Choosing a Wedding Date and Time

Struggling to find the right wedding date? Here are some factors to consider before setting the date. Plan your wedding day with expert tips from Afarose.

To be newly betrothed is a blissful feeling! After the celebration of your new status update comes the real deal—wedding planning. The first thing that you need to plan is the wedding date.

Setting the wedding date can be an emotional journey. As most couples want their wedding date to represent an important milestone of their relationship such as their first official date when they met and so on, they get to relive their beautiful journey as a couple so far. Yes, your wedding date should have a sentimental value, but it needs to be practical as well. Waiting for four years for 29th February just because this date is dear to you may not be the right approach! However, if you have strong preferences, it would be better to plan at least a year in advance.

As COVID-related restrictions are getting eased, many couples are planning to get married this year. If you are also planning a wedding in 2022, you have to be quick. You can also talk to a wedding planner to help you in finding the right date for your nuptials. Before you send your unique save-the-date cards, make sure that you have done enough research to find the right date.

Perfect Timing

Does perfect timing exist? For setting the wedding date—absolutely!

Close your eyes and imagine your wedding. What’s the weather like? Is the sun still up? What is the color of the leaves? Where are you? These four simple questions can help you tremendously in finding the perfect time for your wedding.

Timing is everything in a wedding. In addition to setting the aesthetics of your wedding and deciding how the photographs will turn out, it also sets the ambiance of the event. For example, if you want to host a beach wedding and want sun-kissed photographs, time around sunset will be the best.

Meaningful Dates

Most couples prefer to host their wedding on a significant date. So, before you start making random circles on the calendar, listing down all the important dates would be a great idea.

Generally, couples pick relationship milestones for their wedding date, like when they first met or officially became a couple, when they first confessed their feelings, etc. Some couples also pick dates to honor significant people in their lives. For example, many couples share their wedding anniversary with their parents. There are some dates that are considered in various cultures and traditions. You can consider those as well.

While it is preferred to choose a date that is meaningful and symbolic if it is not practical for you, feel free to choose what is comfortable. There are no set rules here.

Whatever you decide, make sure that you have enough time to plan the wedding and that your guests have enough time to prepare for your wedding day too—especially if travel planning is required for a destination wedding or out of towners.

Afarose Insider Tip: When deciding on your wedding date, be aware that most wedding venues usually charge a premium rate for weekend dates, especially on Saturdays. As a result, Thursday or Friday weddings have grown in popularity as a more budget-friendly option.

By the Seasons

Seasons play a huge role in selecting the wedding date as they are crucial in setting the mood of the ceremony. To start off with, if you have a particular theme or motif in mind, you must pick a season that is compatible with your wedding vision board. For example, if you want your wedding to have a tropical personality, hosting a wedding in December will not work. Similarly, your winter wonderland wedding cannot happen under the scorching April sun.

Your chosen season has to be compatible with your venue as well. Some venues and destinations are agreeable only under certain weather conditions. There is no one who likes to attend a forest wedding when it’s pouring cats and dogs.

As most couples go for their honeymoon immediately after the wedding, it would be great to select a season for the wedding that is perfect for your honeymoon destination as well.

Holidays

A wedding date that falls on a holiday is definitely convenient. It allows most of the guests to attend the nuptials. But such is not the case all the time.

Hosting a wedding on a holiday can go either way. However, through the process of elimination, you can hopefully find the right date. First, check if any of the holidays are falling on a Friday or Monday. These holidays are typically on a long weekend and make it easier for the guests to make it to your special day. Next, make sure that the holiday that you are considering is not a big one or a family-oriented holiday like Thanksgiving. People usually have plans for such holidays which will make it difficult for them to attend your wedding.

Some venues and vendors charge extra during the holiday season. Therefore, you must be careful that you are not choosing a holiday that adds to your budget.

Off-Season Dates

To keep your wedding under budget and to avoid large crowds, choose an off-season date for your wedding.

Off-season dates offer loads of benefits. You get venues at discounted rates, vendors are easily available, and you do not need to run circles to find accommodations for your guests. These dates are great for destination weddings and if you want absolutely lowest prices, avoid weekends too.

Since most venues are less crowded during the off-seasons, you can explore the entire wedding location to get great photographs. But remember that different regions have different off-seasons, you need to do a little research.

Afarose Insider Tip: Subscribe to hotel booking websites, travel websites, vendor websites, and websites of your chosen venues. This will allow you to receive price drop alerts, making it easier to track discounts/packages for accommodations and providers.

Find Your Dream Wedding Dress at Afarose

While you are busy fixing the wedding date and making other arrangements, leave the task of finding a wedding dress that fits like a dream to Afarose.

Whether you are looking for a dreamy gown like Remy, a detailed piece like Liz, or a statement mermaid fit like Moonstone—you are sure to find something special for your big moment.

Afarose offers a wide selection of tailor-made wedding gowns. Book a virtual appointment with Afarose today!

Take bridal party collaboration to another level! Visit Afarose’s newest interactive virtual showroom feature for gown inspiration and style ideas. Bridal party members can collaborate with other bridesmaids and the bride can add comments for the bridal party about dress options and get feedback all in one convenient platform in real-time.