Wedding and weather in Crete…..do they go along?
In most cases…yes, but there are a few things to consider;
Tip #1: in high season plan your wedding ceremony well after 17:00 hrs.
Having your Mediterranean wedding in midsummer means, that the time of the day is most important. A tip, from experience, is don’t plan your wedding ceremony anywhere between 12:00 hrs and 17:00 hrs. Especially a beach wedding in July and August.
Apart from the thousands of sunbathing tourists who do their utmost to test their sun protecting crème to its absolute limit, the sun is simply too hot. You and your loved ones in their chairs on the beach are absolutely toasted under the unforgivable sun.
The best time of the day is well after 17:00 hrs.
Sunbathing tourist is leaving and the sun gets a better colour. Both ingredients for better photos. But most importantly, the heat is getting less. There’s still plenty of time to prepare the whole setting, gazebo, chairs, tables, etc.
Tip #2: check historical weather data before planning the big day.
The most favourable time for your Mediterranean wedding is spring or autumn. Better temperatures and better availability of hotel accommodations. But these two seasons come with their own challenges. Two of the most challenging ones are; wind and rain. Both can infest your whole outside wedding. But, statistics can help you out.
Come prepared! The Internet contains more than enough data from previous weather’s data that go years back in time. A good start could be…Crete Historical Weather
Tip #3: develop a plan B in case of weather related calamities.
For that reason, I always suggest…have a plan B at hand. Be able to move the whole wedding to an indoor facility. It might not be the wedding location you had in mind, it’s better than call the wedding off. Or be flexible enough in your planning that you can sit out a rain shower.
I once had a wedding ceremony that was planned just between two rain showers. We already moved location and were able to have the ceremony just before the weather turned worse. The photos clearly show the dark cloudy sky above us.
Tip #4: Enlist help!
Wedding planners are worth their weight in gold—they have the resources to help shuffle things around. Of course, you can set up and arrange your own wedding in Crete. But that’s provided that God is on your hand with his weather.
Tip #5: purchase a wedding insurance before the big day
If you plan an outdoor wedding you’re unlikely to be able to recover the costs of heavy rain or a thunderstorm ruining your event if you have a standard policy. However, specialist policies may be available via insurance brokers in your country.
So, if you book your wedding date in a period that has a higher chance of rain then I highly recommend buying wedding insurance with the optional extras. You can also usually extend cover for an overseas wedding.
Some home insurance policies might have some provision for weddings, or at least allow you to extend cover for a wedding. If so, check what is covered and see if it is cheaper than standalone wedding insurance policies.
So whatever time of the year you plan for your Mediterranean wedding….plan and prepare carefully!