You can plan your wedding to take place in a special season, place or date. If you are planning to have your wedding at a specific venue, make sure you book the venue in advance. Also, consider the budget for the wedding, the possible attendance of guests, and the time you will need to plan the wedding. Remember that every year you and your fiancé will celebrate a wedding anniversary for the rest of your life. Therefore, make sure you choose a date (and also a place) that is memorable for you and your fiancé.
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Part 1 of 3: Choosing a Wedding Date
Step 1. Think about whether there are certain dates that are memorable for both you and your partner
Many couples get married on special days, such as birthdays, the date of the first meeting, the date of the first date, or the date the couple first shared a kiss. If you really want to get married on a specific date, start planning now and contact the venue and other services (eg catering services and entertainment band services) you wish to hire as soon as possible. Wedding venues can be rented at least one year to several years in advance of the wedding date, depending on the policy of the venue you wish to rent.
- For example, your date's birthday is on a Saturday in June. If you want, choose an appropriate date so that your wedding date is always the same as your date's birthday.
- If you are pregnant, consider whether you want to get married before or after your baby is born. Keep in mind that the birth of a baby a few days after or before the wedding can be a big addition to your wedding plans. Therefore, try to plan your wedding at least a few weeks or months before or after your baby is born.
Step 2. Choose a wedding date that is close to the date of the honeymoon, if you are planning to go on a honeymoon
If you have planned your honeymoon in a certain place in a certain season or date, you need to choose a wedding date that suits your honeymoon plans. For example, if you are planning your honeymoon in Thailand, it is a good idea not to plan your wedding and honeymoon in a windy climate or monsoon season (from July to October). Therefore, try to plan your wedding in the spring (eg early in the year, around March to May)
Step 3. Plan your wedding for a specific season or month (especially if you live in a country with four seasons)
If you don't really want your wedding to be on a specific date, start thinking about the seasons or months you prefer each year. Do you want to have your wedding in a certain month or season? The weather or the season can affect the choice of venue for the wedding reception, the colors and theme of the wedding, and even the food served to guests, so these are important things to consider. If you have determined the right season for the wedding, whether spring, summer, fall, or winter, you can then narrow down your choice of dates by specifying the month of the wedding.
- In countries with four seasons, each season lasts approximately three months. After you determine a certain season for the wedding, choose the month of the wedding. Also decide whether you want to have the wedding at the beginning or at the end of the season. Also, consider the weather, holidays, and other events you may need to attend each month of the season. Choose the month that is least busy for you, and best fits your criteria.
- Pay attention to your schedule for the month. Have you previously had an important and irrevocable event or appointment? When choosing a date, the first thing to do is to remove you and your fiancé's 'busy' dates from the selection.
Step 4. Think about the day of the week you want to get married
Saturday is a popular day for getting married and, therefore, renting a venue or other services on Saturday for a wedding usually costs more (even the most expensive). You may need to rent the most expensive space or a special fee on Saturday, depending on the rental company's policy. However, there are many couples who choose to get married on holidays, such as Friday, Sunday, and even in the middle of the week. Flexibility in choosing a wedding day can certainly help you save the expenses incurred to hire the necessary services.
Step 5. Decide whether the wedding reception will be held indoors or outdoors
If you are planning to have your wedding reception outdoors, it is important that you consider the weather on your wedding day. Also think about the dress to be worn. If the bride has a dream dress that she wants to wear, keep in mind that it may not be suitable for certain weathers. For example, a long-sleeved velvet dress with feather trimmings won't be as comfortable to wear in hot weather as a sheer short-sleeved dress or a sleeveless dress worn in cold weather.
Step 6. Find out about the weather forecast on your wedding day
Once you've chosen the season or month for your wedding, start researching the weather at the location of your planned wedding. Pay close attention to the season or weather at your wedding location (eg possible storms in that season or weather). If you haven't chosen a wedding date outside of certain dates with the peak of the monsoon season, a tropical storm can destroy your plans for a wedding reception that wants to be held by the beach.
If you live in the United States, the Farmer's Almanac cannot predict exactly what the weather will be like, but it can be a useful guide for you, as well as providing historical data on temperature, precipitation, and other aspects of the weather for each date. In addition to the Farmer's Almanac, most sites that provide weather forecast information also record data on average temperatures and rainfall in certain areas
Step 7. Think about how long your engagement will be
Consideration of the length of the engagement needs to be adjusted to the time you need to plan your wedding. If you got engaged in the spring (e.g. in March) and a suitable season for your wedding is also spring, chances are that your engagement will last for about a year. However, if you intend to celebrate or have a wedding in the next six months, your wedding will take place in the fall or winter (around October to January). Find out what matters to you and your fiancé. Of course, the season or the desired date for the wedding needs to be discussed if the length of the engagement is the most important thing for both of you.
Step 8. Consider the funds you have
Generally, weddings held in the spring cost more than weddings held in other seasons. Popular months to have a wedding, among others, are June, August, and September. Some locations-especially tourist destinations-will be visited more, so the cost of renting a place at these locations will be more expensive, especially during the holiday months. Therefore, consider the funds needed for your wedding. Find out if your wedding was funded solely by you and your spouse, or if your parents contributed too.
- You and your partner don't have to go to great lengths to have a wedding in a season and place that makes you and your guests uncomfortable, in order to reduce the cost of the wedding. You just need to plan your wedding ahead of time and save money so that your dream wedding can come true.
- On weekends, especially during the holiday season, car rentals, hotels and flights are usually very expensive. If you have friends or family who are traveling from out of town (or overseas), keep in mind that expensive flight or train tickets may keep them from coming to your wedding.
