What?? You’re engaged?! THAT IS AWESOME. Now get ready for the endless questions. I remember after I got engaged, all I could think about was how excited I was that this guy wanted to marry me. ME of all people?! Crazy. It wasn’t long after he proposed that people started asking us tons of questions. One of the main ones being “when are you getting married?”. Let me tell ya…picking a wedding date was the furthest thing from my mind the day we got engaged.
After my husband proposed, we went to a nice dinner where even our waiter asked us “when the big day was”. We had gotten engaged literally 1 hour before. So if you haven’t received this question yet, count yourself lucky. Soon, everyone will be asking you when the date is, so here are some tips to help you figure out just that.
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Think about what matters most to you
Have you always pictured yourself getting married in the summer? Or, is having a 4-6 month engagement always been your plan? There are benefits to focusing on the time of year, as well as focusing on length of engagement. Since odds are you didn’t pick the day you were getting engaged, you just might have to compromise on one of these things, so it is important to prioritize which is more important to you.
Time of Year
Picking your wedding date based on the time of year can have many benefits. If you already have a color scheme in your head, odds are high it goes with whatever season you are picturing. There is also the benefit of (hopefully) having whatever temperature you are going for. The downsides are you could end up having a shorter engagement than planned (meaning less vendors available on your date in some cities), or you could end up with a longer than hoped for engagement (meaning longer until you get to be married to the love of your life). These are all important things to consider when narrowing down the hunt for a date.
Length of Engagment
Picking a wedding date based on length of engagement has lots of upsides. You are able to make sure you have just enough time to plan a wedding. You can also make sure your wedding lines up with life events (graduations, new jobs, etc). Some people have always said they want a short engagement. While others have always wanted at least a year to plan their wedding. There is nothing wrong with any length! Just take a look at your wedding to-do list and make sure you have enough time to get everything done for the wedding, prepare for the marriage itself, and enjoy this phase of your life a little!
Coordinate with both families and friends on dates that absolutely will not work for them
There are people that you absolutely want to be able to attend your wedding. For the majority of people that includes parents, siblings, close family and friends. Make sure to check in with these VIPs before you set a date in stone. This is especially important for shorter engagement periods. Smaller time frame = other plans already in place.
Check the holiday schedule and any other schedules that are important to you or your VIP guests (i.e. football or city events)
Obviously you don’t want to have your wedding on Christmas Day (unless that is like your dream then you do you!) but don’t forget to check your calendar for the smaller holidays. Depending on where you live, some dates might not be the best idea. Live in Chicago and want a downtown wedding? Maybe avoid putting your wedding on the same day as the Chicago Marathon. Live in Alabama where college football is king? The day of the iron bowl might not be the best option. These are just a few examples, but make sure to think through important (or full) dates for your city and your VIP people.
Contact potential venues, and check their availability
Some of you will only have a couple dates in mind once you look at length of engagement, season, family schedules, and holiday schedules. At this point it is important to check availability of the venues you are considering. If your only options are September and December and they have no availability during those months, then you have already narrowed down your venue search some! Narrowing down your date search to at least a couple dates will help you narrow down your venue search. You don’t want to fall in love with a venue, only to find out they are booked on every date that works for you. Not only is that frustrating, but it’s a waste of your time when you could be looking at venues that do work for your date!
Check out my post here on picking a wedding venue!
Once you have a date that works, don’t be afraid to commit to it
Yes, you need to take some time when picking your date, but once you have found a date that works for everyone and there is a venue available, don’t be afraid to commit! There are other couples looking at the same dates in the same city as you. Make sure you get the venue and date you want!
Picking a wedding date can be difficult sometimes. Do not let it take away the joy of being engaged! Yes, it can be hard to work around all the different schedules and venues, but always keep in mind that this day will be amazing no matter what the date is. Most importantly at the end of the day, you will be married!
