Choosing a date

Choosing a date, or at least coming up with a rough idea of when you want to get married, is important to do at a relatively early stage because it will affect your choice of venues. Do you want a wedding in spring or summer, or do you fancy an autumnal affair or even a winter do? Most people get married in late spring or summer, to increase the chance of a warm sunny day, so popular venues tend to be booked up much earlier at these times. If you are prepared to choose a date outside of these busy periods, you may be able to get venues and catering cheaper than otherwise.

The time of year might also affect your choice of venue for other reasons – having your wedding reception at a lido might not be such a good idea in winter for example! Some venues might not be open all year either.

Likewise, the choice of your wedding outfits, and that of the bridesmaids and page boys, will be dependent on the season you choose to get married. A skimpy wedding dress in autumn, winter or early spring could result in goosebumps or worse (hypothermia?!).

Think about the food as well. Cold buffets, salads, sandwiches etc work much better in the summer.

Some people like the idea of choosing an auspicious date for their wedding. The Chinese, for example, would not dream of finalising a date for such an important event before determining whether it was suitably auspicious. You can do this by consulting a Feng-Shui expert or an astrologer.

You must also think about the time you want to get married. Most people get married in the early afternoon (1 or 2 pm) as this allows plenty of travel time to those coming from afar, but still allows photos to be taken in daylight. These times also enable guests time to have lunch themselves before the ceremony.