Would a Tuesday or Wednesday wedding in August be reasonable?

[Belasr]

Ideally want to get married in August , it's a small 20ish people wedding . Found a gorgeous venue , August suits us as my DS is of school and we can go on a nice holiday before he's back at school to celebrate. The room I like for the wedding breakfast has no availability for Friday , Sat, Sunday until Nov which doesn't work as I like the idea of summer weather , holiday etc.

I've found a week in August that everyone attending is around , but my only options are the Monday - Thursday . The Thursday the registatar can only do 11 am or 5pm. Or the Tue and Wed 1 pm or 3 pm and the Monday at 3pm. Ideally I want the 1pm but wondering if a Tues or Wed is an awful day for a wedding.

The Monday a week earlier is available at 1pm , we are on n holiday until the Sunday but wondering if that's my best option. Any opinions appreciated!

We went to a Tuesday wedding a few years ago. it was lovely, but we did have to book time off work, which we wouldn't have had to do if it was on a weekend.
Also, thankfully, it was earlier in the day, so we didn't have to be out late on a work night.

The couple found that the hall was cheaper, but harder to find a caterer available.

You’re not giving people a huge amount of
time to get annual leave approved etc, but having said that if it was someone that meant something to me I would do everything in my power to be there on the day, wouldn’t matter what day it was.

8 weeks notice? And over the summer hols. I imagine their will be a lot of people who won’t be able to get AL if it falls on their working day.

It's fine if you're happy for people to not be able to attend.

I went to a Monday wedding once, it was a bit miserable, with lots leaving early as they had work the next day.

We’d try and make it work for someone really close, but it would be hard. At such little notice we wouldn’t have enough annual leave left to make it work without cancelling other plans - and I negotiated who was covering who over the summer with fellow managers ages ago so would struggle to get cover.

Under half the guests have to worry about AL mixture of teachers , mat leave , not working and business owners.

The people taking it are super close friends one who I mentioned it to and has booked the whole week off to help me 🤣 and my brothers who don't have kids. None of them have jobs where booking AL last minute is an issue .

It's a small wedding as I said 20 people , which includes 7 parents due to divorces and brothers / sisters .so it's not a case of asking people we arent close to take leave. I'm more thinking is a Tues / Wed a bit of a rubbish day being midweek. If it was a Monday people tag it on to a weekend or Thursday a long weekend

We aren't planning a wedding ahead as we absolutely can not be bothered with all of the family politics that goes along with it.

Yanbu at all given the updates , fortunate that your friends and close family have that time off but no holidays booked so book any day and be generous with the bar and they’ll be fine! Maybe set up a zoom link to the ceremony for anyone you love that can’t be there

I wouldn’t do the Monday after you get back from holiday in case of flight delays and you’ll be tired or miss it! Do the Tuesday, everyone is free.

Sounds totally fine OP. Sounds like you know the majority of the 20 can make it which would be my main concern.

I think you have to assume a good chunk of people will drive to and from the wedding, will keep it low key drinks wise and may want to head home fairly early. Now I am delighted to be in bed by 10pm but would want people to feel able to have a few drinks without worrying about work the next day, but that might not be something you're worried about, in which case I think it sounds fine to me.

Given the size of the wedding . The plan for the day would be ceremony, drinks canapes for an hour or 2 with music while photos etc take place. Wedding breakfast/meal we then would have a couple of drinks after in the private room . And then we would move to the bar in the venue where people could stay and have a drink or head home whichever they wished . Some people will stay in the hotel that night as they are travelling , some will go home . We are easy , we want as chill as possible. We are staying in the hotel for the spa the next day so also would like to be in bed by 9pm 🤣

I think in the main the people staying for drinks will be family / friends who have booked a room , my Dad who will be off work. And my brothers who are young enough to go into work in a state but also have a load of AL they never use 🤣. Its not a traditional wedding if you will it's dinner , a couple of drinks . Then stay or go whichever they choose, no stress is what I want .

