1-3-5 Wedding Date & Wedding Time

First, we give some tips for choosing your wedding date. We give tips on how to successfully hold a wedding on a long weekend, and how your location and wedding date are related.

Then we cover the four most common times in which to hold a wedding ceremony and reception, and gives examples of how to carry it off with style.

Then we cover your wedding reception choices—–the four meal reception types and the three non-meal reception types. These different reception types have specific times in which they need to be held, and we cover how to word your wedding invitations for each type of reception. We also get into the common styles of music suited to each type of reception.

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Wedding Date

Step 8 is about defining the wedding date and time. This can be a little tricky, because depending how much time you have before your wedding, you may not have your first choice available. It is for this reason that we suggest you choose three different dates and times. Popular locations at certain times of year can be booked up to three years in advance, so backup dates are important.

If you have a lot of family who will be travelling to your city or town for the wedding, you might consider holding it on a long weekend. Long weekends get booked quickly by families, so you would have to send save-the-date cards at least 6 months ahead—maybe earlier to ensure that they aren’t already committed elsewhere. I have seen long weekend weddings work wonderfully, and some that have not—so consider the members of your family, their personality, and how much advance notice you can give everyone.

Another thing to consider is that although summer weddings are popular, people book vacations well in advance and may be committed elsewhere if they don’t know of your wedding soon enough. So those are some things to consider about the date.

Here’s something you may not have considered: The time of the wedding ceremony is an important factor in your budget. The most popular time for a wedding reception is evening, and is therefore the most expensive. The next video will look at your options in planning the TIME of your wedding.

Wedding Time

Let’s look at the TIME options you have for your wedding. If you have a large guest list, and limited funds, choosing the right time for your wedding is a great way to make your wedding work for everyone.

Dinner is the most expensive for both the reception site and your menu choices. Lunch is less expensive. Breakfast is the least expensive. An evening wedding followed by a cocktail reception can be the least expensive of all choices.

Let’s start with a sunrise wedding ceremony. This would be wonderful with an organic or eco-friendly wedding theme. Things to consider are: you and your guests will need to be up early, and how much preparation time to do you need to get ready. I have been to one sunrise outdoor wedding ceremony that was located next to a river that was spectacular. Almost all the guests attended as no one wanted to miss such a unique wedding ceremony. A “sunrise” ceremony need not actually be at sunrise. You might choose an early morning time like 7 or 8 am followed by a breakfast reception. Financially speaking, this is much less expensive than an afternoon or evening reception.

Morning weddings at 10 or 11 am are becoming more popular with a lunch reception complete with a sit down meal and dancing. Alternatively, an hors d’ouevres lunch reception is less costly, and you can have lounge type music instead of dancing. This type of reception works really well at unusual locations like your local art gallery or botanical gardens—and it is less costly than your usual evening sit-down reception.

An afternoon wedding is usually followed by an evening reception. This is the most common time for a wedding, and the most expensive option. Not only are you paying for primetime space but a full sit-down meal is more costly than a lunch or cocktail menu.

Another type of wedding is the evening or sunset wedding ceremony—this can be a ceremony at any time after the dinner hour, followed by an evening cocktail reception. Usually light hors d’ouevres are served at 10 or 11 pm, and dancing is common. This also is a less expensive form of wedding reception due to the fact there is no sit-down meal. Sometimes, the couple opts for cocktails and cake at an evening reception, or a dessert buffet.

If your budget is a consideration, or if you just want something different, consider a unique time for your ceremony, followed by either a reception meal or a cocktail reception. The next video will give you both your meal reception choices and your non-meal reception choices.

Mark your ceremony choices on the SmartBride Action Plan, and when you are ready, make your final decision.