How To Pick a Wedding Date, Any Date

Well, okay. NOT just any date. This will need to be a well-thought-out, scientifically analyzed, consult the stars, tea leaves, numbers, and every person who's important to you kind of date. You'll need to determine is any close friends or relatives have conflicts, or if you and your fiance can actually get time off from work at that time of year. Have your heart set on a particular honeymoon location? Make sure your wedding (and therefore your honeymoon) does not happen to coincide with their hurricane season.

Another prime consideration is to allow enough lead time to plan your wedding the way you want it. Are the reception and ceremony sites you want actually available on the dates you want them? How about the florist, caterer, baker, limousines, musical band, and photographer? Many of the popular sites need to be reserved anywhere from twelve to twenty-four months ahead of time, especially for popular months or days. The same applies to in-demand wedding vendors and professionals.

The most popular months for weddings are June, August, and September, with May, July, October, and December following closely on their heels. If you are looking to get married in those months, you will be smart to allow a little extra planning time or make your reservations NOW. This Minute! Saturdays are the preferred days for weddings, with Sunday and Friday nights in second place. Time of day can play an important role in setting the tone of your wedding and establishing a budget. Generally, weddings that take place earlier in the day are somewhat lower in cost than evening, dinner, or drink-and-dance-until-dawn weddings.

TRY TO AVOID:
* Tourist season and rush hour traffic, if you can help it.
* Days with sad or poignant memories.
* Religious restrictions as determined by your faith. For example, the Catholic Church discourages weddings on Sundays and Holy days. Jewish weddings may not take place on the Sabbath, major festivals, other holy days, or during the forty-nine days between Passover and Shavuot, with the exceptions of the 33rd day.