May scores 88/100 for outdoor ceremonies: very low rain risk (1 wet days, 8mm), 28°C afternoons cooling to about 20°C for the reception, and 13.9 hours of daylight for the photography schedule. August is the month to avoid at 47/100.
May outdoor ceremony score: 88/100
Climate normals for Sedona rescored on wedding-specific weighting. Once your date falls inside the 14-day window the live forecast on this page takes over.
Last updated: · Live forecast data refreshes hourly.
| Best wedding month | May — 88/100 |
| Second choice | November — 82/100 |
| Month to avoid | August — 47/100 |
| Rain risk in the best month | Very low — rain on about 1 days |
| Guest comfort | 75/100 at 28°C |
| Reception temperature | ≈ 20°C after sunset in May |
| Photo light | 10h of sun across a 13.9h day |
| Months scoring 65+ | 6 of 12 |
May keeps seated guests at 28°C in the afternoon and around 20°C after sunset — the closest Sedona gets to a ceremony that needs neither shade structures nor patio heaters.
Rain falls on roughly 1 days in May (very low risk, 8mm). A simple marquee-on-standby is usually enough.
May gives 13.9 hours of daylight and about 10 hours of direct sun per day, so a late-afternoon ceremony puts portraits inside golden hour rather than after it.
August scores 47/100 for weddings in Sedona: 36°C highs, 48mm of rain and 27°C evenings make a fully outdoor plan fragile.
Scored on rain risk, guest comfort, evening temperature and photographic light — deliberately different weighting from the travel score.
| Month | Wedding score | Rain risk | Afternoon | Evening | Guest comfort | Photo light |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 55/100 | Low (5 days) | 14°C | 6°C | 73/100 | 38/100 |
| February | 52/100 | Low (6 days) | 14°C | 6°C | 73/100 | 36/100 |
| March | 59/100 | Low (5 days) | 17°C | 9°C | 83/100 | 28/100 |
| April | 81/100 | Very low (2 days) | 22°C | 14°C | 100/100 | 47/100 |
| May | 88/100 | Very low (1 days) | 28°C | 20°C | 75/100 | 95/100 |
| June | 78/100 | Very low (1 days) | 33°C | 24°C | 54/100 | 100/100 |
| July | 61/100 | Low (4 days) | 36°C | 27°C | 41/100 | 92/100 |
| August | 47/100 | Low (6 days) | 36°C | 27°C | 41/100 | 42/100 |
| September | 61/100 | Low (4 days) | 33°C | 24°C | 54/100 | 46/100 |
| October | 79/100 | Very low (3 days) | 28°C | 20°C | 75/100 | 82/100 |
| November | 82/100 | Very low (3 days) | 22°C | 14°C | 100/100 | 73/100 |
| December | 71/100 | Very low (3 days) | 17°C | 9°C | 83/100 | 65/100 |
Wedding weather is scored differently from travel weather: seated guests in formalwear tolerate a narrower band than sightseers, and the ceremony hour matters more than the daily average. Each month in Sedona is scored 0–100 on the weighting below.
| Factor | Weight | What it measures |
|---|---|---|
| Dry conditions | 38% | Share of days with measurable rain — the single factor most likely to force a backup plan. |
| Guest comfort | 27% | Distance from a 22°C daytime ideal, with an extra penalty for humid heat above 24°C. |
| Evening temperature | 20% | Modelled reception-hour temperature against an 18°C ideal for an outdoor evening. |
| Photo light | 15% | Sunshine hours and daylight length, which set the length and quality of the golden hour window. |
Based on long-run climate averages rather than a forecast. Plan the ceremony around the golden hour — see golden hour times for Sedona linked below.
May, at 88/100. It combines very low rain risk with 28°C afternoons and roughly 20°C evenings, which is the most forgiving combination Sedona offers for seated guests.
August scores 47/100: 36°C highs, 48mm of rain over about 6 days and 27°C evenings make a fully outdoor plan fragile.
In May rain falls on roughly 1 of 30 days, so the single-day probability is about 3%. In August that rises to about 20%.
A marquee on standby is usually enough in May, where rain risk is very low. Outside the 6 months scoring 65 or higher, book real covered space.
May gives 13.9 hours of daylight and about 10 hours of direct sun. Put portraits in the final 60–90 minutes of daylight so they land inside golden hour rather than after it.