Deciding your wedding date is one of the most important decisions when planning your big day. There are a lot of factors to consider, from the availability of your venue and vendors to the time of year you want to get married. Here are seven things to consider when choosing your wedding date:

1. Location

Let’s talk about the location. So, he finally popped the question; you got engaged, celebrated the exciting news with your family and BFF, and now you’re ready to begin the wedding planning. Where should you start? What should you tackle first so that everything else falls into place? You may be thinking, you start by choosing a date and location, of course! But how do you do that? What are the elements you should consider when deciding? This is what I want us to think about today.

There is a lot to think about, and I’ll walk you through it in a few, but one of the most important things I believe should be to consider how much time you think you will need to dedicate to planning your dream wedding. Will you and your fiancé be involved in the planning process, will you have people helping out with some tasks, will you hire a professional wedding planner to assist, etc.?

2. Choosing A Date

Select a wedding date one year out. This is a great way to allow plenty of time to ensure you can accomplish everything on your checklist. Also, this allows you to spread out your payments across several months so they don’t become a burden to you, adding more stress to an already stressful situation. Let’s be real; with so many options (like what color or theme you want, finding your perfect wedding dress, what cake fillings you would want, etc.), planning a wedding can be stressful even when the budget is not the issue.

So how do you choose your wedding date? For starters, decide what’s more important to you, the date or the venue. Some couples may focus on a specific date because it has a significant meaning to them, and they would like to celebrate it by tying the knot on that date. If this is you, you can focus only on venues with that date available and make your venue selection that way. For others, the venue is more important. Location! When you prioritize the venue, you then need to determine what season of the year you’d like to get married in and check the venue’s availability.

This is the best option since it gives you more possibilities to consider because your date is more flexible.

A few things to consider when choosing your wedding date

3. Choose the season

If your priority is finding the perfect venue and you’re flexible on the date, I strongly suggest you decide on the season first. Consider the weather of the location where you’ll have your wedding. When considering the weather, consider whether you want an outdoor ceremony. If you do, a clear sky and warm weather will be key.

Besides the location and wedding style, there is also the type of mood you want to create at your wedding. Think about your personality and what theme you’re going for. That also can help you determine the season. Are you a fun-loving, free-spirited person? Have you been dreaming of an outdoor, tropical, Luau-themed wedding, for example? Then a summer wedding is for you. But if you want some holiday sparks, snow, etc., you may want to have a winter wedding. Here’s a rule of thumb: rich colors work well in the fall, while pastels are better suited for the Spring.

Did you know that Fall has been the most popular season of the year for weddings, and October is the most popular month?

4. Peak or Off-peak date

In Chicago, the wedding peak season typically runs from May to October; lots of couples get married during this time, so prices are high, and competition is fierce. Choosing an off-season date benefits you from many discounts, better venues, and vendors that make your budget go a long way.

This said, the months of December and February, though found in the “off-season,” should not be counted as such since they’re usually busy due to the holidays and valentines. So, you would not be saving; it would be no different from the prices during the peak season.

5. What day of the week do you prefer?

When getting married during the peak season, you can also take advantage of some discounted pricing depending on the day of the week you choose. Saturday is generally the most popular and expensive day. So, couples looking to save can pick a Friday or Sunday wedding. On Sunday, you can have a wedding brunch, which will cost even less than an evening celebration.

The average wedding cost in 2021 was $33,846 and Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI – (Metropolitan Area) ranks 45 out of 933 Metropolitan Areas in average wedding cost. – The Wedding Report

6. Do you want a holiday weekend wedding?

Holiday weddings are beautiful and super animated since people are already in a celebration atmosphere. A winter wedding in December has all the Christmas lights and decorations to heighten the mood; on Valentine, you have red roses and hearts for a romantic feel, etc. In addition to the mood, some holidays, like Memorial Day, fall on long weekends, which is a bonus for your guests. Especially for those coming from out of town just to attend your wedding.

Also, consider that some guests may not want their holiday weekends and travel plans to be toppled by a wedding. So, if you have guests on a VIP list (those you wouldn’t-get-married-without category), find out about any conflicting plans and pick your wedding date accordingly.

7. Check for major local events

Local events can drive prices up especially if it’s something that attracts lots of tourists. These events affect hotel and venue rates, and they also affect traffic with either the influx of people or roadblocks. Imagine getting married in downtown Chicago on a marathon weekend, the weather may be nice in September and October, but I’m not sure you’re going to appreciate all the detours you’ll have to take to make it from point A to point B. Parking would also be a big headache, so be sure to double-check what’s happening around that time before you book your date.

All things considered, you can now start scouting for your venue and find out if they have availability for your desired date. Say something like, “We want to get married in August of 2024, and we’re targeting the following dates. Do you have any availability?” Starting by checking availability first will save you time and heartache. Imagine falling in love with a venue only to find out there is no availability for your chosen date. If that happens though, don’t panic. Remember, it’s important to be flexible so see if you can switch to a weekday or off-season date instead. I hope this helps you out, so happy planning!