As soon as you’re engaged, the first question many people will often ask you (right after, how did they propose) is, “Have you set a date?” And while it seems like such a simple task, the fact is the date is essentially one of the most important aspects of your wedding. Choose a wrong day for your ceremony, and you may run into a huge array of problems. So keep these tips in mind in order to choose the most perfect day possible for your wedding.
1.) The time-frame. If you are looking to invite 300 guests and say your vows in front of a six foot ice sculpture, you’re going to need to give yourself a little bit of time to plan all of it. On the contrary, if you’re looking to go down to your local courthouse with a few close friends and family, a few months may be all you need.
2.) The season. Many couples choose to get married in the summer for a variety of reasons, namely the ease of travel, the gorgeous blooming flowers and the sunset wedding photos, but other seasons hold many benefits too. Wedding photos in the winter time are simply stunning, providing a one-of-a-kind glowing, white backdrop. Winter also lends itself well to more elegant, full-length gowns while summer lends itself nicely to light, airy and even shorter dresses.
3.) Your guests’ commitments. When all of my friends started getting married, we were all just finishing up college. Many of us were attending grad school. One of my friends decided to set her wedding for the second week of September. This is a great day except for one minor issue; all her bridesmaids and all her fiancé’s groomsmen were all still in college, so expecting all of them to miss the first week of classes was a bit of an obstacle.
It’s also not advised to have your wedding on a specific holiday. It’s quite a lot to ask someone to skip their yearly 4th of July family reunion to attend your wedding. Plus, other holidays like Christmas, Thanksgiving or New Years are often the only time some people even get to see certain members of their family.
4.) The price. Venues are typically going to be much more expensive in the summer time, simply because of the demand. As the demand slows in the winter months prices tend to decline. If you’re looking to save money on the venue, choosing a wedding date in the “off season” might be a great way to save a couple thousand dollars.
5.) The day of the week. Getting married on a Wednesday? Don’t expect a lot of your guests to be able to make the trip. If you’re planning on inviting a lot of people, you have to make it somewhat convenient for them. A weekday wedding means they are going to have to take off work not only for the wedding itself, but on the days before and after for travel.
Also keep in mind what kind of atmosphere you want to have. If you’re hoping everyone will be enjoying the “refreshments” and dancing until the wee hours of the early morning, planning your big day on a Sunday is going to make that difficult. Likewise, if you’re having a dry wedding, a Sunday brunch would be lovely, as most guests won’t even miss the alcohol.
