Bonnie Brown

By Bonnie Brown

Columnist

June is traditionally a very popular month for weddings for a variety of reasons.  In ancient Rome, the month was dedicated to Juno, the goddess of marriage, the hearth, and childbirth.  

A consideration back in the day was the end of spring planting, thereby allowing more time for celebration.  Another very practical consideration was that way back in the day, people did not bathe daily as we do today but would instead bathe in May or June.  So, it was a good time for the bride and groom (also the guests) to be fresh for the wedding.  

Typically, the weather in June is not as hot, the days are longer, and there’s plenty of flowers blooming which are all practical considerations for June weddings.  However, there is also a greater demand for wedding venues which usually drives up the cost of securing such preferred settings.  Even booking well in advance does not ensure a discount.  

This year the weekend weather pattern for June has been all about rain.  New Jersey has had 20 weekends in a row with rain which seems to be the record-holder.  I think here locally we’ve had rain 8 weekends in a row.   Not the preferred weather for a wedding and or reception.  

Think of all the brides who have been planning their special day.  The planning may have begun when they were quite young.  Little girls dream of their perfect wedding dress and how lovely they will look.  Often wedding planning takes place for a year or more with the expectation of a beautiful, sunshiny day spent mostly outdoors with their new mate surrounded by family and friends.   

So, does each bride (and mother of the bride) plan an alternate venue for the wedding?  Probably so.  Does having the backup ensure that the wedding will still have all the magic of a rain-free wedding?  Not necessarily.  

There is a belief that rain on your wedding day brings good luck.  As you “tie the knot” on your wedding day, a wet knot is harder to break thus signifying that the marriage is harder to “untie.”  I also read that others think rain showers that emerge on this special day will signify the last tears that the bride will shed for the rest of her life, putting an end to sorrow in the couple’s lives.  

There are many considerations when planning a wedding whether it be in June or not.  Look at Jeff Bezos and his fiancée, Lauren Sánchez, whose wedding later this month in Italy, is being met with protests.  Even the third richest man in the world is having scheduling problems with his wedding.  And according to social media there’s only 200 invited guests.  A modest number of invitees by some standards.  What is the complaint of the residents of Venice?  Well, it seems they believe that the Bezos/Sanchez wedding will overwhelm their little city.  They are concerned that their little city is becoming the “playground for billionaires.”

So, will we look back on June 2025 and put it in the record books as the wettest wedding season?  Will September and October edge out June as the most popular months for weddings?  I believe they already have.  Maybe it has something to do with the rain gauge.  Best wishes to all the brides and grooms.