Monday is a great day to get married, especially if you're throwing a wedding with a tight budget. Weekday weddings are typically more affordable, with Monday being most affordable and increasing in expense as you get nearer the weekend.
In the U.S., off-season wedding months can vary by region, but usually they are January, February, July, and November. These are usually also the cheapest months to get married in. To optimize your budget, consider what role you'd like your geography to play in curating your wedding aesthetic.
Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday are cited as better options: "Monday for wealth, Tuesday for health, Wednesday the best day of all, Thursday for losses, Friday for crosses, and Saturday no luck at all."
Saturday continues to reign supreme as the most popular wedding day—and the most expensive. You are the least likely to receive a discount for a Saturday wedding, so budget accordingly and consider where else you can cut costs if you are set on a Saturday wedding. Here's the tea—timing is everything.
Off-peak wedding season
Generally speaking, most services will already offer a discount during off-peak season. They'll also still cost the same on a Saturday and a Sunday, but with Friday weddings actually being more popular than Sunday ones you should also add Fridays into that same price.
They suggest the following breakdown: coworkers or distant relatives should spend 50 to 75 dollars. Friends or relatives, 75 to 100 dollars. For close friends, family, or if you are in the wedding party, you should spend 100 to 150 dollars—or more.
If you're a party person and so are your guests, a Friday may be even more ideal than a Saturday! Then they won't be traveling back the next day and will have a day off to refresh. OR if you're not a party person (like me haha), a Sunday makes the perfect excuse for guests to leave a little earlier.
The Bride. If you're still following tradition, then the bride is only responsible for paying for the groom's wedding band and wedding gifts for her bridesmaids. However, there are many wedding costs (everything from a coordinator to flowers and décor) that are often shared between the bride and her family.
An easy rule of thumb is to stay within the average range of $75 to $200, but you can adjust the exact amount based on your personal finances, as well as your relationship with the couple.
When Is Wedding Off-Season? In contrast, winter is considered the off-season for weddings. Only 11% of weddings took place between December and February last year, making it the least popular season to get married. February is the least popular month for weddings, accounting for just 3% of them in 2022.
Spring has plenty of lucky days to say "I do" this year. Couples can find auspicious days on April 5, 7, 8, 9, 22, and 30. May is a great month for marriage with 13 lucky dates, including May 3, 6, 8, 9, 10, 11, 15, 16, 20, 21, 22, 29, and 30. June also holds some good dates to tie the knot.
According to this year's study findings, September 23, 2023, is the most common wedding date of 2023. This is a change from recent years as October usually contains the most popular wedding date of the year.
January. January is one of the least popular months to host a wedding, making it both more affordable and more unique. Most likely you'll be able to save money not only on your venue and vendors but also on any traveling you'll need to do for your wedding or honeymoon.
A general rule of thumb is to arrive 15-30 minutes before the time it states on the wedding invitation. Definitely closer to 30 if it's a larger wedding. Of course you'll want to give yourself plenty of time to account for traffic, etc.
2. Consider Who Traditionally Pays for the Wedding. Traditionally, the bride's family assumed most of the financial costs associated with a wedding, including the wedding planner, invitations, dress, ceremony, reception, flowers, photography, and music.
The bride's side of the family traditionally pays for the bride's wedding dress and the bridesmaids' dresses. Increasingly, however, bridesmaids are paying for their own dresses.
As a guide, here's a list of the expenses traditionally covered by the parents of the groom: the wedding rings, officiant's fee, marriage license, the bride's bouquet, boutonnieres and corsages for the immediate family, music (band/DJ), liquor at the reception and the honeymoon.
How much should you spend? That all depends on whether the gift is off the registry, an experience, or cash. Upon consulting the experts, a wedding gift should range from $75 to $750—but most agree that $300+ is the sweet spot.
Bottom line: There's no hard-and-fast rule on how much cash to give as a wedding gift. Wedding experts do, however, advise starting at $100. From there, you may want to adjust up to $500 based on factors such as your relationship with the couple, your budget and the cost of your attendance at the wedding.
The average wedding gift amount hovers right around $100, which is a great place to start, and you can increase or decrease that based on how close you are.
What about a Friday Wedding? If you're planning a Friday wedding, the ceremony and reception should begin in the early evening hours (e.g., 6:30 p.m. ceremony, with a 7:00 or 7:30 p.m. reception) so that your guests have time to leave work, change clothes, and drive to the ceremony site.
One of the biggest benefits of a non-Saturday wedding is the chance to extend the celebration! Friday weddings can be just the beginning of a weekend-long series of events. After the reception, invite guests to a casual afternoon picnic the next day before following up with a farewell party on Sunday.
It is true that Saturdays are the days that always attract the most couples when it comes to choosing the day to celebrate their wedding, but nowadays a Friday wedding is becoming more fashionable than ever.