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17

Sure-fire strategies to picking the perfect wedding date

Photo credit: weddingsec.co.za

The first step to any wedding is setting the date, which often is the hardest part of all! Our lives are fuller than ever and you want to make sure you pick a relaxing and convenient time. Here are some quick tips to picking the perfect day to say your ‘Kabuls’.

thought that finding the perfect wedding hall or whittling down the guest list would be the hardest part of my entire wedding process. But, I was wrong; my struggle started at the very beginning—finding the perfect wedding date.

Fall is my favorite time of the year and I’ve always dreamt of having a beautiful autumn wedding, but that dream was crushed once we sat down with my family and in-laws to discuss the wedding. So many issues were thrown into the mix—school and work schedules, international guests, weather—that it became a herculean task just to pick a day (or week, in this case) that was convenient for both families. Every single family member was taken into consideration because Bengali weddings are usually planned by an entire clan and there’s just no way around that! Kind of like, “It Takes a Village …”

A summer wedding was unanimously favored by everyone, except me. It’s the one season I absolutely detest for a wedding. Bengali weddings are not light and airy; brides wear bundles of uncomfortable clothes and jewelry that doesn’t work very well in the summer heat. Not to mention, my makeup hardly stays put in regular weather, the chances of my face surviving a hot day are slim!

Still, I reluctantly agreed to a summer date simply because it made the most sense for everyone. So, I booked my wedding hall for July 12 and prayed that there wouldn’t be a typical mid-July New York City heat wave. But, in the back of my mind, I was still looking for a way out, and I found one about a month after we finalized the date.

I got a job offer that represented a great career move for me and required me to stay in New York longer, prohibiting an imminent move to Atlanta. Now, there’s something neither family would stand in the way of—my career. So, with quiet excitement, I moved my wedding date to November 8, 2009.

So, here are my suggestions for avoiding multiple wedding dates:

Figure out how long you want to be engaged.

Planning a wedding requires lots of time and energy and depending on what’s going on in your life; you might not have a lot of it either. When Dulal and I got engaged, I had a fairly relaxed schedule because I was working as a freelancer. After I started working full-time, it became harder to plan. I needed a year to plan my wedding, but some brides may need more or less. Figure out a time frame that works best for you.

Pick your favorite season.

I’ve always imagined myself as an autumn bride, but maybe you prefer to have a beach wedding in August. Or perhaps you want to add a bit of holiday magic to your big day, which could only happen in the wintertime. The time of year you get married has a huge impact on the type of event you’ll be planning, so make sure you pick a season that goes along with your wedding theme. Fall is the perfect season for me because I love rich, jewel-toned colors.

Work within your budget.

Experts say that June, August and September are the most popular wedding months, so most vendors will spike their prices during these times. If you are looking for ways to save money, , pick a date in the off-season such as December or March and chances are that your vendors will be willing to give you better discounts. Getting married on a weekday or a Sunday is another cheaper option. I shaved off nearly $4,000 off the cost of my venue by changing my date from a Saturday in July to a Sunday in November!

Consider the convenience of your guests.

The hardest part of picking a wedding date is figuring out a time that is convenient for your family members and close friends. For example, my best friend is Canadian and as one of my bridesmaids, I had to make sure that she could be in New York for at least a week before the actual wedding to fulfill her bridesmaid duties. If you have a lot of out-of-town guests, you might also want to think about getting married during a long weekend such as Labor Day or Memorial Day.

While you probably shouldn’t get married on a day that would be inconvenient for most of your guests (such as a major holiday like Christmas or Thanksgiving), you should still remember to do what’s best for you. Dulal and I went nuts trying to figure out a date that wouldn’t conflict with school and work schedules, birthdays, holidays, etc. But, at the end of the day, we realized that the people who want to celebrate with us will be there.

Choose a meaningful date.

Weddings are meant to be romantic and what can be more so than getting married on the day you first met or the day that you first realized you fell in love? Other special dates such as your parents’ or grandparents’ wedding anniversary could also be a great time to get married.

If you have a dream venue, go for it.

It certainly didn’t stop two best friends from getting into an all-out war in the movie, Bride Wars, and it shouldn’t stop you either! I originally wanted to get married in October, but my wedding hall was booked for a majority of that month. But, because I absolutely loved my venue, I decided to move my date to early November.

The date is fixed, the wedding hall is booked—now it’s time to work on the bride! Read all about my struggle with pre-wedding weight loss in my next column!The first step to any wedding is setting the date, which often is the hardest part of all! Our lives are fuller than ever and you want to make sure you pick a relaxing and convenient time. Here are some quick tips to picking the perfect day to say your ‘Kabuls’.

Figure out how long you want to be engaged.
Planning a wedding requires lots of time and energy and depending on what’s going on in your life; you might not have a lot of either. You might be still be in school or going through a hectic time at work. . Figure out a time frame that works best for you.

Pick your favorite season.
I’ve always imagined myself as an autumn bride, but maybe you prefer to have a beach wedding in August. Or perhaps you want to add a bit of holiday magic to your big day, which could only happen in the wintertime. The time of year you get married has a huge impact on the type of event you’ll be planning, so make sure you pick a season that goes along with your wedding theme.

Work within your budget.
Experts say that June, August and September are the most popular wedding months, so most vendors will spike their prices during these times. If you are looking for ways to save money, pick a date in the off-season such as December or March and chances are that your vendors will be willing to give you better discounts. Getting married on a weekday or a Sunday is another cheaper option.

Consider the convenience of your guests, but don’t go overboard.
The hardest part of picking a wedding date is figuring out a time that is convenient for your family members and close friends. If you have a lot of out-of-town guests, you might also want to think about getting married during a long weekend such as Labor Day or Memorial Day. However, you’re not going to be able to please everyone, so figure out who or what is most important to you. While you probably shouldn’t get married on a day that would be inconvenient for most of your guests (such as a major holiday like Christmas or Thanksgiving), you should still remember to do what’s best for you.

Choose a meaningful date.
Weddings are meant to be romantic and what can be more so than getting married on the day you first met or the day that you first realized you fell in love? Other special dates such as your parents’ or grandparents’ wedding anniversary could also be a great time to get married.

Go ahead, let your grandmother consult your ‘kundli’.
It’s no longer common practice to pick an auspicious wedding date according to the horoscope, but if you’re really stuck for a date or if the families are quarreling over it big time, it couldn’t hurt to throw a little religion in the mix!

If you have a dream venue, go for it.
It certainly didn’t stop two best friends from getting into an all-out war in the movie, Bride Wars, and it shouldn’t stop you either! If the reception site of your dreams is only available on a certain date, grab it!