Saving Your Date - and Your Wedding!

One of the first decisions you'll have to make as an engaged couple will be the date of your wedding. Sometimes, the calendar just aligns perfectly with your lucky number or first date, but what happens if it doesn't? How do you choose a date that works for you? After all, you're going to be celebrating this date every year for the rest of your lives! It's a minor detail, but an important one. So, here are some factors to consider when deciding which date to save:


The first and probably most obvious decision maker is based on the seasons. Do you want a sweet springtime ceremony, or a romantic winter scene? Is your favorite color orange for a fall themed wedding or do you like bold summer hue's? Keep in mind the weather and temperature habits too.

Once you've decided on a season, you've basically narrowed it down to 3 out of 12 months to choose from. You're making progress, but there are still many aspects to consider. If you think those are the only seasons you have to worry about- think again! There's football season, hurricane season, open season.... Ok, maybe that last one only counts if your groom is liable to not show because he heard a turkey call.

If you know his family are die-hard Florida State Fans and your family bleeds blue and orange.... you may not want your wedding date to fall on game day. Unless you want Uncle Ralph to show up in war paint and have it out with your cousin at the reception. In all seriousness though, you may not want to share the attention of your guests with espn updates on your special day.

Hurricane season is always tricky and it seems like someone has been saying 'this is going to be one of the worst hurricane season's yet' for the last 5 years. Well, whoever that someone is can just hold their tongue, because, let's face it, hurricane season is also wedding season! It is a risky chance to take if you're planning a beach wedding, but who wants to stand on the beach in February? (Brrrr!) You don;t have to scrap your dream wedding on the off chance that a hurricane with blow it away. Just make sure that you have a back up location in case of inclement weather and purchase event insurance. This will cover all of your bases in a worst case scenario.

Remember to double check your calendar for holidays and religious observances, also. (I thought I had the perfect date all figured out until I remembered why March 17th sounded so familiar!) 

In some instances, you might think you have the date set, but the venue or a vendor won't be available on that date, so try to be a little flexible and choose a few weekends that would work for you when you call to book.

Much like any wedding planning decision, there are exceptions to the rules, so you may take this post with a grain of salt. You may be the bride that wears her teams colors and checks the score during cocktail hour, so who cares if the game is on at the bar! You could be the bride that just isn't comfortable chancing 60mph winds during hurricane season. Whatever your priorities are they will help you when it comes time to make the decision. Just remember to ask yourself whats more important to you (and the groom!).