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Original poster

Friday weddings - UK brides

41 replies

user1471506417 · 06/09/2016 15:53

The venue I love has no availability for any Saturday next summer. So the choices are a friday or wait until 2018.

What are people's opinions on taking a friday off work to go to a wedding?

FI's friends and family will have to travel, but they could travel thursday night after work. (maybe friday morning if they were quick!)

OP posts:
PotteringAlong · 06/09/2016 15:55

Depends on the job. I'm a teacher and not a hope would I be able to attend.

NoncommittalToSparkleMotion · 06/09/2016 15:57

I had a Friday wedding and couldn't recommend it highly enough. It's cheaper, frees up the weekend to recover, and evens out the guest list for people who genuinely want to be there (no Bob from accounting at DH's dad's office Wink)

Do let people know in advance so they can make arrangements.

mouldycheesefan · 06/09/2016 15:57

Children wouldn't be allowed time off school so that would be tricky.
I have lots of friends who are teachers or work in schools so they cou,lent come unless it was a Friday in the holidays?
Csn you pick a different venue?

Original poster
user1471506417 · 06/09/2016 15:59

It would probably be it in the school holidays if possible, but we wouldn't be inviting children, and only know 1 child of school age anyway (the rest are all babies).
We can pick a different venue, but I love this venue and it is just perfect for our budget and style.

OP posts:
useyourimagination · 06/09/2016 15:59

We went to a Friday wedding - it was lovely. And it had the advantage of making it a four day week. It was, admittedly, an older couple so grown up children, no grandkids yet to worry about taking time off school.

GinAndOnIt · 08/09/2016 13:38

I think it's okay, as long as you give lots of notice. My sister got married on a Friday in September and told everyone a very long time in advance. Even a teacher managed to come! But my cousin got married on a Friday in October with a few months notice, and it was really tricky because most people had already booked their annual leave and taken it by the time we got the invites.

Both times it was really nice to have two days after to recover, travel home slowly etc.

I wouldn't be able to do a Friday wedding because over half my guest list would be teachers or long distance, but that doesn't seem as much of an issue for you so go for it!

TippiNoodlegruder · 08/09/2016 13:57

You'd need to think about people's childcare then if you're not inviting children. I'd not be able to go on a Friday because my parents are the only people who can look after our children, and they both work Monday - Friday. I'm not that uncommon in that situation either.
Obviously I'm not saying you should invite children, but be prepared for people with children not to come.

2014newme · 08/09/2016 14:00

Op is only inviting one child

Kerplunk1234 · 10/09/2016 13:08

I think it really depends on your friends and family, like people have said, if most are teachers or similar then it's probably not the best idea.
However, I'm having a friday wedding, most of my friends work in the care field or jobs that require weekend working so they would be booking it off regardless.
I get the odd niggle of worry sometimes but then it's important to remember that you can only do what is right for your situation.

OliviaBensonOnAGoodDay · 10/09/2016 13:12

We're doing a Friday. It'll be in the school holidays so hopefully will be okay for teachers.

Lots of people will be coming from abroad so they'd have to take time off anyway. We're having it in a really easy to get to, central location - we figured that if we were doing it out in the sticks on a Saturday, people would have had to take the Friday off work to travel anyway, so it seemed like a fair trade off!

I also think it's nice that people will still have their weekends to themselves.

Works for us Smile

chipsandpeas · 10/09/2016 13:14

i dont mind, altho only for local weddings as if i really need to travel far then potetially having to take the thursday off as well would be the decider to whether id go or not

if you do do it id suggest not having the ceremony start too early

how far to travel ? 50miles fine after work, 3ish hours deffo not

Hulababy · 10/09/2016 13:18

We're going to a friend's wedding in November in a Friday.

Dh has no problem as can take a holiday easily.
14y dd will be missing a day of school. Not told them yet. May just send a letter afterwards. She'll have to catch up on kissed work.
I've now had my day off agreed by the governors, and headteacher. It'll be unpaid. Luckily they can cover my lessons. I a primary HLTA do it will be some ta duties in the morning and they'll need to cover my teaching (I think it's an EYFS class) in the afternoon.