Part 2 of 3: Considering Guests and Other Matters
Step 1. Before you set a wedding date, consider the following questions:
- Can you and your fiancé take time off work to carry out the wedding?
- Do you have enough time to prepare everything?
- Do your family and friends have an important event or other need?
- Can your desired wedding venue be rented on the specified day? If not, which is more important to you: the date of the wedding, or the place?
Step 2. Discuss wedding plans with your fiancé
Talk to your partner to find out which season or month you both like, then move on to discussions about other things. In marriage, of course the wishes of the bride and groom must be considered, not just one of the bride and groom. Both parties involved need to enjoy the wedding reception that was held so that both of them have good memories.
- If your partner likes the seasons or the cold weather, while you like the seasons or the hot weather, the two of you can take a middle ground by choosing whether the wedding takes place in the spring or fall. You can leave the timing of the wedding to your partner (eg your partner wants the wedding to take place in the winter or the end of the year), but it's up to you to decide the place of the wedding. Maybe you know places that are warmer in winter, or cooler in summer.
- If you want the wedding ceremony to be held outdoors, but your partner wants the ceremony to be held indoors (eg church, mosque, or house), follow your partner's choice of having the wedding ceremony indoors. However, the wedding reception takes place outdoors, such as in a garden or any other open space that you prefer.
Step 3. Think about your upcoming guests
Do they have any other needs or events taking place on certain weekends? Basically, the wedding date chosen will not always be suitable for everyone. However, at least make sure your closest family and relatives, as well as other important guests can attend your wedding. If important guests are unable to attend on that date, try choosing another date.
- If you are planning to have your wedding on a date that is close to a major holiday, consider guests who may or may not be able to make it to your wedding. For example, if you want to have a wedding close to Christmas, of course, many guests already have their own events. If you have a lot of friends who love football, try not to pick a wedding date that coincides with a football match and, if you prefer, ask them to suggest a date.
- Consider the culture your guests follow. In some religions, religious adherents are required to fast on certain days or times (eg the month of Ramadan for Muslims or Ash Wednesday and Good Friday for Catholics). If you know that some guests are fasting, surely inviting them to your wedding while they are fasting can make them feel isolated.
Step 4. Think about the distance your guests have to travel to get to your wedding
Consider your work schedule, and make sure you give your family or guests a lot of advance warning to plan trips and take time off work. If guests are arriving from out of town, or if your wedding requires guests to travel, you must host or provide accommodation for those guests. This is important to remember, especially if you are having an interstate marriage as passport creation can take several weeks.
Step 5. Choose your wedding date wisely
Remember that the wedding date will be the anniversary date of your wedding anniversary with your partner which will always be celebrated every year, for the rest of your life. The date should be memorable, but it should also make sense to you and your partner. Don't just consider what will happen on your wedding day, but also on the same day in the following years. If you get married in the holiday season or before a certain big holiday (eg Christmas), every year your wedding anniversary will always be colored with preparation or celebration of the holiday.
Part 3 of 3: Setting the Date
Step 1. Choose a place to hold your wedding
If available, find the exact day with the desired day. The sooner you choose a place, the better because you can be sure that you will find the place you want. Check the venues offered, the packages offered by the catering service, the cost of the wedding, the cost of decorating the venue (or if you are married in a church, find out if the church can be specially decorated for a wedding), the size of the venue, and so on. Go to the places of your choice to check in person. Acceptance of rentals usually opens twelve months before the date of the wedding, and rentals of the premises can be made in the same month if you agree to select the venue.
- Find out if the price offered includes all the facilities provided, or if you need to pay additional fees. Keep in mind that places of worship such as churches may also charge for renting a place.
- Choose a place that matches your wedding date. If you're planning to get married in November, you certainly don't want to get married in a place where it rains a lot-unless you and your partner really want to play in the rain. If you are planning to get married in July, decide whether you want to have the reception outdoors or indoors.
Step 2. Determine the date
Once you've got your choice of dates and made sure the wedding venue can be rented on those dates, you can decide on a wedding day. Make reservations and other services to be sure, then write invitations and start inviting the special people in your life.
Step 3. Make a reservation
Once you have set a wedding date, you can make reservations and make sure the venue and other services are rented for that date. Determination of the date is usually done together with the determination of the place of the wedding and the place of the reception. Start hiring catering services, photography services, and other necessary services. Well-known wedding photographers often need to be contacted months in advance, and you need to make sure you yourself are prepared for your wedding.
Step 4. Complete the list of guests to invite
Try to finalize a list of guests to invite about seven months before the wedding day. Be prepared if you are a guest who cancels attendance and, possibly, sudden cancellation due to illness, pregnancy, overseas trip, etc. Things like that are unavoidable, so you don't have to worry too much and just go ahead with your preparations as usual.
Step 5. Send your invitation
Send your invitation cards to your guests so they have plenty of time to plan their attendance at your wedding. Once the venue rental and guest list are confirmed, let people know your wedding date. For some guests who usually open email, email your wedding invitations. If not, send wedding invitations in the form of invitation cards to their homes. Tell your friends and family to clear their day and not go anywhere on the day so they can attend your wedding.
Tips
- If possible, try planning your wedding while you (or your partner) are on your period.
- Keep in mind that Friday and Saturday are popular days for holding weddings, so adjust your wedding plans to the day you choose.
- Talk to your boss and try to manage your time off.
- Take the time to meet with your fiancé and talk about the wedding date.
- Make sure you and your fiancé agree on the chosen wedding date.
