The very first question everyone asks after you and your bride-to-be announce you're getting married is "When's the wedding?" Sadly, the deer-in-the-headlights look you've been cultivating as a response isn't going to cut it much longer. Picking your wedding date doesn't have to feel like storming the beaches at Normandy though, so long as you consider a few simple things first.
Engagement Length
A year is a good amount of time to be engaged. This allows your bride enough time to get her dress, which can take up to nine months depending on where she goes, and allow you the chance to get the location you want. The lengthier time frame is key because there are places that book up to a year in advance — and some really popular places could push the time frame even longer.
It's possible to plan everything in six months if you have to (i.e. your bride or you is shipping out with the military or something similar). Just be prepared for long nights, a frazzled bride, and tensions running higher than the NBA playoffs.
Wedding Season
Spring or Fall? Winter or Summer? The season you get married in can determine your wedding's color scheme, your tux's color, and pretty much everything else. If apple picking and drinking mulled cider are two of your favorite activities (work with me here), then a fall wedding is the way to go. Spring weddings are full of bright flowers and other pastels; summer ceremonies lend themselves to outdoor shindigs in the backyard or on the beach, and winter blowouts could mean a more opulent, classic ceremony.
Symbolic Dates
Mine your past for a potential date as well. If there's a particular day that's special to you and your lady, say the day you first met or something similar, suggesting this as a date would probably work to your favor. Be aware that you might not this special date though — it could be smack in the middle of the week, or your venue may already be booked.
Budget
Ah the money question. How much we loathe it. Your bride might want a wedding at the Waldorf Astoria, but your combined funds can only afford the local church and the Knights of Columbus hall (Not bashing the KoC. Just saying). This is, of course, if you decide to pay for the wedding yourselves without any help from either set of parents.
Your budget will determine when (and where) you get married. If you have to save a lot of money to do the aforementioned "paying-for-it-yourselves" route, then a longer engagement might work better for you. This might be eighteen months or it might be two years. It all depends on your combined salaries and how much you can put away each week or month.
Consider the time frame of your potential wedding dates as well. June, August and September are the most popular months for weddings. Prices will be higher as a result. If you go off season, say January, March or December, you won't have competition from dozens of other couples for your desired day. And one way to save even more money is to consider not getting married on a Saturday. Sunday weddings or having a weekday ceremony can save you thousands of dollars.
Guests and Other Considerations
Some people choose to get married on or near a holiday. Which is fine, but double-check with your can't-get-married-without-them-there guests to ensure they're all right with attending a wedding the week of Christmas, Easter weekend, or around any other holiday. If you (more likely your bride) already has several dates in mind, it would be a good idea to check with those people for conflicts with any of the dates on your list.
Tandem with holidays as dates you might want to avoid are any religious observances — Ramadan and Passover for example — because your guests might either not attend or not have a good time if they do.
A final thought, fellas ... when in doubt about the wedding date, defer to your bride-to-be. She might have already come up with the day she wanted when she was 10 years old. If so, and you can land the ceremony and reception site you want, then more power to you.
Sources
- Guth, Tracey. "Engagement To-Dos: Picking the Perfect Wedding Date." TheKnot.com. 19 Aug 2009
- Beldo, Sarah. "Choosing Your Perfect Wedding Date." EzineArticles.com. 19 Aug 2009
