Wedding Dates

Choosing wrong wedding dates can
cause regrets if these factors aren't considered.

Do you feel like you’ve gone back and forth between different dates but keep changing your mind?

Easy Wedding Planner, Organizer & Keepsake

It's a decision that seems fairly easy, but with so many other decisions to make, you may feel you need to rush this one just to get started. This is one of the first decisions you'll make in planning your wedding.

You will live with this date a long time, so take your time, think ahead, and choose wisely.

This may seem obvious, but there are some things to consider before deciding on your wedding date.

Don't forget to let your guests know as soon as possible about your wedding date and location... I really love this wedding website company that helps set up a great looking site for you to communicate with your guests at a really low price, check them out here.

First, if you are looking for ways to cut your wedding costs and stick closely to your wedding budget, then narrowing down your wedding dates to cheaper days of the week, time of day, and time of year can really help save you money.

Saturday night dinners are the most expensive time to host a wedding, as it is the most popular for restaurants, hotels and wedding vendors.

If you are willing to have a Sunday or mid-week wedding, you can save a considerable amount of extra cash, depending on the venue location you’ve chosen.

Also, many restaurants (if you're hosting your reception there),and wedding vendors are usually not as busy for a weekday wedding and you may be able to work out a deal for them to charge less for the days they don't have many customers.

What date is best at your favorite location?

If you’re planning on having your wedding at your church, synagogue or temple, it will be important to find out if your narrowed down choices of wedding dates are good for them.

You'll need to speak to them early on, as the wedding date you select is influenced in large part by their schedule and availability.

Which brings me to the next point.

Your reception location's seasonal busyness will also be a be a factor when choosing between wedding dates.

Yet, since we are talking about beach weddings, some of this won’t apply, since the beach isn’t usually booked months in advance.(being a bit funny here)

However, there are still other things to consider.

Weather conditions in different seasons.

Along the same lines as choosing wedding locations and times of year for availability, it is also important to consider weather patterns, especially if you are choosing a beach wedding location.

Although nobody can perfectly predict mother nature, you can get a rough estimate based on the season of your wedding.

Obviously certain seasons and months get more rain, humidity, wind or overall sunshine, so it's important to check weather pattern reports before deciding. www.weather.com is a good place to look.

Work and School Schedules.

Remember that any of the wedding dates you're considering will affect you and your husband for years to come.

Try not to rush the decision purely out of the convenience of it with work or school schedules now.

For example, spring break may seem okay now, but will it be great if you both like to visit popular spring break locations for your anniversaries in the future?

A quiet beach anniversary trip may not be so quiet during spring break if it's popular then.

Consider holidays and seasons:

There are pros and cons with this one.

Cons - You’ll find that travel may be more difficult and expensive if the wedding date is near a big travel holiday such as Christmas or Thanksgiving, if you have a lot of out of town guests.

If you’ll be renting any wedding equipment (arches or chairs on the beach for example) or other services such as caterers, limousines, etc.. they may be higher priced near the holidays and short staffed.

Pros - If your special day is near Christmas, you’ll have the extra bonus of beautifully already decorated churches, hotels and reception locations.

If you don’t mind the traditional red, green or gold colors they may have, it can really cut down on wedding costs. These secret savings can add up.

What time of day will you say I do?

Consider your budget when deciding on the time of day as serving dinner can get expensive, yet lunch or brunch can really save you money.

Consider other loved one's special dates too.

This may seem obvious or it may seem silly, but consider if your family or close friends have a special or important day planned near the date you’re considering.

I have heard of unfortunate stories where a bride will plan her wedding date right around the time that a friends day was planned and it caused a rift in the relationship. It's a nice gesture to ask if they mind that, just in case.

With that said, it is also important for you to follow your own instincts and what feels right to your fiance and you. Try not to get too caught up in the pressure from family or friends and their opinions of when it should take place.

This is your day, and I’m confident you can sift through all the wedding dates that are swirling in your head to decide upon right date for now, and for the years to come as well.

Personal Story

I was in my last year of college when we got married, so we planned the date on January 2 during winter break. That was great at the time, except for the higher rates on hotels and travel now if we plan a trip for our anniversary.

So you’ll also want to think ahead to the seasonal prices of those romantic hotels your husband will be taking you to for your many anniversaries.