Which is preferable - weekday wedding or child free wedding?

The last thing I would want at a wedding is children so I would definitely go for the child free option.

"Is this the only venue where it can be held ? Are there no cheaper options - your guests will prioritise convenience and ability to attend over a beautiful venue."

Apparently it is the only venue. Making financial compromises and wise decisions is akin to weaving your own dress around here 🤣

It’s not that simple! Week
day means taking time off, so I would only come for close family. Also can be harder to get kids looked after midweek if I was to not bring them because I just didn’t want to!

Weekend - probably better, but I wouldn’t ban kids from a wedding. I think it’s a family event and nice to have all ages. We had buffet style food lunch and dinner which worked well price wise for allowing for kids to be there…

I'd probably go for option 3. Weekend, with children, but low key eg village hall style

I wouldn't take the day off work and probably wouldn't come if my child wasn't welcome either.

Friday weddings are often a nice compromise, only one day off work for most people and cheaper than Saturdays. We've been to child friendly and child free weddings in the last year we have both sets of grandparents happy to babysit overnight, neither childfree have been weddings all grandparents were invited to though, then we'd be scuppered. We did go to a Friday wedding recently with both sets of grandparents and DC that was lovely.

"Pushing our finances further than they can go would be taking a loan or going over our budget. We have a budget, we don’t want to elope thanks. Take your bitterness elsewhere."

Bitterness 🤣

I deal with peoples finances regularly and your behaviour is very familiar, that's all. If you're having this difficulty over just 2k then you would be wise to take a step back at this point. That's all, you sound very naive but determined to press ahead regardless. That's a mistake financially.

Yes, heaven forfend OP should try to have a wedding she can invite all her friends to. Bet she won't even be wearing a dress she's woven herself or feeding her guests Tesco meal deals.

Trying to find the way to make it easiest for her guests and to make it a joyous celebration with more than 3 people is definitely unreasonable and likely to lead to divorce.

Only you know how many of your guests have DC, what ages they are and if they have childcare cover.

Given a choice between those two options I'd go for childfree at the weekend, but if for example one of your siblings has DCs that's going to be very tricky.

Is this the only venue where it can be held ? Are there no cheaper options - your guests will prioritise convenience and ability to attend over a beautiful venue.

Are you factoring in people who won't attend? Statistically you're likely to get 10-20% of your invited guests declining so paying for the additional structure might not be necessary. Also if numbers are limited, is it definitely the right choice to cut the kids from the list, or are there adult guests you're inviting that you're actually less close to? (Again, I love a childfree wedding, but if you have a circle who mainly have kids it might mean people have to decline or leave early).

I've been to around 6 (I think, counting quickly on my hands!) mid-week weddings and every single one people started leaving straight after dinner and by 10pm it was quiet to the point it was embarrassing.

I think it really depends on the crowd. When I was in my 20s and childfree I would have happily gone to a weekday wedding that involved days off because I didn't have a lot of demands on my annual leave. So if that's you and the majority of your guests then I'd do that one.

However now I am in my 30s and I have a child and so do many of my friends, so we really need our leave to cover family holidays, school holidays, days child is off sick etc. So it would be a harder decision now.

But equally a childfree wedding would be hard for me now too! Depending on the ages of the guests' children they might not be overnight-babysitter ready yet and might cause many parents to leave very early/not attend.

"Qué?! 😂"

You don't understand? Well, to be clear, you're pushing your finances further than they can go and for what? A wedding?

The important thing is the marriage, half of which end in divorce, which is also very expensive. Make better decisions from the beginning and you might stand a better chance.

Also, neither weekday or child free would be my preference. I'd prefer to know my loved ones were being sensible with their money! Elope.

Really? I've been to a Wednesday and a Thursday wedding. Both were full parties going to till past midnight and I never heard anyone complain about annual leave.

One of those I cracked at 3am and went to bed. An hour before the bride's mother and two hours before the couple!

I'd be annoyed to take A/L particularly if travel involved and had to take more than one day. We considered a Friday to get the venue we wanted and it was the same price. Mon-wed slightly cheaper but not significant. We ended up booking a year later to get a Saturday.

Have the wedding on a weekday in term time.

The entire universe does not revolve around teachers and their holidays in the way most of them think it does.

Weekday wedding, because that way I can not go with a clear conscience.

People might say they don't, but honestly they will mind. We attended a Thursday wedding last year. It was a pain. It was a lovely wedding (if dull, as most people were driving and left around 10), but when I think of it all I remember is that it took up two of my precious days of leave and it wasn't really worth it. I'd never tell the bride and groom that though.

Also, from a recent bride, really think hard about your compromises. Weekday weddings are usually really rubbish, people who've had one will argue otherwise, but they're crap. Lots of guests leave earlier than they would at the weekend because they don't want to take two days leave. It's just a different vibe on a Wednesday.

I really agree with this. Friday might be just about OK, any other day (including Sunday) means no real evening party, which is utterly depressing if the bride and groom still plan for one.

I would go weekend child-free every time.

Is it really that much cheaper to not have kids?