Now that you’re engaged, you’re probably wishing that you had a dollar for every time someone asked you the question, “did you pick a wedding date, yet!?” You probably could pay off your whole wedding! Not really, but it sure does seem that way, am I right!? Regardless, there’s a lot more thought that goes into picking your wedding date than just choosing one you think will work. You’ll need to consider your budget, timeline, schedule, and plenty of other things as well! That being said, here’s a list of 9 super important things that you should think about to help you pick out the perfect day to tie the knot.

Emily Steffen Photography

What to Consider When Picking Your Wedding Date:

• Timeline - It’s definitely important to talk about how long of an engagement you want to have. If you get engaged in the fall and have always envisioned a fall wedding, you’re going to have to wait a year. If you’re particular about having a short engagement, you’ll need to be flexible with the idea of a winter or spring wedding. Some couples might need to have an even longer engagement to save up for the big day. Make sure to have a talk about budget and timeline and see what will work best for the both of you!
• Budget - If you’re working with a tighter budget, it’s definitely going to influence your wedding date. It’s pretty well known that wedding venues are significantly cheaper during the off-season (usually November - March) because of colder weather across most of the country. Also consider a non-Saturday. Almost all venues are more affordable on Friday’s, Sunday’s and during the weekdays. Do keep in mind that just because venues decrease their pricing, most vendors, such as florists, caterers, etc., do not.
• Schedule - Make sure that your wedding date harmonizes with your life schedule. As weird as that may sound, it's legit! Consider your profession. If you’re an accountant or teacher, it would be extremely difficult to schedule your big day during tax season or during the school year. Also, if you plan to take a honeymoon right after you tie the knot, make sure that you are able to get that time off and that you have enough vacation time built up to do so.
• Season - Consider the style of wedding that you want. Do you envision something outdoors? Photos beneath falling snowflakes? A vibrant autumn backdrop? Talk to your fiancé about what season you’d both prefer and schedule it around that. You’ll want to consider potential weather, extra costs that might go into hosting during different seasons, and natural lighting if your doing an outdoor ceremony or reception. The sun sets at different times so if you plan a wedding in the winter, keep in mind that it gets dark quite early so the event may need to begin early in the day. The same rules apply to a destination wedding! Make sure to check into the weather conditions for the different types of year since they might be drastically different from what you’re used to.
• Venue Availability - If you aren’t picky about the location that you get married in, or you’re tying the knot on family-owned property, this won’t really apply to you. However, if you’ve had a place in mind that you’ve dreamed of getting married in, the chances of them being available on your ideal day may not be very likely. Just remember to keep an open mind with either venue, wedding date, or both!

Whim Photography

• Holidays…and Sporting Events - When your desired venue gives you a list of available dates, it’s easy to forget important holidays such as Mother’s Day or Easter. You also will want to be mindful of holidays where many people make full weekend plans such as Independence Day, Labor Day, and Memorial Day weekend. If you have any family members on either side that come from a different religion or culture that celebrate certain holidays that could interfere, you’ll want to consider that as well. And my oh my, don’t you dare forget about sports! I can only imagine the outrage in my family if I were to schedule my wedding on Superbowl Sunday or during March Madness. All I can say is that the reception better have some TV’s!
• Guest Schedules - I know, I know, this is a lot to think about! I definitely don’t expect you to ask every guest what they have going on in the upcoming year — can you even imagine?! Just verify that your desired weekend isn’t the same or too close to other family or close friends’ events. Verify that there isn’t a family reunion or that your cousin isn’t getting married that month as well — it could be a lot of traveling for your guests to handle.
• Significant Dates - Remember the craze over 11/11/11 and 12/13/14!? Holy cow. It was pretty epic how many weddings happened on those dates! Unfortunately, we don’t have 16 or 17 months in a year so I sincerely hope you weren’t planning for that! Instead, you could do something like 7/7/17, which conveniently lands on a Friday! Otherwise, other couples choose to go for a date that’s memorable for them, such as the first day they met, the day they got engaged, or their parent’s or grandparent’s anniversary.
• Local Events - This is especially important to consider if you’re getting married in a major metropolitan city. Check to see if there are going to be any large events in the area of your wedding. If that’s the case, hotel pricing, parking pricing, and even some of the vendor pricing might dramatically increase as well as have limited parking and hectic traffic.

Let’s Chat! What factors went into picking your wedding day? What dates are you really hoping for or what dates are an absolutely no-no? Let us know in the comments below!