Hello! Congratulations on your engagement! once the dust has settled you will no doubt start thinking about the practicalities of planning the wedding and what it is that you want. Choosing the date is one of the most important decisions that you will make because the time of year may have some say over the the sort of wedding that you have.
Weekday or Weekend?
Lots of couples now choose to get married on a weekday, rather than a weekend, because it can often be cheaper. The cheaper rates tend to cover Monday-Thursday because Fridays have become increasingly popular over the last couple of years and so the price now reflects that. Weirdly, I have had several couples who have managed to get discounts on their wedding venue for the 13th of the month – especially if it falls on a Friday. It would seem that lots of couples would rather avoid this superstitious date for their nuptials and so in order to fill the date, venues sometimes offer a cheaper rate. Whilst the 13th may be cheaper, planning your wedding around special times such as christmas, valentines day or new years eve can push up the price because they are quite popular with engaged couples. Bank holiday weekends are also really popular and so I would recommend booking your date sooner rather than later if that is what you want.
Seasons
Unfortunately, because we live in the UK, the weather doesn’t necessarily reflect the season and so whatever the date, there will be a bit of a gamble but these are my favourite things about each season.
Spring:
- Spring is full of lovely new flowers
- The weather is still cool but you often get more sunshine than the winter months
- Venue prices can be cheaper until April time when peak season kicks in
- You *may* still get a flutter of snow but hopefully not enough to cause travel problems
Summer:
- If the weather behaves then it will hopefully be warmer
- There are more options available venue wise because you wont need to worry about keeping your guests warm
- You could have an outdoor ceremony
- You can wear whatever you like…short dresses, long dresses, backless dresses…without having to worry about wrapping up warm
- It will be lighter until later so you and your guests can relax in the warm air outside with a glass of fizz
- You may get a beautiful sunset and this is the best part of the day to be photographed because the light is so pretty
Autumn:
- This is my favourite season for photographing and I try to do it as much as possible. The colours in autumn are just amazing!
- You’ll still get a sunset but you wont have to wait quite to long for it
- You can still ask your photographer for some night time shots because it will start to go dark earlier
- Its warm but not as warm as the summer which can make it more comfortable
Winter:
- I’m a massive sucker for romance and winter weddings are full of it
- You can go candlelight crazy
- Cold is all the more reason to cuddle up to your loved ones
- Have some fun with sparklers
- I love experimenting with light and often head outside to shoot some couple portraits after dark
- Everyone loves a christmas wedding
- Other than around the christmas/new year period, it is cheaper
- There is more of a chance of snow fall but if this is the case – make sure you have a snow plan for transport!
Flowers
I’m a huge fan of fresh flowers, especially at weddings. If you have a particular flower in mind for your wedding, then take a look at when it is in season because this will help to keep the cost down. Bare in mind that choose flowers like roses around valentines day can really hike up the price. In my younger years, I worked in a florist and roses tripled in price during the week before valentines day because of their popularity. When I got married, all of my flowers were in season at the time and so this meant that I could buy a lot more. Take a look at this link for information on what flowers are in season at which times of the year.
Budget
The budget that you have for your wedding can also impact on when you get married. If you have a smaller budget then you may choose to get married out of peak wedding season in order to save some pennies. I talked a little bit about the importance of planning a manageable budget in another blog article here. Keeping your planning within your means can be a wise choice to minimise the debt that you take into married life. Excel budgets are a really easy way to keep track of what you are spending.
Do what makes you happy
My biggest piece of advice is to do what feels right for you. Lots of the couples that I work with are looking for a really relaxed day and a chance to have a damn good party with their nearest and dearest. Regardless of the date, the weather or any of the little details, you will have the most amazing time.
Happy New Year Everyone.
