Friday weddings

In just over 24 hours another happy couple will be married under my watchful eye.  I have worked with this bride and groom since late 2007 to bring together their vision of a perfect wedding.  I am excited to see each detail come together on their wedding day because it has been such a long time since we first met.  Although fall colours are being held off by the beautiful weather we're having the decor including colours orange, bronze, brown and cream will work beautifully in the outdoor surroundings of the White Fox.

Friday weddings are becoming more popular because of the short summer seasons and availability of the perfect venue.  Here are a few items to consider when planning a Friday wedding.

• Negotiate better prices with your venue and vendors.  Friday weddings are becoming more popular but they may provide you with incentives for booking on a day they generally wouldn't have big sales.
• Out of town guests will need advanced notice to make arrangements for travel since they will likely need to take two days off of work.  With this in mind do not be upset if they all can't make it.
• Most weddings have less people attend ceremony than the reception and in this case anything before 4:00pm will bring your attendance down a bit further. Why people don't attend the ceremony I will never understand because it is the reason why there is a celebration to begin with. (we'll talk about proper dress code for a ceremony another  time, you in your jeans and flip flops will learn what I'm talking about).
• If you have a later ceremony to accommodate a Friday work day you are limiting time for photos.  Your photographer will want a minimum of 1.5 hours to do family and wedding party photos.  I personally would want at least 2 hours because more photos will inspire your memory for years to come, and will provide travel and relaxation time before the reception.  Carefully plan when your receiving line/cocktail hour will start before you send invitations.
• You may be likely to book your ceremony and reception at the same venue to minimize travel time for a late ceremony.  Consider your guests and what will keep them occupied during photos.  An open bar could hurt the bar tab, they can only eat so many apps before they get bored and your dj usually doesn't arrive until after dinner.  How will you keep your guests happy while you are away?  If outdoors find some games to play on the grass, have a specialty drink with or without alcohol, provide a tour of the city, have the dj start earlier and provide some dance tunes or ice breakers activities, anything so they feel appreciated.

No matter how you look at it your wedding will be beautiful and your guests be only to happy to celebrate with you.

Happy Wedding Planning!

Bethanie