Congratulations, you’re newly engaged! As you might already have discovered, one of the first questions people will ask is, “So, when’s the wedding?” If you’re wanting to know how to choose your wedding date or just need a couple tips to make sure you’re on the right track, you’re in the right place. I’m sharing my best advice on choosing your wedding date and making sure it’s anniversary will always be a memorable one.

How to Choose Your Wedding Date | Karen Elise Photography

Decide on a Season and General Theme

One of the easiest ways to narrow down your date is to decide on a season and general theme. This quickly narrows it down to a specific month or at least several months. Have you always dreamed of a fresh spring day with a color palette of soft pastels? Or maybe you’ve envisioned a crisp autumn wedding with rich, earthy tones of burgundy, eggplant, and forest green. Your desired color palette and location can help you decide on a certain season and time of year.

Beaded blush wedding dress and groom with gray suit

Venue and Prominent Vendor Availability

If you’re set on a specific venue or even another vendor with limited availability, such as a photographer, you may want to consult them before choosing your date. Many venues book as far out as a year in advance, especially on Saturdays during prime wedding season. You can work around this by booking further in advance or setting your wedding date on a Friday or Sunday.

How to Choose Your Wedding Date - Karen Elise Photography

Special or Important Dates

If you don’t really have a certain season in mind and your venue has an open calendar, consider setting your wedding date on the anniversary of a special date in your relationship. Maybe it’s your first date, your engagement, or another significant event in your relationship.

How to Choose Your Wedding Date - Karen Elise Photography

Consider Your Budget

If you’re set on a really popular or expensive venue and are on a tight budget, consider other days of the week besides Saturday. Due to popular demand, Saturdays are often most expensive. Many venues will have discounted rates for Fridays, Sundays, and week days since those dates aren’t booked as readily.

Wine ruffled bridesmaid dress- Karen Elise Photography

Family and Close Friend’s Availability

If you’re down to several weekends or even earlier in the process, it’s a good idea to consider important guests’ availability, especially if they’re traveling in. While no date will suit everyone, checking in with close family and friends will help you narrow down your date if someone has previous commitments. This is especially thoughtful if people are traveling a long distance and need to take extended time off work.

Fall Wedding Inspiration | Indiana Wedding Photographer

Holidays and Vacations

There’s two sides to planning your wedding on a holiday weekend. First, people may already have made plans to travel elsewhere. Second, if you want your anniversary to fall on it’s own special date, you might not want to choose this route since it might get lost in the busyness and celebration of the holiday. In contrast, especially if the date is quite in advance and close guests don’t have prior commitments, your guests might appreciate traveling for your wedding during their vacation since they’re off work anyway.

How to Choose Your Wedding Date -Karen Elise Photography

Time to Plan Your Wedding

One last thing to consider is the time it takes to plan a wedding. If you’re not hiring a planner, most of the planning falls on the bride. Unless you thrive under pressure, a really short engagement might be a little stressful. You may also run into rush shipping fees on things like your wedding dress if your wedding is only 2-3 months out. Many venues and vendors book quite in advance so some of your favorites may already be booked at really short notice. But if a short engagement is priority, you have a large budget, and plenty of help, it’s totally possible to just “get married already.” 🙂

Wondering How to Plan for a Stress Free Wedding Day?

Download my free guide “6 Steps to a Stress Free Wedding Day” here!

How to Choose Your Wedding Date | Karen Elise Photography

How to Choose Your Wedding Date

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