Congratulations on your engagement! Let the wedding planning commence! First things first, you need a date. Whether your calendar is wide open or filled to the brim, here a few questions to consider to help you find the magical date for your special day. Whatever you choose, it will be perfect—it’s your wedding day after all! But if you need a little guidance on how to pick a wedding date, we’ve got you covered.
6 Questions to Ask Yourself When Choosing a Wedding Date
What are your top priorities? Which category(ies) most apply to you?
- “We have certain guests that MUST be in attendance—we’re willing to move our date for them.”
–Determine a few dates that work for you, and use something like WhenAvailable to poll your VIP guests and find a date that works for everyone. - “Getting the wedding venue and vendors we want is a must.”
-Get a list of available dates from your venue and must-have venues and go from there.
- “We just want to do it our way on our time—if you can come, we’re thrilled to have you; if not, we’ll celebrate after!”
-Pick a venue, select a date, and away you go! Or, if you have a meaningful date in mind (like a holiday, palindrome date, a memorial date, lucky wedding date, etc.), pick your date first and see which venues and vendors can accommodate. - “We’re flexible on with dates and time, but we’re on a tight budget.”
-Consider getting married on a weekday, Friday, or Sunday. Give guests a longer heads up to accomodate work and family schedules.
- “Why wait any longer? We just want to tie the knot ASAP!”
-You do you, boo! Opt for an iconic NYC City Hall ceremony or Central Park elopement! Get in touch with me here for more info. You can also find more information about NYC elopements on the blog:
Project Cupid
Central Park Elopements
Which season fits best with your style?
If your wedding has a distinct theme or style, make sure it coordinates with the season. For instance, couples who want a unique wedding experience might go with a romantic winter wedding with shades of evergreen, berry, or blues.
*Remember to factor in the time change and seasonal weather conditions for location and photos, especially outdoors! NYC Golden Hour couple’s portraits are gorgeous if you time it right!
Do you have any meaningful dates you’d like to consider?
If your schedule is wide open and you’re lacking direction, consider a sentimental wedding date. Some meaningful wedding date ideas include:
- When you first met
- An anniversary date
- Proposal date
- Birthday
- Life or family milestone
- Easy-to-remember date (like 7/7 or 10/4 or 11/12)
How much planning time do you need?
Your wedding day should be a sweet, blissful celebration. If you’re feeling anxiety and pressure to get it all done, push the date back a little to give yourself some space to breathe and enjoy the engagement period and wedding planning process.
If you envision a luxury wedding, consider hiring a wedding planner to coordinate and style all the pieces for you. You can hire a full-service wedding planner before you decide on a date. Your planner will help you narrow down a date that best fits your vision, timeline, and priorities.
Any international travel plans to consider?
If you’re traveling internationally for your wedding, don’t forget that everyone will need time to acquire or renew their passports. You may already have yours, but guests need up to four months to get theirs. There’s also work and travel expenses to consider. If you’re planning an international wedding and want loved ones to attend, it may be best to take a poll for feasible dates first (WhenAvailable). For international weddings, send out save the dates about 9 months in advance for planning, and send invitations about 4 months prior.
When and where are you planning to honeymoon?
It’s easy to get so caught up in wedding plans that you forget to consider the honeymoon. You can enjoy temperate destinations like the Caribbean almost any time of year, but other destinations (like the Mediterranean region) tend to be fairly chilly in the winter. Some destinations also have a rainy season to watch out for. Check the seasonal weather conditions ahead of time. If you’re set on a honeymoon location, you may want to plan your wedding date around the best honeymoon time.
Now that you know how to pick a wedding date, you can find more wedding planning resources like best NYC dress shops, bridesmaid gift inspo, and more on the blog!
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Sasha Chou is a boutique New York City photography studio. Our services include engagement, wedding, elopement, and maternity photography and videography. Our award-winning photography team specializes in timeless, photojournalistic images.
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