Deciding on a Wedding Date – When do you want to get married? If you are having a hard time deciding on a wedding date, here are some ideas to think about.

Special dates for you as a couple

When deciding on a wedding date, are there special dates that you have as a couple.  Some special dates would be the first day you met, your first date, or the day you had your first kiss.  These dates would be more about the two of you and days that are special to you both.

Other special dates could be a date that one of your parents or grandparents got married. We’ve had a few brides who got married on their birthday. Score on getting a really awesome birthday gift! Or fun dates like 2-20-2020 or 7-17-2017.

What are some special dates or fun dates that might work for your wedding day?

Holidays and other holiday type days

I’d probably try to stay away from holidays as a wedding date, unless there was some special meaning involved.  When you are deciding on your wedding date, look at a calendar to make sure it’s not a holiday weekend.  Some weekends are very crowded and hotel and venue rates could double over holiday weekends.  Holiday weekends would be – New Year’s Eve, New Year’s Day, Martin Luther King’s Birthday weekend, Columbus Day, Valentine’s Day, President’s Day, Mother’s Day, Easter Sunday, Memorial Day weekend, Father’s Day weekend, 4th of July, Veteran’s Day Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas.  

Sometimes, special weekends like Mother’s Day and Father’s Day weekend aren’t the best for the guests since they normally spend those days with their family.

But, maybe a holiday weekend works for your wedding.  If you and your family have always celebrated Memorial weekend at the beach, then it might be perfect to have a wedding that weekend since all the important guests will be in town.  Or, if your family rents a cabin for Christmas time, consider a white wedding in the mountains.  

Would your date conflict with any holidays or holiday type days?

If important guests can make it

This one can really make or break your wedding date options. When planning my wedding I remember getting frustrated that some of my husband’s friends weren’t free when we told them our planned wedding date. He really wanted his good friends there and they were going to be his groomsmen.  One lived in Mexico and could only travel during certain dates and the other was on a year long sabbatical to South America. So, it was really difficult coming up with a spring date because they wouldn’t have been able to make it.  It got to the point where we both said, this is our wedding day and if George can’t make it to the wedding, and this is the date we want, then oh well he won’t be there. Facebook Live wasn’t available back when we got married, but today it’s there for those who can’t make it to the ceremony.  And, the flip side of things is that if someone really wants to make it to your wedding, they will probably rearrange their schedule! 

When you are thinking about your guest list, what friends and family members are so important to you that they have to be at your wedding?  Let those people know you are thinking of a wedding date and see if that date works with their schedule.  But, if planning your wedding date around someone else’s schedule seems too stressful, remember it’s your wedding day and if they really wanted to make it, your friend or family would be there. 

What dates aren’t available for important guests?

Events in town

Find out the local events that are happening in the town you are getting married in.  If you are thinking of getting married in Pismo Beach, the weekend of the car show is not the best weekend to get married. It’s a really big event for the town and all the hotels in the area fill up quickly.  Cal Poly graduation weekend isn’t the best time for a wedding either. 

Find out from the local Chamber of Commerce or hotels if there are events in the town you are thinking of getting married in.  

What events are in the town you are planning to get married in?

Location availability

It’s best to have a few dates for your wedding.  If you are deciding on a wedding date, you may want to have a few options because your venue might not be available. For us, June is a month that books up fast. There’s 2 large local events and Father’s Day in that month.  So, that doesn’t leave a lot of dates open. 

If your venue isn’t available for your wedding date, that may be a deciding factor for the date of your wedding. 

For our beach weddings, many times the tide comes into play with the date. If the couple wants a certain beach location and the tide isn’t low, this could change the date for them. 

Or maybe the ceremony location is available and not the reception location.  Make sure both venues have your date available.

How does the availability of your location look?

Time of year

Summer is the most popular time of year for weddings.  But, other times of the year are something to think about when deciding on a date for your wedding.  I think the seasons and the time of year can be helpful for wedding colors. For example, if you want burgundy and blush for your colors or oranges and dark reds, then Fall time might be the time to get married so you can have fall colors for your wedding colors.  Or if you love red and green, why not think about a December wedding.  If there’s a flower you have to have, then get married during the month they are in bloom.  Peonies are available during June. If you love peonies and don’t want to pay the peonies price when they are’t in bloom, then June may be a great time to get married.  

If you have children, then summer might be the best time of year to get married since they are out of school. Or, maybe you work at an accounting firm, so tax time is not the best time to get married.  

Think about things like work, kids, flowers, and weather when you are deciding on your wedding date. 

What time of year would be the best for your wedding?

Weather

Talking about the weather, you may want to think about that when deciding on a wedding date.  I recently had a friend attend a winter wedding in Chicago in the middle of a blizzard!  Guests were stuck at the airport and didn’t get to make it to the ceremony. Chicago is known for snow and not so great winter weather.  Maybe the couple should have considered engagement photos or a bridal session in the snow and then have done a wedding when the weather was better.  

Some places are very warm in the summer, so you might not want to have your guests melting because the temperatures are so hot. Or maybe think of a later evening ceremony when it cools off. 

How is the weather where you want to get married?

Our Date

Based on the answers to these questions, what are some possible wedding dates for you to consider?

Hope these tips help you when deciding on a wedding date.

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