Keep reading for other important elements to consider!
The moment you announce
your engagement, your friends and family are sure to ask, "So when's the
wedding?!" Before you get overwhelmed by the deluge of questions about
your wedding date, here are a few key things to consider:
1. Season. Do you want to marry
indoors or out? On the beach, at a hotel or in a cozy mountain lodge? Consider
the style of wedding you'd like to have and the right season for it as you
begin to think about your wedding date.
2. Budget. Believe it or not, it's
more expensive to marry in June than it is in November. If you're on a tight
budget, consider marrying in the off-season. Alternatively, venues are often
cheaper to rent on non-Saturdays -- meaning any other day of the week. Marrying
on a Friday, Sunday, or during the workweek can be a tough thing to ask of your
guests, but if you're having a relatively small wedding and give people plenty
of notice, we're certain your friends and family will understand.
3. Destination. Dreaming of a
destination wedding? You'll want to investigate the weather patterns in your
desired wedding locale before making any commitments. Keep in mind hurricane
season afflicts the Caribbean and many
of our eastern states, so do some thorough research before you book a venue.
Also, keep in mind the flexibility of your wedding guests: Destination weddings
are often smaller than at-home affairs, but if there are VIPs you want to have
at your wedding (think elderly grandparents) you might want to consider tying
the knot closer to home.
4. Your schedule. Many couples want to
take a honeymoon immediately after the big day, so be sure you can get enough
time off of work or school to accommodate your busy pre-wedding schedule and your post-wedding vacation. Also
consider the busy times of year in your profession: accountants, for instance,
will probably want to avoid marrying between January and April.
5. Significant dates. Thousands
of couples rushed to marry on Nov. 12, 2013 -- 11/12/13 -- as
often happens on numerically-significant dates. Consider tying the knot on a
similar day if you want an anniversary date that's easy to remember (your next
opportunity is Dec. 13, 2014 -- 12/13/14). You could also choose to marry on a
day that's significant for you -- perhaps the anniversary of the first time you
met, or your first date -- or on a date that's special to your family, like
your grandparents' wedding anniversary, for example. You can explain the
significance of your chosen date in your program, on you wedding website, or
somewhere else at your wedding.
6. Venue availability. If
you have your heart set on marrying at a particular venue, you'll need to check
their availability early on. Many traditional wedding venues book weddings 12
to 18 months in advance, though non-traditional venues may be more flexible.
7. Guests' schedules. While
the most important people at your wedding are you and your spouse-to-be, you'll
want to ensure you pick a date on which all or most of your VIPs are available.
Is one of your cousins getting married on the other side of the country? Don't
pick a date too close to that event or you'll be competing for guests who have
to take time off work to travel.
8. Photographer availability. If
you want to work with a popular wedding photographer, you'll need to get in
touch with them soon after you begin your wedding planning to check their
availability. Be flexible, though, and know that there are plenty of great
photographers out there if you just can't nail down Elizabeth Messina!
9. Health of the marrying couple and family members. If
there are ongoing health issues affecting you, your spouse-to-be or members of
your family, you'll want to take that into consideration when setting your
wedding date. Do you need to marry sooner rather than later on account of an
ailing grandparent? If so, be flexible with your date and accommodate those who
matter most to you.
10. Holidays. There are pros and cons to
marrying on or near a holiday. On the one hand, if you marry around a holiday
like Christmas, your friends and family may have traveled back home already and
no extra travel costs are required. On the other hand, families are often very
busy around Christmas and food and venues prices shoot sky high. Some venues
also book up quickly around the holidays for family gatherings. But tying the knot
around a holiday like Labor Day, however, can be a boon for marrying couples:
You can often get a better price on a venue on a Sunday, and your guests won't
have to take extra time off work over the long weekend. Plus, attending a
wedding on a long weekend is a nice excuse for a little getaway.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
If you are getting married, share which of these items you considered when choosing your wedding date!!
If you are already married, do the same -- what did you take into consideration when you chose when your wedding would be?