We've had other teachers and TAs granted time off for wedding invitations and out head is fantastic and had never not authorised one yet. But as a staff team we are happy to cover each there when we can - teachers and level 3 TAs/HLTAs cover for each other where possible and sometimes the head or deputy do too.

sonlypuppyfat · 10/09/2016 13:18

I'm a church bellringer and I've rang at a few Friday weddings and they always seem to have plenty of guests, I read somewhere only peasants marry on a Saturday Grin

Shadowboy · 10/09/2016 13:18

We had a Friday wedding. It was £2k (yes £2k!) cheaper on a Friday! We held ours in August which is the busiest time of year of weddings so might be why. We gave people 10months notice. Most we invited came- but we were aware that it may not be a good option for several- but we just couldn't afford another £2k.

rosie1959 · 10/09/2016 13:21

My daughter has just got married on a Friday in school holidays so found it no problem
We hired the whole hotel so those who needed to had rooms for an overnight stay on the Friday night
Some family came down on the Thursday and stayed with relatives

Ilovenannyplum · 10/09/2016 13:58

I'm getting married on the 28th December which is a Wednesday.
It was about £4/5k cheaper than having the same venue in the summer.

We sent save the dates in March and out of the 60 we invited to the day, only one isn't able to make it due to work (they work for the emergency services)

HermioneWeasley · 10/09/2016 14:01

Agree, it sorts out those who really want to be there

If you give people plenty of notice, if they're important enough to invite to your wedding, they should be willing to use one day of holiday

ComputerUserNotTrained · 11/09/2016 16:12

We're thinking of a late July Friday wedding. Teachers and school children will be on their holidays, and we'd be looking to have an afternoon ceremony so travel shouldn't be too much of an issue.

Local guests may even get away with just taking half a day's leave.

We live in the kind of area that people like to visit, so by getting all the wedding stuff out of the way people travelling will have Saturday free to explore. Old friends who've moved away will have the rest of the weekend to catch up with their families, too. Anyone traveling by public transport can avoid the Sunday timetables/rail works joy. It's win/win really.

Goingtobeawesome · 11/09/2016 16:14

We think there's going to be a weekday wedding and I'm just sad as we won't be able to go as won't take kids out of school for it. Feels selfish but I hate that I feel that.

Do it as waiting another year would be disappointing.

LizardBreath · 11/09/2016 16:17

Love a Friday wedding! A teacher friend of mine is getting married on a Friday but in half term, so could be an option for you to have in hols? I don't mind having day off and it's a nice long weekend. I do love weddings though Smile

SirChenjin · 11/09/2016 16:20

I'd be pissed off - wouldn't say anything, but it would mean using a very precious days leave for both DH and I, so 2 days childcare we'd be down.
Given that you're not planning on having children to the wedding, and it's in the school holidays, I'd be doubly pissed off.

Essentially what you're doing by having a wedding on a Friday is passing the expense onto your guests, whether that's through unpaid leave they have to take, business they can't take on, or additional childcare elsewhere in the year that they have to pay for.

MissBattleaxe · 11/09/2016 16:25

It's cheaper, frees up the weekend to recover, and evens out the guest list for people who genuinely want to be there

I think that's unfair. Having a weekday wedding means that sometimes even people who really, really want to be there simply will not be able to and then will be labelled as someone who didn't want to be there badly enough.

CotswoldStrife · 11/09/2016 16:28

I missed a wedding once because I didn't have enough annual leave left - hated weekday weddings anyway because I resent using annual leave for them. Agree that it is often because it is cheaper for the bride and groom (not the guests!).

If you think your fiance's family will have to travel the day before, what are they going to do for childcare in the school holidays for a couple of days?!

SirChenjin · 11/09/2016 16:28

Agree Miss. The idea that a weekday wedding somehow weeds out the guests who simply don't care enough to make the effort to attend is very unfair.

Hulababy · 11/09/2016 16:31

"evens out the guest list for people who genuinely want to be there:

No, it does Not even out guests to those who WANT to be there.
It may reduce the guest list, sure. But its those who CAN be there. There may well be others who would love to be there but are unable to due work or school (children, childcare) and cannot have the time off.

Im lucky - my school does try its best to allow staff time off to go to weddings, but many do not. And almost all say it is unpaid even when permitted.

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