Spring & Summer Montauk Weddings
Montauk in May and Montauk in August feel like two different towns. In May the parking lots are half empty and restaurants are still pulling chairs out of storage. By August you're booking dinner weeks ahead and leaving extra time for the drive. Either one makes a good wedding weekend, as long as you plan for the season you picked.
Spring in Montauk
Spring runs late out east. The town wakes up slowly through May, and most of it opens for the season around Memorial Day. Before that you get quiet beaches, easier room blocks and a lot of the place to yourselves.
Evenings get cold, even after a warm afternoon. Plan on a tent with sides you can drop, and leave wraps or blankets out for guests. The light is clean and low by dinner, which we love for portraits.
Summer in Montauk
Danielle and Michael married at the Crow's Nest in June 2023. The sky stayed grey all day, and the wind off the harbor kept lifting Danielle's veil during the ceremony. Dinner was in a Sperry tent with pink peonies on dark tables. Summer by the water looks like that more often than people expect. We were glad for it. Overcast light goes soft and the greens go deep.
The harder part of summer is getting everyone there. Rooms in town fill early, so hold a block as soon as you have a date. Friday traffic on Montauk Highway can add hours to the drive. A shuttle for guests takes that off your plate, and plenty of guests skip the car and take the Hampton Jitney or the LIRR out from the city.
Early Summer or Late Summer
June has the longest days of the year, so you keep daylight well after the ceremony. September after Labor Day is quieter, and the ocean has had all summer to warm up. If you want a portrait with your feet in the water, September is kinder to you.
What We'd Plan For in Any Season
Wind comes first. Pin the veil, or decide you like it flying. Have a covered backup for the ceremony, even in July. Then keep the last hour before sunset clear for portraits. We have more on that in our beach wedding photography tips. The venues we know well are in our Hamptons wedding venues guide and our notes on Montauk wedding photography.
About Us
We're Trent and Dara, a wedding photography duo based in New York City. We shoot on digital and 35mm film, and we've been coming out to Montauk since 2010. If you're planning a spring or summer wedding out east, we'd love to hear about it. Tell us about your plans at trentbailey.com/inquire or call 212-243-2000.
