It’s finally here - My Wedding Wonderland Wedding Planner!
Taking you from how to choose your perfect date right through to organising your honeymoon, My Wedding Wonderland hopes to ease some of the pressures and make your planning experience more enjoyable!
We start with a guest post by the lovely Helen Carter of Helen Carter Weddings, who talks about all the things you should take into consideration when trying to choose your date...
Choosing a Wedding Date – Helen Carter, Helen Carter Weddings
Deciding on the date of your wedding can be trickier than you first think, and is one of the first big planning decisions you’ll make. Some couples may already have a special date in mind and know exactly when they want to tie the knot – perhaps the anniversary of their engagement or the day they first met – but for others it can feel like the equivalent of sticking a pin in the calendar. Irrespective of whether or not you have a date in mind, there are a few things you should consider before settling on your choice. Here are my top 5 tips for helping you choose your wedding date:
1. Narrow it down
If you really have no clue about a wedding date, start by thinking about what time of year you would like to get married. Maybe you particularly love the colours of autumn, or perhaps you dream of snuggling up in front of a cosy fire in the middle of winter. The weather tends to be a big factor for most brides, but remember that you can’t guarantee a lovely warm summer’s day, so try not to make this the sole reason for choosing your date.
Also think about the day of the week on which you’d like to get married. The most popular day is undoubtedly a Saturday, but couples are increasingly opting for Sunday or week-day weddings to give them a greater choice of venue availability and also to save on costs – venues often charge higher rates for a Saturday compared with a Friday or Sunday, whilst mid-week weddings can save hundreds, if not thousands, of pounds.
2. Keep an open mind
Try to avoid setting your heart on a single date, as this can be restrictive when it comes to finding a venue, particularly in peak season or if you have a fairly short planning time. Instead think about a range of dates that you would be happy with (for example, a Saturday in July), as this can give you much more choice when it comes to finding a venue. Also keep an open mind when it comes to the day of the week. You may have your heart set on a Saturday, but the venue you love may be more realistic for your budget on a Friday or Sunday.
3. Think about your budget
The date of your wedding will have a significant influence on the overall cost, mainly due to venue hire charges. I’ve already mentioned that Saturdays and summer months are the most expensive, and this is something you need to consider when thinking about your wedding date. If you’re looking for ways to make your budget go further, week-day weddings in the winter months can be one of the best ways to save money without compromising on the overall look of your day.
4. Consider your planning time
Think about how long you need to plan your wedding. If you don’t have very much spare time you’re going to put yourself under a great deal of pressure if you decide on a date that’s only a few weeks away. Don’t under-estimate how long it takes to find and meet with venues and suppliers, and give yourself a reasonable amount of planning time that means you will enjoy the experience, rather than feel permanently stressed out.
5. Check for other important dates
Before settling on a date it’s worth checking whether there are any big events happening around the same time that could cause problems. For example, you might want to avoid the additional travel and accommodation issues associated with getting married in London during the 2012 Olympics, or if you or your guests are big football fans you might not want your wedding date to clash with certain World Cup fixtures.
It’s also worth checking whether there are any local events happening in the area where you’re getting married, as this may impact on travel and accommodation. The date on which I got married 4 ½ years ago happened to be the same weekend as the Staffordshire V festival. This caused complete gridlock on some roads leading to our venue and meant local hotels were fully booked, but because we made our guests aware of it well in advance it didn’t cause any problems on the day.
Finally, think about the availability of the majority of your guests and whether your choice of wedding date might mean they’re unable to attend. For example, asking guests to take a day off work for a week-day wedding isn’t usually a problem, but if you have lots of children attending it can be very difficult to take them out of school during term-time.
This post was very kindly provided by Helen Carter of Helen Carter Weddings
Follow Helen on Twitter-www.twitter.com/HCarterWeddings (@HCarterWeddings)
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