When to get married?
October 5th, 2008 by Karen WhiteTiming Is Everything
Once you’ve settled on the where, it’s equally important to figure out the second most fiscally important factor: the when. Sure, you may envision a lush spring wedding to savor the full bloom of that time of year, but so do thousands of others, so be prepared to pay top whack to see your fantasy come to fruition.
Best seasons: Summer and spring are the most popular seasons for weddings. Opting for the Autumn or Winter can save you serious cash.
Top Tip: Find out when the FA Cup Final Saturday is. This can be a money saver if you and your intended (and your closest friends and family) aren’t that into football!
Best months: In general, the most budget-friendly months for weddings are those between November and March, as they fall into the wedding off-season. Select any other month to get lower prices on rental items and from vendors. Off-season discounts can come in various forms, whether it’s a percentage off the total rental cost, or “value add extras” – i.e. extras included in the prices, like free sound system hire or free cleanup.
Best weeks: Most people don’t think of the week between Christmas and New Year’s as a wedding week, but that’s precisely why it’s a good time! People generally have time off work to travel, and prices are lower since it’s a slow time for weddings. Avoid the week around the super-popular wedding date of Valentine’s Day, when Cupid’s arrow strikes directly at your bank account.
Best time of day: An evening wedding is considered the classic, with dinner, dancing, and cocktails. However, if your budget will be super-stretched, shift the time of the event, and your prices will drop significantly. A late-afternoon wedding won’t call for the same quantity of food. You can have substantial amounts of appetizers passed around or a buffet, rather than a sit-down, four-course meal. Also, your booze budget will be far less, as people tend to drink less in the afternoon than they do in the evening. Similarly, a lunchtime affair will be less expensive than dinner. Avoid, however, pushing an event up to the morning just to save a buck. It will lose a certain degree of elegance if people have just rolled out of bed and are bleary-eyed as you’re walking down the aisle. Here comes the who?!
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