How to Pick the Perfect Date
We know that wedding planning usually begins much earlier than the excitement of a new ring on your left hand. In reality, many of our couples have actually been planning their perfect wedding before they were ever engaged (some before they even started dating). We all have an idea of what our perfect date could look like, and no, we don’t mean the tall, handsome guy you’ve snatched up! We mean the ideal date of the year that would be perfect to host your big day on.
While it may seem obvious to choose the date you started dating and that acts as your anniversary date already, once wedding planning actually begins, our couples usually find out pretty quickly how difficult getting their preferred date will be. Want our advice? Read on below to learn what our favorite tips are in choosing your wedding date!
Keep Your Vision Clear
Choose a date that works best for your wedding vision. Are you in love with pastels and dream of a springtime event, or maybe warmer hues and chillier weather is more your vibe so your ideal date would be in the fall? If you’ve always dreamed of a June wedding, then that month should be where you start. Keep in mind, though, that you may not be the only bride who had that idea for their day. Spring and fall weddings are always the most popular times of the year for couples to get married. If you’re hoping for more availability, you’ll have to think outside the box. Consider winter weddings: families often travel this time of year already, which could make them more available to attend your wedding as they plan on taking time off. Additionally, venues frequently offer discounts for winter weddings since it’s not the prime time of the year when they’re at their busiest.
It’s also important to note that if you fall in love with a wedding venue, and they don’t have your preferred date available, it’s not necessarily time to start looking for a new venue. If you have your heart set on a Garden wedding and the venue you fell in love with doesn’t have your first choice available, consider some backup dates to work with, rather than starting over from scratch on your venue search. If you still have your mind set on a spring wedding and don’t want to give up your dream venue, we’d advise planning your wedding further out when they may have more dates available.
Stray From Saturdays
Aim for the less obvious! Saturdays are great for wedding dates since they’re most commonly when all of your guests will be available to attend. But here’s our tip: don’t forget about Fridays and Sundays! They’re often more available for your venue and vendors, and can sometimes offer a discount, too, since they’re less popular dates. Even more available than a Friday or Sunday is a weekday, and we’re starting to see more of our couples choose a weekday wedding (like on Wednesdays and Thursday nights) to offer more intimacy to their attending guests and to lower their overall budget. We also love seeing a Sunday wedding on a holiday weekend, which offers Monday off and more opportunity for your guests to attend.
Not All Symmetry is Perfect
Okay, hear us out. A date full of easy to remember numbers (like 10/10/20 or 04/03/21) may be easier for your significant other to pencil in their calendar each year, and might look good on your stationary or sound good to the ear, but it’s often the hardest date of the year for wedding vendors. These particular dates get booked up fast, and make it less likely for your vendors to be available. You want to choose a date that will work with your preferred vendors, rather than a date that won’t be available for them to work on, leaving you to choose any vendors who are simply just available for your wedding and may not be the right fit (or the most professional).
Far Out
This one’s more for your peace of mind. We know you’ve been dreaming about this day for a long time, and that you just can’t wait to finally say, “I do.” However, there’s something to be said for a long engagement. Choosing a date that’s a year in advance (or even more) can offer you more time to do thorough research on your vendors, and ultimately keep you excited about the planning process. We never want to hear a bride say, “I just can’t wait until all of this is done.” While we certainly want you looking forward to your big day, we don’t want you to rush through the process. Shorter engagements often mean harder work for our couples, as they try to find the right vendors (who are in their budget and are available) in less time. Ticking off each task should be fun and exciting as you get closer to the day, and if planning your wedding is more stressful than you thought it would be, it’s time for a break and to reach out for help. We’re here to help guide you through wedding planning so that it remains as exciting for you as the moment you were first engaged!
Read all the tips above and still have your heart set on your dream date? Go for it! We want our couples to have every last little detail of their day to be exactly as they dreamed it would be, and if having that exact date means that much to you, then we want you to have it, too!
Need some help in securing that perfect date? Contact us today to learn more about our services and how we can help create that dream wedding for you!