Hey bride to be! I know in these current times, planning a wedding is a LOT more stress inducing than it was for weddings in 2019. So many things have changed about planning when you just get engaged and after the shock and joy of saying YES to your future spouse has settled in. Now it’s time to think about planning! Oh my gosh, picking a date, a venue, the guest list, theme, decor, vendors and then throw in a pandemic.
Many brides this year had been forced to postpone their wedding and it’s made really difficult when as a bride with an October 2020 date has to postpone to 2021 but your venue, photographer and other vendors already booked the same weekend date in 2021! There are clearly really popular months and dates to have a wedding and it gets booked up twice as fast as normal due to the current state of events.
But don’t fret, bride to be! There are 52 weeks in a year with SO many more options than just a Saturday wedding in June or October. I’m here to share why non-peak wedding dates are actually the best, and not just because it’s a pandemic 😉
First, let’s take a peek at what those non peak dates are!
Non peak wedding months in Virginia (and Maryland/Washington DC) are typically: January, February, March, April, July, August, November and December.
Non peak wedding days are typically: Friday & Sunday (and of course any weekday!)
Our busiest seasons as wedding vendors are May & June, and September & October. Every Saturday is packed with weddings. This year alone, I photographed 9 weddings in September and October. That’s a wedding every week. Meanwhile, in 2019 I photographed 10 weddings during the EIGHT non-peak months.
With September and October (and May/June) being our most popular months for weddings, these dates tend to book the fastest.
BUT you can still have the gorgeous fall weather and colors by choosing a wedding date in early to mid November! The flowers in bloom will be blooming in March – especially for cherry blossoms in Washington DC! and there’s plenty of beautiful color in April too. You can have a wedding that’s more winter wonderland by choosing a wedding date in December, January or February. There’s great things about every month to have weddings, you don’t have to limit yourself to just the four most popular months!
And as for DAYS to get married, I really love Friday weddings. Friday weddings often get the fun of kicking off a three day weekend for guests and it gives you Saturday and Sunday to recoup from the wedding day’s festivities before embarking on your honeymoon. Sunday weddings are lovely as well, especially if you don’t have to worry about work the next day 😉
Now there are a few POSITIVES to choosing a non peak wedding month/day and they are:
Venues tend to be less expensive
Venues often have non-peak wedding pricing for months and days. Saturdays fill up the fastest but they’d still like to add to their Friday or Sunday schedule.
More of your dream vendors will be available
Your dream venue is available, your dream photographer is available, your dream wedding planner is available, etc… vs choosing a popular date and reaching out to your favorite venue to find they’re already booked, or they’re available but your dream photographer and the next 3 you inquire with are also already booked. By choosing a non-peak date, your chances of getting every vendor you want is higher!
Get more time with family & friends on a Thursday/Friday wedding
Like I mentioned above, Friday weddings are great because they essentially kick off a three day weekend! You have more time to enjoy with friends and family and your guests coming into town have either more time to explore and visit the area where you got married or they have more time to get back home without feeling super rushed.
And they are every bit as beautiful as a peak wedding date
By no means are weddings in May/June or September/October the prettiest weddings of all, it has nothing to do with the date! I’ve photographed incredibly beautiful off-season weddings in the humid heat of August and in the cold of December. November weddings still have all the bright gorgeous fall color that every October bride desires and April weddings have just as many blooms as a May wedding. Some of my absolute favorite weddings have been in the off-season and have embraced it fully with Christmas and winter themes, cozy shawls and hot apple cider for the beautiful November weddings and seen a garden in an explosion of colors in the beginning of August.
Bride to be, there are 52 weekends in the year to have the wedding of your dreams. Just because the second Saturday in October isn’t available doesn’t mean there’s no other dates open 😉 In an upcoming year where vendors are booked twice as quickly from 2020 postponements, I really urge every bride planning to consider a non-peak wedding date. We want to be there for you and celebrate you and make your wedding dream a reality. Let’s kick off your party on a Friday! Let’s have a hot chocolate bar at your January wedding! The possibilities are endless and there are so many dates perfect for your dream day.
Have any questions about non-peak weddings? Get in touch with me! I’m happy to help and share some of my favorite off-season wedding days 🙂
