you know what day it is…wedding wednesday. full disclosure: this is not the post i had intended for today. i had planned to share my tips on things to consider when booking your venue (next week!) but while i was making my list i realized i had forgotten one very important piece of the planning process… the date! now, that brings up the age-old question… which came first, the wedding date or the wedding plans? have i kicked your interest? perfection. let’s continue.
you need a wedding date to make any of your wedding plans, but you also need to know if your wedding plans will match up to your date. it’s a slippery slope to know exactly where to begin. and so, we’ll start at the very beginning. because the sound of music says that is a very good place to start. since i’m all about full disclosure today, i’ll add another tidbit about [b] and my wedding… we had a date picked months before we got engaged. it was our one year anniversary and we went to dinner at spill the wine (you can read all about our one year anniversary here). we were discussing future anniversaries, more specifically, those that may once again fall on the first day of football season like it did that year and agreed that we could (as we were doing that year) celebrate on saturday after labor day which would be more in line with the day we met not the actual date. (i know what you’re thinking – girlfriend of the year right there) then [b] noted that eventually we would have a different anniversary date so it might not matter. wonder what day that falls on in the next few years? in 2015 the saturday after labor day will be september 12. [b]’s birthday is march 12. my birthday is may 12. and it will “technically” be our 3 year anniversary. well that sounds like a mighty fine day to get married. i don’t remember if we talked much more about it after that; i’m sure i brought it up every now and again. and i am literally just remembering right now that i text my mom that night and said, “no we’re not engaged, but we may or may not have set a wedding date.” i’m sure you can all imagine how irritated she was that i didn’t call her with more details until much later the next day.
and so, [b] and i will tie the knot and i will become a bica on september 12, 2015. we weren’t certain we were going to end up with that date early in the planning process, however. and that’s what brings me to the real reason you’re reading this. here are some nuggets of knowledge to consider when selecting your wedding date.
- what time of year you want to get married: i used to think i would absolutely get married in june. because, that’s when people get married! [b] added that june in minnesota (which yes, people it gets HOT in the summer) in a tux with pictures outside are not pleasant for the men-folk. i considered that there is a stronger chance of rain in june. and that my busiest time of year at work is july/august and did i really want to come back from a honeymoon to that? (no, i’ll just be planning a conference for 1000 people that i’ll get back from 2 weeks before the wedding. ain’t no thang.) think about what colors you may want; if you will want to have any of it outside, what a busy time of year is for you and your family, etc.
- is it near a major holiday: while it might sound fun and festive to spend the holiday weekend celebrating your wedding there are a couple of things to keep in mind… the cost of things could increase for certain items (roses around Valentines Day) and your guests. yes, this big day is about you and your future spouse, however if you want a lot of people to be there i would just think twice – not that everyone doesn’t love you but they might not want to give up their holiday weekend. additionally, the cost of hotels, flights and other things increase during this time as well.
- do you have enough time to plan: i know it is possible to plan a wedding in a few months (it worked for my parents – albeit that was 30 years ago). however, please remember that there can be significant added cost to being in a time crunch and there may be things you have to sacrifice. such as a dress that won’t take as long to order; custom invitations/centerpieces/etc.; and availability of vendors.
- now pick 2 alternatives: so you think you’ve got your date? great! now pick 2 alternatives. just kidding, but completely serious. even in the twin cities with HUNDREDS of options for every aspect of the wedding; there were plenty of places that were already booked 18 months in advance. the same goes for photographers, videographers, florist, etc. you need to pick a sticking point. if there is a venue or photographer you really want, you might have to be flexible with the date. but if the date means more to you than the details, then be sure you are comfortable that you might have to be ok with not getting exactly what you want from your vendors. either way, choose what will make you two the most happy.
i hope these tidbits of advice will help you as you pick your perfect day. until next time, wedding lovelies!
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