Our weekend was absolutely crazy (but a good crazy!), so this post wasn’t completely ready to go live. We don’t want sub-par posts, do we?! Nope! Here is your regularly scheduled (semi-late) blog post:
There are a few ways for a bride and groom to choose a wedding date. Here are a few things you need to consider when nabbing your nuptial date:
1. If time is a factor: If you or your hubby-to-be is a student, you know how hard it is to juggle work and school. Now add another job on top of that: planning! Be sure to find a time when you have a long break from school or wait until you’re done with school. You don’t want to get married, go on your honeymoon, and have a final exam the next week. Not a good scenario!
You also need to think about your job. If you’re past the student phase of life and you have a 9 to 5 workday, find a time during the year where you can schedule time off of work. The majority of vendors will do after-hour appointments, so you can save those appointment days for your actual wedding.
If you or your love is in the armed services (Military, Navy, Coast Guard, Air Force, Army…), then you need to find out when you’ll be stationed at which location. You can plan accordingly. Sometimes, your wedding will need to happen a little faster than most before you get assigned, so be sure to take that into consideration when choosing a date.
2. If money is a factor: When brides are on a strict budget but they fall in love with a venue that is out of their price range, adjustments can be made. You can save a lot of money by having your wedding on a Friday night or a Sunday. Vendors may offer great discounts for those days since they aren’t the typical wedding days. Plus, they usually aren’t booked on Fridays and Sundays. You’ll have a wonderfully affordable wedding with all of the vendors you picked!
3. If location is a factor: Destination weddings are more popular than ever, especially beach weddings. If you have your heart set on a specific venue in a certain city, you’ll want to pick your wedding date according to the availability of the ceremony and reception site(s). Call and verify the dates that they have open and choose one that will work with your schedule. Flexibility is key when picking a date based on venue availability. Remember to get your deposit to them as soon as you can! You don’t want to plan everything and have a last minute couple steal your date because you didn’t have the deposit ready.
4. If the length of the engagement is a factor: This factor can go two ways. You can either have a long engagement, or a super short engagement. If you have a long engagement, sit back and enjoy the planning process. Take your time choosing the elements of your wedding – but not too much time! If you find a vendor you like working with, make sure you get the deposit and contract to them ASAP so they’ll hold your wedding date. Once you have the vendors locked in, then you can have fun choosing your details.
If your engagement is really short and you want your wedding anytime during April through August, you can expect most vendors and venues to be booked. This means there will be slim pickings. If your wedding date is from September through March, you may have a better chance of getting your preferred venues and vendors.
5. If emotion is a factor: There may be a certain date that just stands out to you, whether it be an old friend’s birthday, the day of your first kiss or first date, or a fun number like 11/11/11. Fun numbers book quickly, so make your move! 7/7/07 was madness, but seven is also considered lucky. You make a wish when it’s 11:11, and 11/11/11 is on a Friday, so expect that to book fast too! It’s rare when fun numbers fall on weekends!
6. If religion is a factor: You may have your heart set on being married by the minister you’ve known ever since you were baptized, or you may want to get married at a church you absolutely love. These factors also require flexibility. You will need to call and verify the days that the minister and/or the church is available. Once you find out a few dates that aren’t taken, you can choose from those.
How did you choose your wedding date? Leave us a comment and let us know!
Happy Planning!
Southern Event Planners
Memphis, TN Wedding Planners
