FINDING THE PERFECT WEATHER FOR YOUR SMOKY MOUNTAIN WEDDING
When trying to decide which month offers the perfect weather for your Smoky Mountains wedding, you’ll need to consider daytime highs, evening lows, precipitation, and vegetation. Keep in mind that daytime highs peak at about 2PM and drop significantly by 5PM or 6PM when most people start their ceremony at Chapel in the Sky.
On this page, you’ll find:
- A description of the weather and vegetation for each month in the calendar year
- An example in photos/video of a wedding for every month,
This should give you good understanding for the climate in Nantahala throughout the year, and a bird’s eye view into what the landscape looks like in all seasons.
You might also want to check out Average Temperatures in Nantahala. At 3500 feet, it might be different than what you expect!
A January Wedding in the Smoky Mountains of North Carolina
January brings in the winter season with magnificent views and quietude on Lake Nantahala. Winter’s sparse vegetation provides an uninterrupted panorama of long-range mountains. January, February, and March are the most likely months for snow. Average highs are in the 50s, nightly lows around 30. Nature may just gift you with an incredibly romantic snow flurry…just as you’re walking down the aisle.
A February Wedding in the Smoky Mountains of North Carolina
The weather in February is generally moderate, but weather extremes do occur. January and February are the most likely months for snow. Average highs are in the 50s, nightly lows around 30. You will surely find serenity in Nantahala in February, an ideal month for romantic, intimate elopements.
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A March Wedding in the Smoky Mountains of North Carolina
March is probably the most all-around unpredictable and variable month in Nantahala. March daytime highs may get into the 60s while nights drop below freezing. Flurries or snow showers may briefly whiten the lowlands, and the mountain tops are often snow-covered. Snowflakes in March tend to be very large, so large that you can see the iconic crystalline snowflake form if you catch one on your mitten.
An April Wedding in the Smoky Mountains of North Carolina
By April, temperatures in Nantahala are rapidly warming up, with highs in the low 70s and nighttime lows in the 40s or 50s. The mountains turn silvery green quickly, and wildflowers are blooming.
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A May Wedding in the Smoky Mountains of North Carolina
May is starting to get pleasantly warm, with average highs in the mid-70s and average lows around 50. This is when spring truly takes over. The venue grounds are a verdant green and blossoms are abundant. You’ll also see outstanding wildflower displays on the forest floor and a slew of birds migrating through.
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A June Wedding in the Smoky Mountains of North Carolina
In June, an offshore South Atlantic high-pressure system, the Bermuda High, strongly influences Smoky Mountain weather. Warm and moist air streams contribute to the iconic haze that gives the Great Smokies their name. Emerald green is the color that marks summertime in Nantahala. Flowers in the gardens around the venue are bursting their showy heads.
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A July Wedding in the Smoky Mountains of North Carolina
July in Nantahala is marked by mid-afternoon rain showers that break just in time for early-evening ceremonies at Chapel in the Sky. The cloud formations after a July thunderstorm create a dramatic backdrop for summer weddings. Hydrangeas in full bloom. Emerald green forest with cerulean blue skies.
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An August Wedding in the Smoky Mountains of North Carolina
High pressure dominates the mountains in August. Mornings are often clear, but clouds typically build up early-afternoon and dissipate in late-afternoon – just before ceremony start time. Hydrangeas in full bloom, hiding the street from view. Mountains are emerald-green splashed against a backdrop of deep cerulean blue skies.
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A September Wedding in the Smoky Mountains of North Carolina
September is reliably clear and the driest month in Nantahala. The first gentle frost tends to arrive by late September, triggering the first pops of color. But the temperature remains pleasantly warm: highs in the mid-70s, lows in the mid-50s. The lake water is still comfortable enough for swimming. Vibrantly colored fallen leaves embellish the venue ground. Hydrangeas turn rose colored.
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An October Wedding in the Smoky Mountains of North Carolina
October brings the first consistent hard frosts, and with hard frosts come autumn’s glory. Day time highs in the low 70s, and average evening temps in the 40s, then dropping into the 30s in the wee hours of the morning. Your guests will enjoy gazing at the fall color and sitting around the bonfire in the evening. Hydrangeas surrounding the reception pavilion garden turn dusty-rose, or mauve.
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A November Wedding in the Smoky Mountains of North Carolina
In November, snow showers start to increase in the high country, so you’ll be witness to snow-capped mountains. But you won’t be hearing snow crunch underfoot or go sledding in wedding attire because there isn’t enough to stick to the ground. Instead, you’ll be treated to the after-glow of autumn as deep amber and burgundy colored leaves are the last to fall.
See More November weddings:
- November 2022
A December Wedding in the Smoky Mountains of North Carolina
While the mountain tops may get significant amounts of snow, snow is only occasional and short-lived in Nantahala in December. Expect a gentle dusting, just enough to exhilarate the senses. Average highs in the 50s, but it can be in the 60s, average lows in the 30s. There’s nothing that says sensual and refined quite like a gorgeous off-the-shoulder wedding dress, and this bride got to wear her irresistible off-the-shoulder gown without a cover up – even in December!
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