Congratulations on your engagement! Planning your own wedding is exciting, however it can sometimes be challenging to negotiate the ‘right’ date therefore it is important to make a careful decision to save you unnecessary stress. I have listed some hints and tips that may come in very helpful when choosing your wedding date.
Communication is the key. Talk to your VIP’s – parents, close family, friends and other important people you want to see at your wedding. You want to make sure they will be able to attend your wedding. Note down any weekends they are not available.
If hiring a wedding planner, start shopping around now and note down weekends your chosen wedding professional is not available.
Time to pick a venue! If you have plenty time, look at venues before picking a date as that way you will have a lot more options to choose from.
Season & Weather
Think about your dream wedding scenery. Is it indoors or outdoors? What is the weather like? Is everything covered in white snow or you are running bare foot along the sunny beach? Maybe you are getting married in a lavender field or an apple tree garden when its ready for harvest?
What will you wear? You will not want your other half to be a sweaty mess by lunchtime because it’s +30 outside and he is wearing a woolen three piece suit.
Mild weather is probably the best (this will not be a big issue if you’re getting married in Scotland).
Choosing an off-season date will reduce venue hire costs, however flowers may be more expensive or some not available at all. You will also need to think about extra heaters, blankets or umbrellas (some of these will work well as wedding favours).
Major Holidays & other dates you may want to avoid
Once you have narrowed it down to two to three months, think about any dates you would like to avoid or honour for any reason (e.g. Auntie Fee’s & uncle Ian’s 50 anniversary)
Also, think about dates that are special to you – first kiss on 25 July or other dates that you would like to honour.
Public holidays – i.e. Christmas, Valentine’s Day, NY Eve, Fathers Day, etc.
Some of the costs may increase due to these holidays (e.g. roses may be more expensive on Valentine’s Day). Your guests may have other plans or family commitments to attend to.
Give yourself plenty time
Ideally you want to give yourself at least six to nine moths to plan your wedding. Less time may add financial pressure and there may be other areas you will need to sacrifice (e.g. Bespoke wedding dresses can take up to 12months to create). Custom favours will need more time as they are being made exclusively for you.
On average it takes 13-18 months for a couple to plan their wedding.
Hiring a wedding planner will save you time as they already have a list of trusted venues and vendors to suit your needs and you will be able to get a greater value for money.
Plan B
When planning a wedding, it is important to have a plan B for every single aspect of this important event.
This can be that wether your chosen venue is not available, photographer is already booked, important family unable to attend, etc.