Photo credit: Terry Gruber. Winter Wonderland Wedding Decor at The Pierre, New York.
Our Gruber team has covered weddings on all days of the week, months, weekends including blizzards with city-wide shutdown. We are asked a handful of times every year, if having a wedding on the long weekend is a good idea? Well, if you are one of them and are in the early stages of planning your wedding, then read on.
Long weekends are popular wedding weekends but having your special day on these weekends certainly has some obvious conveniences, but be aware, there are unforeseen circumstances that newly engaged couples should definitely think about.
Pros:
- Less congestion – if you are a New Yorker, you probably have observed that the city empties out over Memorial Day, 4th of July and Labor Day weekends. This could be a huge advantage for friends and family who are out of towners. They will have that extra day or two for travel and explore what the city has to offer without the usual congestion.
- Off-peak rates – expect to pay premium rates for vendors and venues on high-traffic wedding days, namely Friday and Saturday nights. Long weekends afford couples on a budget to save and pay off-peak prices without sacrificing the convenience of a weekend. Say your “I do’s” on a Sunday evening and celebrate late into the night given Monday is a holiday.
- Vacation time – you can save on precious vacation time and use the extra day to relax and spend that extra time with friends and family.
- Smaller wedding – if you have big families, and are obligated to invite that cousin or aunt you have only met once (forehead slap!), long weekend weddings may help filter these guests out. Some of them may not choose to sacrifice precious vacation time to attend your special day.
These pros sure sound fantastic, but there are still a few things to think about before you select that holiday weekend date.
Cons:
- Expensive airfare – flights are always more expensive during the peak travel weekends and some hotels have a 2 or 3 night minimum stays. Something to keep in mind if you have a lot of out of town guests on your list.
- Reduced attendance – people schedule travel during the long weekends way in advance. So, it is a possibility, that some members of your wedding party, have already planned a family vacation before you had the chance to send the save-the-dates. Bummer!
- Vendor availability – if you have your heart set on specific vendors, you should check their availability well in advance as they also get booked pretty quickly. At Gruber Photographers, we receive booking requests from brides 18-24 months in advance for long weekends.
Sending save-the-dates well in advance should reduce some of the downsides of planning a wedding on the long weekend. Irrespective of what you decide to do, make sure you weigh the pros and cons before you put down a non-refundable deposit down for a venue.
We would love to hear from you. So, leave us a comment and let us know your thoughts.
