So When is the Wedding? | Tips on Choosing a Wedding Date

Here is something I didn’t know about getting engaged… a wild thing happens the second you show off that new ring! People look at your brand new accessory and ask, “So when is the big day?” I remember being shocked and thinking ‘He just proposed two days ago! I hadn’t thought about it yet!’ Since then, I’ve realized our situation was not unique and this is often the case when a new couple proudly announces that they are engaged. While I don’t think people mean to rush you, it can kind of feel like a lot of pressure, leaving your wondering if they thought you might have planned all the details of your wedding before you said yes… or if they thought planned the whole thing during the car ride to Sunday night family dinner to show off your ring! Choosing a wedding day can be lots of back and forth, looking at calendars, and considering what the most important elements of the day will be.

First things first…

Consider your budget. In all honesty, I’m pretty sure this is the first step for everything related to planning a wedding, but it’s especially important for selecting your date. The season of year and the day of the week can really influence the cost of your venue rental & florals…and really any other wedding industry vendor. Lots of industry vendors have seasonal prices due to the nature of busy wedding months. “Off Season” for wedding vendors is typically mid-November to late March and choosing a wedding date during this time of the year can help reduce some costs right off the bat. The day of the week your wedding falls on can also influence your costs. Having your wedding on a Friday or Sunday is a creative and not terribly inconvenient way to save a few dollars. It is an increasingly popular trend for couples looking to save some money and forgo the tradition of the Saturday wedding.

Perhaps the budget itself isn’t really a game changer for you, but by creatively booking in the off season or on a Friday or Sunday, you may be able to allocate for some little extras like a special bottle of wine to share at your sweetheart table, personalized linen vow books, or matching gowns for your girls to wear while getting ready!

One thing is for sure: your venue rental cost will likely be one of the biggest expenditures during wedding planning, so budget your money and make your decisions accordingly!

Second…

What’s really at the core of choosing a wedding date is WHY your ideal dates are what they are. Once you figure out your reasons behind choosing those dates, it helps to figure out which date could best serve those reasons.

Choose several dates that you would each be happy with. Then, if need be….compromise. Between you and your fiance, determine which key wedding elements are must-haves and which elements of the day are more flexible.

For example, maybe you have a specific venue or florist in mind. If this is a top-of-the-list must have for your wedding day, then getting in touch with that vendor about their pricing and availability would be a great place to start. Or, perhaps you and your soon-to-be-husband (isn’t that a fun thing to say!?) have college or work dates that you need to book around and your must-have is more seasonal. If a specific season is important to you, my highest recommendation is to book early!

A little insight on how wedding vendors see the wedding season …

Wedding vendors, photographers and venues in particular, tend to fill up fast for the upcoming year and are filling their schedules for next year by the end of the holidays this year. Dates are beginning to get booked for us vendors by late spring and summer, really fill up during the holiday season when lots of couples are getting engaged and then getting final bookings to fill the calendar throughout the late winter/early springtime before wedding season kicks off!

So…Contact your favorite vendors ASAP.

Your venue is likely to be the first item on your list that will get booked very quickly of all your vendors. Once you decide on a general season or month for the wedding, you should begin shopping for your VENUE and your PHOTOGRAPHER right away. Some photographers book up to two years in advance, and some venues do the same!! Generally speaking, one year out is probably still safe, but you may encounter a very popular venue or photographer with your favorite style who will have other brides with eyes on your date. While there is so much to do, early timing is essential for booking some of these hot-ticket items! So as soon as you have even the most general idea of when you’d like to be married, search for and contact your dream venues and photographers!!

Whatever the reason, when you really get down to it, your date often picks itself. And while yes, that means you are no longer planning all of the weddings pinned on your inspiration board, it DOES mean you’re finally planning your very own wedding!! And that’s pretty amazing!