I can go for a weekend and do a room I don't love as much but it's still nice.

I think if it's a small wedding for people close to you, and who live locally, that's fine. If you're expecting people to travel, not so much.

Although do you mean this August? I think in lots of workplaces, getting a day off in August when most people have already booked their AL could be tricky for guests.

If it's so small then just ask the guests before you book?

I've asked all the people we would definitely want there , all are fine and no one has a problem . As I said many don't have to worry about leave , and those who do are in jobs where they can book it late with no issues . I've managed to find a week in August where none of our guests have any plans. As I say over half the guests are parents or siblings.

A couple of people are traveling as my partner is from 2 hours away so his parents and his best friend are traveling but they have no issue and would stay at the venue .

This is me thinking are a Tues and Wed bad days given it's mid week and they can't tag it onto a weekend. And should I just suck it up and go for the room I don't like as much .

But the venue suggested I would get better availability last minute for photographers , make up artists etc on a weekday ...

Sounds fine to me, we will be having a week day wedding. I think I would pick Wednesday at 1. Have a lovely day.

Midweek weddings are more common now, we have a midweek wedding this year where we need to take 2 days off to attend.

a wedding at 8 weeks notice over the summer holidays would be difficult for me. Holidays in June , July and August in my workplace are fully booked, no availability left.

I mean it's hard to know what response you want to hear.

It's not as good as a weekend no. It's also not as good as a Friday or Thursday. It will be slightly 'random' for those that aren't teachers/mat leave /retired.

However, it's a small wedding and you've already checked with the guests. If they can make it, I think at this point if you can get everyone you want free just go for it.

I do think it will be stressful organising a wedding in that period of time. Have you got your dress? There's a lot of suppliers to think of: flowers, make up, hair, DJ/band, caterers, photographers etc. Then your dress, shoes, accessories, decorations for venue, favours/small bits, bridesmaid/page boy outfits /partners suit/rings/transport/table plan/food choices/music choices. Appreciate you might not be bothered about half of that so not all essential! Just writing it out as I organised my wedding in 8 months and by the end I was a bit potty.

Thanks for writing this list down super helpful !I've got an appt in a local dress shop this weekend that also do of the peg dresses .

Catering etc is all at the venue with have drinks etc, and we are just doing a free bar. we aren't having braidsmaids / best men . This is more of a wedding with a gorgeous meal and a few drinks , so no DJ etc. My sons piano teacher is doing the piano for us 🤣. No transport needed. Cake I'm undecided if we actually want one probably not. Won't bother with favours , decorations and flowers I need to sort but again , it will all be pretty low key and the meal room is a roof top with a balcony around so the view is phenomenal so won't need much just flowers for the table. Maybe I'm being to chill 🤣

Decided to go with the Wed at 1pm as the hotel have family rooms available which we are booking and paying for anyone for the night coming with children who wants to stay. The other nights family rooms are booked.

My main worry is a photographer and I want some sort of childrens entertainment so the adults can eat in peace 🤣

We did have a massive wedding booked in 2020 , COVID pushed it back , then when we seen the venue it wasn't what was promised (was getting done up when we viewed it ), so we ended up cancelling and lost thousands and thousands in deposits. We now have two kids and I just want a nice relaxed small day , but maybe that's making me a bit to laid back with it.

It sounds lovely to me! As long as you are relaxed and not the type to get anxious/stressed. I'm sure it will all come together.

I found bridebook super helpful for booking suppliers as you can message loads at once asking for availability and quotes.

I forgot the cake on my list so I'm glad you remembered!!

That sounds lovely - sounds like you've thought everything through and it will be a fab day 💕

That sounds fine. If all of your guests can come then there is no difference to any other day.

You’re lucky that they are so flexible. Where I work, annual leave in August is booked more than a year in advance. It is already full for August 2027.