Before You Pick Your Wedding Date Check These 6 Things
1. Local Events
Make sure you find out any local events such as races, festivals or college graduations that could be taking place the same weekend as your wedding in the town/city you pick. Local events will add traffic congestion as well as limited rooms at hotels!
For instance here in Charleston, we have a big race every April (usually the first weekend) that brings in tens of thousands of people to the city! Its always packed and hotels fill up super quick. The same thing happens again in May when College of Charleston hosts its graduation for Seniors.
2. Can Your Most Important People Attend?
Check in with all of the VIP’s that you cant imagine getting married without! Maybe you’re picking someone’s birthday weekend and they already have plans to be gone to celebrate or maybe your friends are already committed to another wedding…maybe even their own!
3. Is It Rainy Season In Your Wedding Location?
No one wants it to rain on their wedding day, no matter how much they say its good luck! Definitely do some research to find out when its considered rainy season. Or Hurricane season!
For Charleston, Hurricane Season is May-October with the end of June- late August having it rain almost daily in the afternoon.
4. Are Your Dream Vendors Available?
The best vendors get snapped up super quick, so if you’re choosing a popular time of year to get married, chances are your dream vendor won’t be available. If you’re open to being flexible on the date, pick a Season instead so you have a higher chance of snagging your Dream Team Vendors
5. Does Your Vibe Fit The Season?
If you hate being hot, don’t get married in the Summer just because you can get a better deal on a venue! Its not worth it to be miserable all day if you’re too hot or too cold or your allergies are acting up like they do every Spring.
The Season will also play a part in a lot of other factors such as flowers that are in season, your color palette and any seasonal activities you might want to include.
6. What Time Does The Sunset?
This is SO important! If you fell in love with a photographer whos work is bright & airy and they use natural light but you’re getting married at 6pm in December and the sun sets at 4:30 and you don’t want to a do a First Look….well…you shot yourself in the foot on that one.
Figure out what time the sunsets & from there, pick your ceremony time based on if you’re doing a First Look or not. We always recommend that if you do a First Look, set the ceremony time for 2-2.5 hours before sunset and if you are NOT doing a First Look set the ceremony time for 3-3.5 hours before sunset.
