12. [Météo-France — Fiche climatologique Brest-Guipavas (29075001), statistics 1991–2020](https://donneespubliques.meteofrance.fr/FichesClim/FICHECLIM_29075001.pdf)
13. [Météo-France — Fiche climatologique Les Houches (74143003), statistics 1991–2020](https://donneespubliques.meteofrance.fr/FichesClim/FICHECLIM_74143003.pdf)
14. [Météo-France — Fiche climatologique Chambrecy-CIVC (51111001), statistics 1991–2020](https://donneespubliques.meteofrance.fr/FichesClim/FICHECLIM_51111001.pdf)
15. [INSEE — Les mariages en 2024 et en séries longues (definitive data, 23 April 2026)](https://www.insee.fr/fr/statistiques/8902576)
16. [INSEE — Marriages by month and by day of the year (tables RETRO10 and RETRO11)](https://www.insee.fr/fr/statistiques/8902532?sommaire=8902576)
17. [Ministère de l’Éducation nationale — School calendar, open data (read 13 October 2026)](https://data.education.gouv.fr/explore/dataset/fr-en-calendrier-scolaire/)
18. [Service-Public.gouv.fr — Jours fériés et ponts (the eleven public holidays)](https://www.service-public.gouv.fr/particuliers/vosdroits/F2405)
19. [Service-Public.gouv.fr — Mariage en France (where a marriage is celebrated)](https://www.service-public.gouv.fr/particuliers/vosdroits/F930)
20. [Festival de Cannes — 80th edition, 11–22 May 2027](https://www.festival-cannes.com/en/)
21. [Formula 1 — 2027 race calendar (Monaco, 4–6 June)](https://www.formula1.com/en/racing/2027)
22. [Automobile Club de Monaco — 2027 events (Monaco E-Prix, 1–2 May)](https://acm.mc/en/)
23. [Routes de la Lavande — When the lavender flowers, area by area](https://routes-lavande.com/la-floraison-de-la-lavande/)
24. [Comité Champagne — Champagne 2026: une vendange hors norme (9 September 2026)](https://www.champagne.fr/fr/approfondir/mediaroom/communique-presse-champagne/champagne-2026-une-vendange-hors-norme-un)
25. [BIVB, Vins de Bourgogne — Vendanges 2026 en Bourgogne](https://www.vins-bourgogne.fr/actualites/vendanges-2026-en-bourgogne-du-jamais-vu-pour-un-resultat-exceptionnel,2969,12253.html?&args=Y29tcF9pZD0yMjAxJmFjdGlvbj12aWV3RGV0YWlsJmlkPTQ5MSZ8)
26. [France Montagnes — Ski-area opening dates, 2026–27 season](https://www.france-montagnes.com/experiences/dates-douvertures-des-domaines-skiables-saison-26-27/)
27. [Festival d’Avignon](https://festival-avignon.com/)
28. [Ministère de la Culture — Fête de la musique, 21 June](https://fetedelamusique.culture.gouv.fr/)
29. [NOAA Global Monitoring Laboratory — Solar calculation details (the equations used)](https://gml.noaa.gov/grad/solcalc/calcdetails.html)
30. [US Naval Observatory — Astronomical Applications API (used for checking)](https://aa.usno.navy.mil/data/api)
31. [EUR-Lex — Directive 2000/84/EC on summer-time arrangements](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/dir/2000/84/oj/eng)

## The places in this guide

- [Paris](https://lensandvows.com/france/paris)
- [Provence](https://lensandvows.com/france/provence)
- [French Riviera](https://lensandvows.com/france/french-riviera)
- [Loire Valley](https://lensandvows.com/france/loire-valley)
- [Bordeaux & the South West](https://lensandvows.com/france/bordeaux)
- [Normandy & Brittany](https://lensandvows.com/france/normandy)
- [The French Alps](https://lensandvows.com/france/french-alps)
- [Burgundy & Champagne](https://lensandvows.com/france/burgundy)