With wedding dates filling up in 2022 (and even 2023!), more and more couples are contemplating getting married during the work week. But you may be concerned if you plan a wedding on a Monday, will people even come? Well we have some assurances for you along with a few tips and tricks to pulling off a weekday wedding.
As a general rule, many wedding venues offer off-peak packages Sunday – Friday. You can get married on Friday, Sunday, or even Monday for less money. City clerk offices also have wedding appointments during the week. Most of the hesitation comes from the engaged couple worried about guest attendance.
We did a poll on Facebook of 100 people to see how they felt about attending a wedding on a Monday. And the results were overwhelmingly positive. 81% of participants said they would absolutely attend a wedding on a Monday. And many of them had attended a wedding on a weekday with great experiences.
For the 18% that said, no, we asked them why. Continue reading for the reasons they didn’t want to attend a Monday wedding and what you can do to make it more likely people will attend your weekday wedding.
Here are the most common concerns for weekday weddings and what to do about them to make things easier and more enjoyable for your guests:
Break The Saturday Wedding Tradition
For Western brides, like those in the U.S., it is considered customary to get married on a Saturday. Breaking that tradition can be tough. Luckily, alternative days are becoming more common so most guests have been to at least one wedding that falls on a Friday or Sunday.
Those that have been married already understand that other days can be booked at a significant discount, or snag you a spot before 2024!, and therefore completely understand why you might have chosen that day. Generally your guests will be understanding of the circumstances and preferences that lead you to choose a weekday.
If you’re considering a weekday wedding you are already comfortable bucking the Saturday tradition. It’s more about getting others on-board. You’ll find that many brides and grooms are doing the same with micro-weddings, eco-weddings, elopements, destination weddings, etc. So don’t be afraid to set the tone for your wedding and stick with it.
Don’t be afraid to set the tone for your wedding and stick with it.
Many non-western cultures are already used to weddings not falling on a Saturday. In Indian culture, for example, one bride told us that weddings are weeklong events that usually take place from Monday to Sunday. So if it’s customary in your culture or your partner’s culture, don’t hesitate to plan a wedding according to those traditions. Your non-western guests will want to experience a wedding that is authentic to your culture and you as a couple.
Expect Your Close Friends And Family Members To Attend
A large percentage of the people who said they would attend a Monday wedding did include a caveat that they would only do so if they were close with the person getting married. This sounds like a negative effect but I recommend viewing it in a positive way.
If you plan a weekday wedding, then you can ensure the only people who attend are the ones that are close to you. And isn’t that what a wedding is about? Inviting those that are nearest and dearest to celebrate with us? Let the ones who would have an issue with attending go, they can send you a card instead.
Erase the Challenge of Taking Off from Work
For guests who have a hard time getting off from work or a limited number of days off, this will be their biggest challenge in coming to a weekday wedding. Check with the guests you care about most, like your parents, siblings, or friends in the wedding party, and ensure they are comfortable taking 1-2 days off for your wedding. Most of the time, this will be fine for your closest friends and family and they were probably considering taking a day or two already to help you prepare for the wedding.
If they can’t take off work, there are a few things you can do to plan your wedding so they don’t have to take off from work. Consider a shorter wedding or one that starts earlier, depending on the day.
For example, if you plan to have a Sunday wedding, make it a brunch so guests can finish early enough that they don’t need to take the next day off because they’ve been out too late. Or another example, if you plan to have a Monday wedding, plan so that it is only 3 hours long and after work hours (e.g. from 6:30 – 9:30 pm). This will give people time to get there after work and they won’t be out too late to go to work the next day.
Consider a shorter wedding or one that starts earlier, depending on the day.
Limit Travel, Unless it’s a Destination Wedding
If your wedding is an hour or more away from where most of your guests live, then how long they have to travel can impact their attendance on a weekday as well. This is somewhat related to the previous concern. If you have to leave work early or are getting home later, you may be less likely to say yes. If this is the case for your guests, consider planning a weekday wedding very close to where you live in a centrally located place that’s convenient to get to.
For destination weddings that require guests to travel a long distance or book a flight, this can actually work in your favor. Any guest that was planning to attend and make a short vacation of your wedding was already taking time off of work.
Planning your wedding on a Wednesday for example would mean guests can travel Monday or Tuesday and return home on Thursday or Friday. These may actually be less expensive days to travel than a Friday / Sunday roundtrip. Even if folks were just planning to take a Friday off to travel and return on a Sunday, can switch their plans to travel on a Saturday and return on a Monday for a Sunday wedding.
In conclusion, a destination wedding that’s far enough away to require a full day of travel doesn’t need to be concerned with which day of the week it happens on, since guests would need to make arrangements to travel to the venue regardless. Make sure you’re announcing your destination wedding with plenty of time for guests to make those arrangements. If you need ideas on how to announce your wedding destination, check out my blog post on 10 Creative Ways to Announce Your Destination Wedding.
No matter which day you choose, your wedding day will be a special experience for you and your guests. You can use these tips to make it more convenient for guests to attend your weekday wedding. But ultimately your inner circle of friends and family will want to celebrate with you and will not hesitate to take off from work or travel to your wedding. You have to do what’s best for you and your partner.
Looking for more wedding tips and tricks that won’t be found in a stuffy bridal magazine? Check out my exclusive, free Facebook group for Bold On A Budget Weddings.
