Setting The Weddng Date

You’ve announced your engagement and now it’s the task of setting your wedding date. Setting the date for your wedding may seem like a straightforward task and if you already know when you want this to be but there are a number of factors that you should consider before settling on a final date for your wedding.

How long have you got?

Are you planning on getting married within six months or within the next two years? An important factor is how quickly you want to get married as it may dictate whether your first choice venue is available amongst other things. Some couples are happy to wait for a considerable amount of time where as others want to get hitched as soon as possible. So what’s right for you is all personal choice but do think about venue availability, whether you’ve got the wedding budget in place to proceed. Don’t worry weddings can be organised quickly – it might be a whirlwind planning process but nothing is impossible.

What kind of wedding do you want?

Have you picked your theme already? Dreamt of an outdoor ceremony – all these will be factored into your decision in terms of what season or time of year you want to get married. Perhaps it’s a fresh spring wedding you’re looking for or perhaps the warm colours of Autumn are what really work for you, either way the choice of your theme may help you narrow down the possible dates for your wedding.

Is your venue available?

If you’re really got your heart setting on a particular venue its best to get to know whether this is available as soon as possible. Be prepared – popular venues can be booked months, even years in advance particularly during the popular wedding months of the year (try and have a back up option available). If you can’t live without the venue then you may need to look at changing the date – it could be time to consider the mid week option or perhaps a different season. Get a list of the dates available – most venues will allow you to provisionally book upon enquiry for up to two weeks so it may be worth doing this and making an appointment to view as soon as possible.

Is your Minister/Celebrant available?

Much like venues – those performing the ceremony can also get booked up well in advance. You need to check this out as soon as you have provisionally booked your venue. If your local minister is not available then you could look at alternative parishes – however if the registrar is fully booked then it’s an alternative date. Remember – getting married out with your parish may add costs to your wedding.

What time of the day?

Another element to consider is the time of the day you wish you wedding to be performed. The time you want your wedding might already be gone and all that is remaining is early in the day or perhaps later in the evening. This can affect your budget as you need to provide more refreshments to your guests or perhaps it means that your wedding day is essentially shorter. If you can’t get the time you can look at an alternative minister or place of marriage however if your options are limited it could mean looking at alternative date if you really can live with the compromises.

Weather Permitting?

OK – so we can’t control the weather but we would all love to. In saying that there are times of the year were rain will be less likely during the peak summer months. Remember though – any hay fever sufferers amongst your party – a summer wedding may play havoc with their symptoms. If you’re dreaming of a white Christmas wedding remember that it will be much colder and you may need to consider fur shrugs and wraps for your bridesmaids. If bad weather is going to be a major problem for you (perhaps you want the ceremony out doors) it best to pick the drier months of the year. Plan for the best – prepare for the worst and ensure that your venue offers brollies to guests and ensure you transportation company come prepared to get you in and out of the car without getting soaked.

Mid-Week Wedding?

Midweek and Sunday weddings are becoming increasingly popular not least due to the potential money savings as typically weddings packages cost less. It may work for you but think about your guests and where they need to travel from? If it’s likely that many guests will require an overnight stay then this may mean extended time off work. Be prepared for some guests to be unable to attend.

Is it Holiday Season?

Vacation season may seem like the ideal time to get married, with hopefully many of your guests having time of work however remember to consider – are your guests likely to be jetting of on holiday during this time? If you’ve potentially got guests coming from out of town they may need accommodation and if your venue is in a popular holiday location hotels can get booked up months in advance. Not only this but hotels are notorious for increasing costs during the common holiday times (including bank holidays) meaning your guest may have to fork out a hefty sum to stay local.

When are the Bank Holidays?

When picking your wedding date check to see if this is a bank holiday weekend. If you really wanted the Saturday or Friday but the venue is already booked this can be a great alternative. However, it’s worth bearing in mind that that the normal price reductions usually offered for Sunday weddings will not typically apply due to it being a bank holiday – it’s best to check with your venue before making a final decision.

Is your wedding budget tight?

If you’re on a tight budget it’s important to note that during peak wedding season (typically the summer months) prices for weddings increase dramatically. If you’re wedding budget is constrained then think about an out of season weddings perhaps midweek. You will typically not be subjected to the same requirements of minimum numbers and the cost per head will likely be less. This can save you a significant sum and you can still have the dream wedding in the venue of your choice but at a fraction of the cost.

Where do you want to want to go on Honeymoon?

If you’ve always dreamt of having a wonderful honeymoon in the Caribbean in the glorious sunshine then consider that tropical locations mean tropical weather systems. Perhaps a romantic week in Venice is your dream but remember it gets bitterly cold out during the winter summer. Regardless of where you want to go on honeymoon it’s important to research. Take time to look into where you would like to go and this may need to be factored into picking your date.

Sports fans amongst us?

One factor not to be overlooked – are there any die hard sports fans in your wedding party. Football, rugby, cricket to name but a few have major tournaments every year. They may not be important to you but you hardly wish to be abandoned by half the wedding bar heading to find the nearest TV to watch the latest results from the premiership!