A lot more goes into choosing a wedding date than you might think. We've broken it down for you to make the process easier.
Here are the top five things to consider.
1. Is your bridegroom a football fan? And are most of your guests?
Jamie Fender, local wedding photographer extraordinaire and owner of Jamie Fender Photography, shares her advice on this matter:
“For SO MANY of my weddings in the fall, many of the guests (moreso then men), are doing all they can to keep up with the game and are very inactive at the reception. For some couples, this is not a big deal at all and they don’t mind, but are you one of those couples? Many brides, especially if they are not football fans themselves, do not consider it in the planning process and hindsight wish they had chosen another date. So when planning your date, keep your football fan friends in mind, know what you could be getting into.
However, if you really want your wedding in the fall, but you don’t want to interfere with the game, you should consider getting married on a Friday or Sunday. Not only does it not interfere with a football game, but has the added benefit of increased vender and venue availability and possibly a lower rate."
2. Is the date in question on or near a family member’s or friend’s birthday?
Think about this one for a second. Your wedding anniversary will always fall on or near this person’s celebration, meaning you’ll probably have romantic plans with the hubby -- maybe even weekend getaway plans -- and will not be able to attend.
You’ll end up frequently missing their birthday bashes/trips, having to reschedule or work around both celebrations or skip your anniversary altogether. Avoid these special dates (try one week before or after) if possible.
3. Is the wedding date you’re considering close to your birthday, Valentine’s Day or Christmas?
If the answer is yes, you might want to reschedule. Why? Do you remember your girlfriend who was born on Dec. 23 or Feb. 14? She complained about that, didn’t she? And why? Because she only got one “big” gift, as opposed to the rest of us, who were born further out from gift holidays.
My sister Ashley has a Jan. 23 birthday. Somehow, on Christmas, our parents seemed to think it was OK to throw her birthday present under the tree too. Or sometimes she’d ask for a more expensive Christmas present that counted toward both. Then, come Jan. 23, she would wish for a gift or two more.
Moral of the story: If you put your anniversary too close to your birthday, Valentine's Day or Christmas your man might be inclined to do a combo gift, as opposed to fun gifts three separate times a year.
This one is a little shallow. But we’re not alone in our thinking, are we?
4. Is the number of guests an issue?
If you’re trying to keep it small for cost’s sake while still inviting the large number of family friends Mom and Dad want, here’s a tip: Schedule the wedding during a common time when folks travel such as spring break week, Memorial Day weekend, Labor Day weekend, Fourth of July weekend (weekend before or after, whichever is closer to July 4), etc.
This also works in the reverse. If you want more people to be able to come from far away, you’ll want to schedule it during one of these times so that they don’t have to take extra vacation time (although airline tickets usually cost more during popular travel dates).
5. Is the date easy to remember?
This one is pretty easy to explain: Pick a number combination that’s not easy to forget. You’ll be sure to drill it into your man’s brain in no time, and he’ll never forget your anniversary.
Got any more advice? What else should brides be thinking about before picking a date? Share as a comment below or on our Facebook wall!
