Your wedding date isn’t just a date; it’s the beginning of your journey down the aisle and is a day that will be celebrated every year. Deciding when to celebrate this day is a decision that involves thoughtful consideration. In this article, we’ll delve into the thought process of choosing the perfect wedding date. From seasonal nuances to family considerations, we’ll explore different facets to help you make an informed decision.
Having Enough Time to Plan
Timing is crucial when it comes to setting your wedding date after getting engaged. You want to ensure you have enough time to plan based on your schedule and that your guests have enough time to plan to attend your wedding; especially if you have a lot of international guests who require visas.
12 months is a good amount of time to plan your wedding where you won’t feel rushed. Many of our couples who have more hectic schedules want us to begin planning their wedding 12 to 18 months in advance to give them the added flexibility of taking a month off from planning due to their workload.
Different Seasons
Each season carries a unique ambiance that can influence the atmosphere of your overall celebration. Weather can also play a significant role in your wedding day experience and different seasons and climates come with their own set of implications. Spring brings blossoming flowers and a sense of renewal, while summer exudes warmth and vibrancy. Fall offers rich, warm hues, and winter provides a cozy, intimate setting.
Different seasons also have varied decor availability. For example, if you love peonies and want to incorporate them into your wedding, I would not recommend a November wedding date since they won’t be available.
Consider the climate, the kind of festivities you envision (e.g. indoors, vs. outdoors), and the comfort of you and your guests when making this choice.]
Peak vs. Non Peak Months
The timing of your wedding can impact your budget. Some vendors (e.g. venues) have different prices based on peak and non peak months. Peak and non peak months are months in the year that are more popular than others. April through July as well as September and October are often considered peak/ popular months but this does vary based on the city/state you are getting married in.
The Holidays
The allure of a wedding during a holiday weekend is enticing, but it comes with its own set of considerations. There are holidays that might pose challenges, such as increased travel costs for guests or potential venue availability issues. Some of those holidays include Christmas and New Years. Increased traffic is also something to take into consideration, especially if your ceremony and reception are at two different venues.
There are definitely benefits of having your wedding during a holiday weekend. Here are a couple of them:
- If the holiday lands on a Monday, you have more flexibility on having your wedding on a Sunday vs. Saturday only.
- You can extend your celebration to an entire weekend since many guests will take days off of work. So, instead of just your wedding, you can also have a welcome event the day before, an after party after the reception has ended and/or a farewell event the day after the wedding.
A Wedding on a Weekday
I get the question, “what is the best day of the week to get married?” since Saturday isn’t the only day to tie the knot.
On the surface, it may seem less inexpensive to get married on a Friday or Sunday versus a Saturday but that is not always the case. Saturdays are more convenient and I would choose a Sunday over a Friday wedding, especially if your wedding is taking place in a major city. For Sunday weddings, there is the added costs to things like delivery fees for rental companies to take into consideration when comparing the different days.
Weekday dates are also an option and have gained popularity in recent years, especially for more intimate weddings. Don’t be afraid to have your wedding on a weekday, whoever wants to be there will make a way to attend.
Family Matters
Consider close family members when choosing a wedding date. For example, if you have a sibling who is expecting a baby or graduating during a certain month or someone else getting married that has already set a date (for yourself or your fiance), I suggest making a note of those months and dates since key family members (e.g. parents) may be traveling for those occasions already.
The goal is to ensure as many of your key family and friends can attend your wedding and, if you have an active social life and family, these are important things to help you decide on your wedding date.
Work and Weddings
For those with specific job-related considerations, your career might influence your wedding date. We work with a lot of couples who are in residency and their weekends off are already scheduled a year or more in advance. When you have strict limitations on when you can get married, having longer to plan is even more important or you can consider having a more intimate wedding with close family and friends and having a bigger wedding further in the future.
Sentimental Significance
Consider dates that hold sentimental meaning for you as a couple. Whether it’s the anniversary of your first date or the day you got engaged, choosing a meaningful date adds an extra layer of personalization to your celebration.
Sometimes, there are also months in the year with repeated numbers that people deem to be lucky for example, 9-23-23. Those dates tend to be popular and go quickly so identify those dates quickly and lock them in quickly.
Choosing a Date Based on the Perfect Venue
Another approach to pickling your wedding date is finding the perfect venue first and picking a date based on their current availability. If your lives are more flexible and you have 16+ months before you want to get married, finding the venue you want to get married in may work better, especially if you care a lot about aesthetics, design and decor.
Being open to any date and starting the planning process early allows you to have more options when it comes to your venue.
With wedding planning, choosing the perfect date sets the tone for your entire celebration. By decoding the various factors involved, you can ensure that your wedding date aligns with your vision, values, and circumstances.
Choosing your wedding date also goes hand in hand with selecting the right venue after conducting venue tours. Read those two articles to get more insight on picking the right venue for you.
