Simple Tips for Planning a Weekday Wedding
Saturday weddings have long been the standard when it comes to tying the knot, but there’s a case to be made for the other six nights of the week. While a weekday wedding can come with its own set of challenges – fewer RSVPs or ending the night early – there are also quite a few benefits. Weekday weddings can be less expensive and make it much easier to secure your dream wedding venue or vendors. Post-pandemic, wedding norms have evolved, giving couples more room to create a wedding that works for them. If a significant anniversary falls on a weekday or you simply want to save a little cash to have a luxurious honeymoon, consider a weekday wedding (which has become a lot more common than you might think). If you’ve already decided on a weekday wedding for your nuptials, here are a few simple tips to consider as you start planning!
Do a Pre-Check
While it can be almost impossible to get around a lower RSVP count – no matter how much you try to accommodate guests – the most essential thing to consider is your close friends and family. Before committing to a weekday wedding, check in with your immediate family and bridal party. If there are major conflicts with more than a few people, you may want to reconsider and plan for a weekend wedding. On the other hand, if you’re not seeing any issues and are interested in a more intimate ceremony, start planning your dream weekday wedding!
Photography by Q Hegarty Photography
Photography by Shot by Seamless
Send Invitations Early
Similar to doing a pre-check, you’ll want to send out your wedding invitations well in advance. If you give your guests a few months to plan for your wedding, you’re likely to see a higher RSVP rate. With a date and time in hand, guests will have a better chance of taking time off work or planning for vacation days. Even if you need more time to get your wedding invitations together, consider sending out a simple save-the-date first so guests can still plan accordingly.
Plan An Evening Ceremony
If you know many of your guests work 9-5 jobs, consider planning an evening ceremony and reception. For a weekday wedding, you’ll want to operate on a shorter timeline anyway, planning for a brief ceremony to have more time to spend with your guests at the reception. An evening ceremony at or around 6:30 p.m., directly followed by a reception, will give guests the chance to work a half-day or come straight from work. You can also plan for a cocktail hour before the ceremony to provide guests with more wiggle room if they’re traveling far.
Photography by Jessie Wyman & Christina Anne
Photography by Lynne Reznick
Consider A Multi-Day Affair
A weekday wedding doesn’t have to mean a one-night affair. If you’re planning for the very beginning or end of the week, you can turn your wedding into a multi-day event. For example, planning for a Thursday wedding allows you to host a belated after party on Friday with a potential farewell brunch on Saturday. This weekday wedding timeline would work especially well if you’re considering a destination wedding. Guests will already be flying or driving into your chosen location, so you can spread out your wedding events while still saving some money on the actual ceremony and reception.
Take Photos Before the Ceremony
With a weekday wedding, consider taking your wedding photos before the ceremony. Most weddings held during the week will have receptions immediately after the ceremony, so you may not want to create any delays by taking photos. Getting your portraits completed before the ceremony gives you more time to spend with guests and enjoy your night. Work with your hired photographer to create a schedule on when and where you’ll be taking photos. If it’s at your venue, plan to arrive at least 2 hours early, but if it’s at another location you may want to plan for an earlier photo time.
Photography by Courtney Chau Photography
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