Midweek/weekday wedding

[Bambamboom]

Me & my fiancé are about to boom our wedding & we would save ourselves over 3k by doing it on a weekday.
My step sister, who insisted on being a bridesmaid says she may not be able to make it as her children will be at school and she can't take them out (schools don't allow it anymore) but I just can't justify spending an extra 3k for my sisters children (all 3 sisters are bridesmaids and all have kids) to be able to come to the ceremony.
If we got married at 3, they could come after school (their fathers can pick them up) to the reception.
Is this fair ? Then my sisters can make it as they are bridesmaids and the children can join us after the ceremony they wouldn't even want to be at anyway as it's boring for kids.
My mum has offered to pay the extra just so we can have a weekend wedding, but she's broke! And that's made me feel I am being unfair on my nieces & nephews.
Had anyone else had a weekday wedding? Did people make it to your day?any advice appreciated.

[angelopal]

We had a week day wedding. It was a Friday as could not get both venues on a weekend. It was school holidays so not a problem for kids. No one said they had a problem with it being a week day and don't think anyone declined because of it.

Would school holidays be an option?

[kaykayblue]

Personally, I would not go to a wedding on a weekday, unless it was a member of my family.

Bear in mind that you will be asking guests to book time off work in order to attend, and many will already have booked holidays which have used up their holiday allowances. So turnout will be lower than at a weekend. It's just something to bear in mind.

On the bridesmaid/kids issue...I will be blunt. I think you can make the suggestion, and see if that would work for them. But it depends on many factors - is her husband able to take time off work to get ready and then bring the children? Presumably they would want the kids to get dressed up for the reception which would add time. This might simply not be feasible for all sorts of reasons. Is the venue within a short distance of where the children live and go to school?

So, you can definitely put it forwards as a possibility, but it would be very unreasonable of you to get annoyed at them if they say it's not an option for them.

In which case you could either have the wedding on a bank holiday, or a day when there is no school, or keep the wedding on the date that you planned, and accept that you will need to ask different people to be your bridesmaids.

What you can't do is dictate that they MUST be there on THIS date.

[onedev]

Friday weddings are a pain due to requiring holidays etc off work , but at least you have Saturday after. Any other weekday is a complete nightmare, generally requiring 2 days off work due to travel etc & I certainly wouldn't go unless very close family / friend. Sorry!

[Szeli]

Friday or Sunday weddings are the norm with my lot although if you had a 4pm or 5pm thurs wedding those with work issues would still only need 1 day off or two half days and the kids would be sorted. depends on the day you want tho

[Leeds2]

I would get married in the school holidays so that the children could attend the whole thing. Or an Inset day during term time.