How To Choose The Perfect Wedding Date!
So you're engaged. Congratulations! Let the planning begin. But how much time do you have to check everything off your list? Choosing the wedding date is one of the very first things you and your fiancé should do. But how do you decide? Read on for the 5 things you can do to narrow the options down to a single, perfect, day!
ONE Make a list of special dates in your relationship.
When was your first date? The day you became "official"? The first time you said I love you? Any of these dates (and so more!) would be wonderful to commemorate by holding your wedding on the same day, x years later!
TWO Take your budget into account.
Keep in mind how much you need to save up for your big day. Is it doable in 6 months? Or is a year and a half more realistic? Don't let your excitement outweigh practicallity - it's very hard to throw a wedding without any money! Don't stress yourself out by giving yourself too little time to save. The wedding planning process is already intense enough!
Not sure what your budget is yet? Read my article on setting a realistic wedding budget here!
THREE Rate the seasons from your favourite to least favourite.
This one is pretty self-explanatory. Do you share a favourite season? Great! If not, try a little math. Rate your favourite season a 1, next favourite a 2, and so on. Have your partner do the same. Then, add the numbers for summer together, the numbers for winter together, and so on again. It should look something like this:
Spring: 1 + 2 = 3
Summer: 2 + 3 = 5
Fall: 3 + 1 = 4
Winter : 4 + 4 = 8
The smallest number is a great choice! You could also just compromise, of course, but no married couple ever has to do that, so there's really no need. (Hopefully you detected all of the sarcasm is that statement.) If you both really have no season preference, or are really bad at compromising, it may be easier to come at it from a design perspective first. Think about your ideal colour scheme, venue, photos, decor, mood, attire, food, everything! Does a theme emerge? If you were to pick one time of year that fit with all of the aspects you both love, which would it be?
Not sure what you want your wedding to look like? I suggest starting a Pinterest board and pinning images that jump out at you! Check out one of my four (yeah, four!) wedding boards below for an idea:
Regardless of how you come to an agreement, knowing which season you'd like to get married in is a great help!
FOUR Where will your wedding take place?
The location of your wedding will, of course, have a big impact on which date you choose. Getting married in Greece? You probably won't pick the same day as if you were getting married in Northern Canada. If you're planning on getting married or taking photographs outdoors, you'll want to pick a time in your preferred season that is likely to have favourable weather. If you're planning on staying inside, you have a bit more leeway!
FIVE Think of your guests.
Are your guests coming from out of town? Are you inviting children who are in school? Is your best friend going away for 3 months? Keep the people you care about most in mind when choosing the date. Not only will they be thankful, but you will be too when more of your loved ones can RSVP yes!
Jason and I loved the idea of getting married on a day that was special to us, and what could be more special than our first date? Since we had our first date at the beginning of September, and we both wanted an outdoor wedding and LOVE summer, it was a perfect fit! We checked the date in our preferred year (about 15 months after our engagement to give us time to save!) and it fell on a Sunday. Absolutely ideal for our dream brunch wedding! I hope that these tips help you and your partner find your perfect wedding date, and wish you all the best with the exciting changes to come :)
Until next time,
How did you choose YOUR wedding date? I'd love to hear about it! Let me know in the comments below. Don't forget to subscribe to the Plant Based Bride newsletter for updates on new posts about wedding planning! Scroll down to find the form below the comments section!
