November Destination Wedding

What would be decent weather according to you? An outdoor wedding in November seems a bit optimistic and around Como you can probably expect around 10°C and a high risk of rain. If you are looking for indoor temperatures you really need to look further south, e.g. Malta or the Canaries.

Your best option of decent weather so late in the year would be Andalusia in southern Spain. You may get the odd decent day in Italy or Portugal, but there you could also get lots of rain and wind. Greece weather is less certain after mid October.

Cyprus maybe ok as it’s further south.

Early October would give you far more options for an outdoor event. For mid November, I would plan on an indoor event but hope that you could move it outside if the weather played ball. For a beach holiday in November (i.e. generally dry but not hot weather), the most reliable weather is the Canary Islands.

https://www.wedaways.com/international-marriage-license-requirements-by-country/#italy

Also: be sure to fulfill all the legal requirements and documentation.

November is chilly and rainy in most parts of Italy, and your party may not be comfortable being outdoors then.
I've been in Venice in late September and it was very cold and wet....had to buy hot water bottles to keep warm in the apartment.
A lot of what people go to Italy for won't be available: nice street side cafes, beaches, walking and seeing the sights on a sunny warm day.
Perhaps Sicily if you are set on Italy?
It's further south at least.

Thank you all for your input! Is there anywhere in Europe you would recommend during this time period?

It all depends on what you are looking for.

An outside wedding in late November in mainland Europe is not really an option, in my opinion. Even Andalucia can get pretty cold at night, and nighttime is at 6PM there.

However, given the size of the party, it will be quite easy to find a great indoor venue! And if you pick one with outdoor space and you end up being lucky, then you and your guests could also enjoy the outdoors during the day.

In any case, a rainy wedding is considered lucky according to French folklore ("mariage pluvieux, mariage heureux", the saying goes)!

New York City and Madrid are about the same latitude north of the Equator, to give you an idea about November weather. Having lived in Europe, I’ve been to a few weddings but they have all been inside, even in June. Typically, the catered dining and dancing continue until dawn. I usually bow out, with the other elders, at 2 am.

I agree with Jennifer that southern Spain would be a good choice. Seville is a beautiful city with warmer weather than most of Europe, many beautiful and interesting sights, great food, and I'd think a lot of good wedding venue choices. If your guests want to extend their stay, the Andalucia region has lots to offer. Seville is about 2.5 hours by train from Madrid and also has an airport with connections to other European cities. You can read more about it here and here.

My first November suggestion would be Nice, France.

I’ve been to Nice in Mid March and LOVED it- would you say the weather would be about the same in November?

Here's a table showing the weather in Nice over the past two weeks. In the upper right corner of the table is a drop-down menu that lets you choose any month in the past 12 years. Look at the second week of each November for a good idea of what to expect.

This is from timeanddate.com. For past weather info in other cities, click on "Weather," then pick a city, then "Yesterday/Past Weather," then your chosen month(s) as above. Thanks to the always-helpful acraven for introducing me to this useful website.

Three years ago, I took a French language course from mid-November thru mid-January in Villefranche, basically next door to Nice. I rented an apartment in Nice, and took the bus daily to and from school. I arrived a couple weeks early, so was in Nice pretty much all of November and December. Temperatures were decent in November, but I needed a warmer coat for December. When it was sunny both months, there were people at the rocky beach.

Nice can be rainy in November, and when it does rain, it absolutely pours. But it can be pleasant, too, and it’s an absolutely magical place. This was my big retirement trip, so it holds special memories, even waiting in the dark in the morning for my bus. If you have a venue in Nice that offers an outside wedding setting, with an option to easily move it inside if weather makes that necessary, what could be better?

Congratulations in advance, wherever you have your ceremony!

If you do decide on Nice, just make sure I am not in town, as I seem to bring rain there. A friend of mind lived in Nice for several years. I visited him several times in November or December, and it would invariably be pouring rain. Once, the rain started roughly two hours after I arrived on Friday, and hadn't stopped by the time I left on Sunday evening - never saw that much rain in Europe.

Let Balso know your date if you pick Nice, so he can be sure to stay away !!

I assume you know that this is a ceremonial wedding, while your legal marriage has to be in the States. In France, marriage banns need to be posted at the city hall for two weeks before. I'm not sure of the residency requirements. When I married my husband in France (45 years ago), I was a resident, so I didn't find out the details. Most everyone I know has had only a legal 5-minute city hall ceremony followed by a big party, but they are French citizens.

One exception, my niece and her ex had a city hall wedding for immediate family. The following weekend they had a elaborate wedding at a chateau in the Loire, 2-3 day gathering, for extended family and friends. Although non-religious, they searched and found a minister who agreed to perform a religious ceremony. They also tested four caterers before choosing one.

So when you decide on a country, you should find a planner to handle the details.

@ Alison

An impressive wedding took place on 14th November 1973. Plenty of pictures and TV video on the net. A lovely day in London. Princess Anne to Mark Phillips. The eyes of the world were on the event. So is possible. Was it divine intervention or lucky?

November is a great month. My own was in November in Perth, great south land. Late spring and guaranteed blue skies and at least 30C. Like Mark Phillips I was an accessory as the only daughter was the star attraction. Italian connection. The mothers of our Italian friends insisted on making the wedding dress and organising the reception and entertainment.

In my experience the nicest weather in mid to northern Italy has been early October autumnal. Best wishes on your final decisions.

Regards Ron