After you are engaged, the single most asked question will be “when’s the big day?!” … Trust me, it’s almost as bad as the classic “so, when are you having kids?” question after you get married!
Below is a list of 7 questions to ask yourselves as you start narrowing your options and help answer the big question of how to choose a wedding date.
Table of Contents
- #1: How long do you want your engagement to be?
- Helpful tips about engagement length
- #2: is there a specific season that you would like to get married in?
- #3: Will your wedding be outdoors?
- #4: Are there any wedding dates to avoid?
- #5: What day of the week do you want to get married?
- #6: Will this date affect our future anniversaries?
- #7: Is my preferred venue / important vendor available?
1. How long do you want your engagement to be?
On average, engagements typically last 12 months. In fact, 69% wait longer than 12 months to wed according to Wedding Paper Divas.
We were engaged for 8 months and 24 days. Yes, there were times that things were a little stressful trying to cram it all in in a shorter time frame. But I couldn’t imagine being engaged a day longer.
There are some people that will be engaged for years (and that’s ok too). The length of your engagement is totally up to you.
Helpful tips about engagement length
- If you are planning to get married and have your heart set on a very popular venue, it could booked for a year in advance (read my advice about choosing your wedding venue here).
- Remember that custom wedding gowns can also take up to six to nine months as well (read my advice about wedding dress shopping here).
2. Is there a specific season that you would like to get married in?
If you’re stuck with how to choose a wedding date, maybe start broad – like a season. Have you always envisioned a winter wedding in the snow or a spring wedding with bright florals? Go with your gut on this one, you know what you want.
Keep in mind with the typical “wedding season” (which is July to September) usually comes more expensive prices all around.
3. Will your wedding be outdoors?
If you’d like to do any part of your wedding outdoors, take into account the normal weather for your area.
When we were planning our entirely outdoor wedding, we looked at historical weather patterns for the area we were getting married to and literally took a gamble, but thankfully it was a beautiful sunny day.
We lived in one of the cities with the best year-round weather, San Diego. After living there a few years, I knew that springtime could be very cloudy and windy along the coast. We took our venue search inland, where it is almost always sunny.
If you plan to get married indoors, this doesn’t matter much. But even if your wedding will be inside, you may want outdoor photography – so something keep in mind when choosing your wedding date.
4. Are there any wedding dates to avoid?
Take a look at this great article with wedding dates to avoid from The Knot. But, maybe just take this with a grain of salt because we actually went against their advice here about not getting married on holiday.
We chose to get married on Memorial Day weekend for a few different reasons.
- Most of our guests were traveling in from out the area and it gave them an extra day of travel.
- We got an extra day off work without taking more vacation time for the honeymoon.
- We now have a built-in holiday weekend anniversary forever (no excuses to not do something fun to celebrate!).
If you are planning on a holiday weekend, be sure to ask around to make sure no one in your family or bridal party has travel plans or reoccurring traditions that may get in the way.
5. What day of the week do you want get married?
If you are trying to squeeze the budget, the better question may be, is it cheaper for us to get married on any other day/time, other than Saturday evening? Many venues and vendors may have discounted prices for off-day weddings, be sure to ask.
6. Will this date affect our future anniversaries?
If you are planning on that beautiful fall wedding, keep in mind if you choose something in the mid- or end of November, it could fall on Thanksgiving one year.
If you like the idea of a Christmas wedding, remember that you will always be celebrating your anniversary during this busy holiday season.
This may not matter for some of you, but just something to think of before you finalize the date.
7. Is my preferred venue/important vendor available?
I would not recommend setting a wedding date in stone until you find a venue. Pick a few dates that could work and keep an open mind.
Also, if it is really important for you to get a specific caterer, wedding coordinator or photographer, check with them first to see if they are still available!
There are many important things to consider as you’re setting a wedding date. This guide on how to choose a wedding date walked you through some important questions that you need to answer together as a couple as you move forward with selecting your wedding date.
Is there anything else you are considering as you are setting a wedding date?
Let us know in the comments below!
