Thursday Evening, Anyone? Having an "Off Day" Wedding

Traditionally, the most popular day for a wedding is (duh) Saturday. This makes for tough competition when it comes to securing venues and services for your big day. To avoid hearing “that date has already been booked”, why not plan an “off-day” wedding instead? Not only will you have a better chance of having the vendors and venues you want on your wedding day, but it also makes economic sense!

Banquet facilities, caterers, photographers, videographers, musicians/entertainers and limousine services are more willing to negotiate - and have more of these days free!

Some hotels and restaurants require a lower minimum number of guests during the week.

Lower airfare is often available for your out-of-town guests during the week.

If you choose a week night as your "off-day" wedding day, you’ll probably have your wedding later in the evening. This means that your reception will follow immediately after the ceremony, and you’ll avoid the extra cost (and hassle) of having to provide an interim reception or cocktail party.

Many couples host off-day weddings, so they can pay more attention to those that traveled to be there. (For example, your ceremony could be held Friday, and you could plan activities through your honeymoon departure on Sunday.)

The off-day wedding becomes more of a reunion than a quick ceremony.

Restaurants, too, are usually thrilled to have rehearsal dinners booked on Thursdays or other evenings during the week. These are typically their slower business days, so you’ll find that the staff will be more attentive to your party’s needs, and the atmosphere will be more relaxed.

By now, you may be thinking that an off-day wedding sounds like a terrific idea for you and your soon-to-be-spouse. If this is the case, you’ll not only save money, you’ll be able to enjoy more time with your loved ones and you’ll most likely hear “Yes” from vendors and service providers instead of “We’re already booked.” Here are a few things to keep in mind, though:

You’ll want to schedule the wedding a little later during the week to avoid rush-hour traffic.

You’ll want to design your menu to fit the timing of the reception. If you have a 6:30 ceremony on Thursday evening you will most likely need to serve dinner.

Your guests will need ample time to take off work, if necessary, so you’ll want to send out your Save the Date cards early.

If this sounds good to you or even intrigues you slightly - think about it! Weigh the pros and cone … go ahead and buck the traditional Saturday wedding!