Saying “I Do” to Weekday Weddings

“Look at it this way. If you’re getting married on a Monday then you’ve just given your guests a reason to have a nice 3-day weekend.”

You’ve picked a date and a year for your wedding day. Congratulations!

The thing is, it falls on a weekday. Now your bride (or groom) brain is going a million miles an hour.

Will my guests want to travel during the week? Can anyone get the day off? Will their kids be able to take the day off from school? Will anyone show up?

Take a deep breath. Thousands of couples get married on a weekday, and many choose to do so for many reasons.

It’s cheaper.

When we chose the date for our wedding, it fell on a weekday. Guess what? It saved us $7,000!

Most venues will increase their prices for weekend bookings. It’s that basic supply and demand scenario. The majority of couples schedule their nuptials on the weekends so venues can jack up their prices. Not to mention, if a venue has to shut its doors to its customers for a wedding — then they’re going to make up the loss of sales with their booking price.

So if you’re looking to save cash, consider getting married during the work week. Plane tickets, accommodations and rental cars can be cheaper too.

It becomes a long weekend for your guests.

Look at it this way. If you’re getting married on a Monday then you’ve just given your guests a reason to have a nice 3-day weekend. If you’re having a destination wedding in — let’s say, Hawaii— then that’s a score for your guests! They’ll likely turn it into a nice little vacation. Being away from work isn’t always a bad thing, am I right? You may be giving your family and friends the perfect reason to get away.

“You’ll find that the next two years could be even more difficult for planning your wedding. Thanks to the pandemic, couples were forced to postpone their weddings and vendors are already booking through 2023. But if you’re getting married during the week you’ll find it’s easier to create the wedding of your dreams…”

Booking vendors is easier!

Because the majority of weddings fall on weekends, booking your venue or vendors of choice can be challenging. You’ll find that the next two years could be even more difficult for planning your wedding. Thanks to the pandemic, couples were forced to postpone their weddings and vendors are already booking through 2023. But if you’re getting married during the week you’ll find it’s easier to create the wedding of your dreams — and like we mentioned above, it may be cheaper too. It can be disappointing when the venue you’ve been eyeing has been taken by another couple on your Big Day.

You’re looking to cut the guest list.

So you’ve got a guest list that’s a little too long for your liking. Maybe your parents are making you invite a few aunts and uncles you haven’t seen in years. Now you’re stuck with more people than your wallet can feed. Having a weekday wedding can be challenging for some guests to attend, and this is one way of shaving off some people from your list.

PRO TIP: Because your venue may be a little quieter during the week — use this opportunity to take advantage of the entire property for wedding photos. On weekends, venues may close off some parts of their property to accommodate other guests — or — strangers could be milling around in the background when you’re trying to take pictures.

Don’t be afraid of having your wedding during the work week. If you’re married to a date and year, stick to it. Your closest friends and relatives will make sure they make it no matter what day of the week you’re saying “I do.” The bonus: you’ll likely be saving some cash for your honeymoon too.

Written By Vows & Forever Founder and Veteran Journalist Maria Cid. V&F is a wedding vows & speech writing service that also specializes in speech coaching and wedding timeline coordination.