Selecting Your Wedding Date

If you have just recently gotten engaged,  let me say first: Congratulations!  Secondly, I’d like to take the time to remind you to stay cool, calm and collected as you start your adventure in planning your big day.

Photo: Arbutus Photography

So the family is updated, your friends are stoked and you are ready to start you planning!  The first, (and often initially overlooked step) is to determine how long of an engagement you wish to have. You could base it on a special date or anniversary you have, or perhaps you choose to decide the length of your engagement by how long you think the wedding process will actually take. Either way, the choice is up to you and don’t let anyone pressure you otherwise! While most engagements are between six months to a year, plenty of people wait less or longer! Some couples stay engaged for up to 5 years! It’s all about what the couple ultimately wants.

So you’ve decided on a date! Now comes the fun part! It’s time for you to sit down and embrace your inner “little girl” and envision your ideal wedding.  There are tons of factors to consider: Are you planning a big event, or a more intimate gathering? Spring or fall? Indoors or outdoors?

Ultimately, how you choose the date for the special day is dependent upon the following:

• How much time (realistically) is the planning going to take to pull off your big day?


• Does the date you chose check out? (Does it fall on significant dates such as  your grandfathers birthday, cousins graduation or aunts baby shower? )


• Do you want the date to coincide with another important date in your life? (Parents anniversary, first day you met, Valentines, Christmas, Halloween?)


• Can you get the reception site and ceremony booked on the same day?  Accommodating both sites to fall on your date of choice can be difficult depending on the time of year.


• Can you afford the time of year you chose? Certain times of the year (such as the Spring) are more expensive than others. If money is an issue, you may want to consider having your wedding in an off season.


• What material/cut/style is your gown? If you want to wear a specific dress (your grandmothers or mothers wedding dress), consider the time of year the dress is designed for and plan accordingly. You don't want to have a summer beach wedding in a heavy dress!

So have fun! Plan away! I wish you smooth sailing to all the newbie brides-to-be out there and again, congratulations!

-Sarah