Deciding When to Get Married

We all have specific reasons for selecting the day on which we wish to be wed. But there are some guidelines and restrictions to consider, such as:

The Day
Simply stated, allow yourself enough time to carry out the plans of your dreams. A few short weeks is not enough time to find a designer gown, and some banquet facilities are booked as much as three years in advance. It is terribly important to know that everyone you want in the bridal party will be available. Need time to save money? Factor that in, too. Yes, choose your wedding date wisely, but don't afford yourself too much spare time. Idle brides tend to get cranky and end up wishing
the whole thing was over with. The average engagement these days seems to be between one year and a year and a half.

The Weather
If you live in a section of the country where snowstorms are a given, you may wish to avoid a winter wedding. Oh, there is a lot to be said • for gentle scenic snowfalls and beautiful bridesmaids all decked out in red velvet. But a reception that faces a blizzard cancellation can be a gigantic headache. And summer weddings present problems all of their own as well. Most churches are not air-conditioned, making July and August rather unpopular months. And summer is when many of your intended guests may have already made travel plans.

Honeymoon Plans
It is important to arrange time off with your employer for your honeymoon in order to avoid unnecessary disappointment later. Also, the desired location of your honeymoon may have a lot to do with the time of the year you plan to wed. Remember that island resorts are typically unbearably hot and humid in the summer months. If the Caribbean is your romantic destination, the fall is the best time to go.

Your Menstrual Cycle
Some women run like clockwork, while others are affected by the least little thing. And often the hectic and nerve-racking pace of planning a wedding can throw even the most methodical of cycles into a tailspin. Now, your period is the last thing you want to bring along with you on your honeymoon. So just do your best to count out the weeks. If you've been irregular (it's a good idea to keep a chart) then simply take the average of your last four months.

Holidays — Religious, Personal, and Otherwise
Christian practices typically do not allow marriage ceremonies to occur during Lent, but if such timing is imperative to you, do check with your church.
Make positively sure that among your most important family members there is not another special occasion already planned on the day you wish to wed, such as a silver anniversary or a very special birthday party. And as for calendar holidays, it is not advisable to marry around the Thanksgiving or Christmas holidays for the simple reason that many of your guests will wish to be with their own families at these times. However, if a holiday wedding is your one true desire, be sure to notify everyone on the guest list as soon as possible. If you wait to send out your invitations in the standard four to eight weeks, you may be bitterly disappointed.