Summer in Zion: Tips for your Summer Wedding
Between the crowds of Zion's peak season and the triple digit heat, summer often isn't the first choice for couples wanting to get married here. Despite these challenges, summer offers some advantages other times of year don't. So, you may be thinking, what if summer is the only time that works for your schedule? No need to worry, we've helped lots of couples plan summer weddings in Zion! Read on for tips for how to navigate the busiest time of year in the Park!
Summary of Summer Weddings in Zion
Here's a quick rundown of what you can expect from summer in Zion!
Season
Beginning of June to the end of August
Pros
Longer Days: With longer days, we get more space to explore and fill your day with events that feel fun! Everything from lots of locations to midday naps and pool hangs!
Most Available Locations: The dry summer season means we rarely have issues with weather or other events that may keep roads or trails closed.
Peak Season Hours: The whole region around Zion runs full steam ahead! Restaurants commonly have extended hours and all the tours/experiences are available!
Summer Vibes: For those classic summer vibes with warm evenings and perfect swimming weather, you'll find that in endless supply!
Off-Season for Weddings: Most weddings around Zion are in spring and fall, so you'll likely have less competition for dates than in those seasons.
Cons
Very Hot: Midday temps in the summer often exceed 100℉ (38℃).
Busy Tourism Season: Even though weddings are less popular in summer, these three months are the busiest months for tourism in the Park.
Challenging Wedding Timelines: Few people want to be out in the heat of the day (starting around 11am - 6 or 7pm) and most venues have a 10pm cutoff, so planning a wedding timeline can be tricky.
Monsoon Season: The wet part of summer season can bring afternoon thunderstorms sometimes complicating logistics and location access.
Weather
High Temperatures: 85℉ - 105℉ (29℃ - 40.5℃)
Low Temperatures: 55℉ - 75℉ (13℃ - 24℃)
Precipitation Likelihood: 5% in June, 12% in July, 17% in August
What's Zion like in the Summer?
Two words pretty accurately describe the experience of Zion in the summer: busy and hot. By the end of May we're hitting our summer high temps and those last all the way into September, most years. Most of trip and wedding planning will revolve around managing the heat.
Source: Weatherspark
Temperatures h3
June: mid-day highs between 85-100℉ (29-38℃) and overnight lows between 55-70℉ (13-21℃) - ascending from beginning of the month to the end of the month
July: mid-day highs between 95-105℉ (35-40.5℃) and overnight lows between 65-75℉ (18-24℃) - peaking in the middle of the month
August: mid-day highs between 90-100℉ (32-38℃) and overnight lows between 65-75℉ (18-24℃) - descending from beginning of the month to the end of the month
Precipitation h3
Source: Weatherspark
Summer contains both the driest and the wettest months of the year. Beginning in June, precipitation chance bottoms out from the decline in Spring. Precipitation then spikes quickly in July and August as we enter monsoon season, when we often get afternoon thunderstorms.
[Include PNG for precipitation in Clickup]
Source: Weather [Link to WeathersparkZion National Park Summer Weather, Average Temperature (Utah, United States) - Weather Spark ]
Visitation
Zion's visitation peaks in the summer, with June and July sharing the highest visitation records on average. These three months account for 34% of Zion's yearly visitation:
June - 12%
July - 12%
August - 10%
12% represents roughly 550,000 people who visit over the course of both June and July each.
Source: NPS
Activities and Amenities
Peak season means extended hours for restaurants and full availability for experiences like tours around the Park. This comes with a caveat that you'll also be competing with more people for the same tables and tours, so you may want to book early. Water based activities are especially popular this time of year, like floating the Virgin River or visiting nearby Sand Hollow State Park.
Road Conditions
In June and early July, we rarely have issues accessing locations due to road conditions. During this part of the season, dirt roads stay dry and easily accessible. Extra ground clearance and 4x4 can further expand the options of spots we can get to. Deep sand is the exception to this. Hot, dry air makes deep sand easier to get stuck in. Once we hit monsoon season, we have to be more careful since some storms can saturate the ground enough to make dirt roads impassable.
Zion Canyon Scenic Drive
Daily shuttle service runs throughout the summer. So you'll either need a parking permit (by staying at the Lodge), ride the shuttle, or rent e-bikes to access the Scenic Drive.
Trail Conditions
Similar to the roads, we rarely have trail closures in the summer and even the deepest slot canyons will be dried out. June provides the most ideal conditions for hikes in the water like the Narrows. Once monsoon season hits, you need to be extremely careful when hiking in lowlands, washes and slot canyons. Thunderstorms can form and drop a significant amount of rain in the course of hours if not minutes. So watch the forecast carefully!
Summer Weddings in Zion
Upon hearing about the crowds and weather summer offers summer visitors, most couples opt to plan their weddings during spring or fall. But for others, summer is the only time that works for their schedules. If that's you, no need to worry, we're here to help! Here are a couple of things to think about when planning a summer wedding:
Prepare to be hot
Unfortunately, there are not a lot of tricks for avoiding the heat, so your best bet is to prepare for it.
First things first, make sure you hydrate. Like a lot. Mix in the occasional electrolyte boost to replenish after sweating.
Wear sunscreen. The dry, clean air here makes the UV index quite high meaning you'll burn very easy. You'll probably sweat a good amount, so be prepared to reapply throughout the day.
Chase the shade. Look for places that provide shade, the heat is pretty unbearable in the sun. Consider a wide brimmed, summer hat or having umbrellas handy to help stay shaded throughout the day.
If you're planning to have guests, make sure they are aware of the weather and what they need to do to prepare for it as well!
Consider sunrise
Sunrise in the summer often solves both the challenges of heat and crowds. Many of the most popular locations in the Park are significantly less busy at sunrise. Plus, the temperatures are typically 30-40℉ cooler than the mid-day high. The downside for sunrise is it's quite early in the summer, so maybe plan some time for a mid-day nap and refresh before resuming your festivities. As an added bonus, summer monsoons are typically an afternoon phenomenon.
Morning Weddings
We commonly work with couples who want to plan their summer wedding in the morning to avoid the heat. When considering this option, keep in mind the temperatures ramp up very quickly starting between 10am - 11am.
Late Night Parties
If you're planning a reception and you and your people love a good party (like us!), you may want to consider a venue with an indoor option. Most venues in the area have a strict cut off for amplified music outside at 10pm. Sunsets in the summer are often around 9pm, leaving you only about an hour after sundown to party.
Embrace Monsoon Season
Summer monsoon season routinely causes us to pivot around the weather. So if you're planning for July or August, you'll want to make sure we have some backup locations in mind. It helps to work with experienced locals who can help you make a plan on the fly as the situation needs (like us!) [link to contact] If you embrace it, you'll often see some of the coolest lighting we get around here. Storms create epic light, some of my all-time favorite photos were taken during summer monsoons!
Pace Yourself
You might be surprised how quickly you'll feel fatigued in the heat, especially if you're spending time in the sun. Even those of us who live and work here full time will feel the extra drain the heat has on our energy throughout the day. So make sure you plan space in all of your events to move a little more slowly rather than moving to each event back to back in quick succession.
Plan breaks into your wedding timeline
Leverage the long days to your advantage and utilize the early morning and late evening for your events! You could consider splitting your wedding timeline to allow space to relax and cool off during the hottest point of the day! Our most popular package includes all day coverage for this exact reason! It provides unlimited non-consecutive coverage throughout your wedding day. This works especially well for elopements!
If you're planning a summer wedding and you need a local Zion expert who is accustomed to working in the heat and can help you manage it, shoot us a message!
If you want more general tips about planning a wedding around Zion, check out our elopement guide for Zion!
