Wedding bells ring out all through the year, in all cultures, and faiths, but is there a best time of year to marry? Yes and no. If the couple is considering a medium to large size wedding, then more logistics are factored into the date selection. After all, you might have to fly in frail Aunt Harriet from Connecticut or wait until your pregnant sister is not looking like the Goodyear blimp waddling down the aisle as one of your attendants. There are so many variables that go into selecting a perfect date and time.

DATE SELECTION

Get out a calendar, your address book, and your calculator. These three items are necessary in wedding date selection. The calender will help you look at the big picture. Is your wife to be an accountant? Avoid tax season. Is your husband to be a college professor? Wait until the summer. As a courtesy to your family, consider their life moments, too. Is you little brother graduating from high school in May? His date cannot be changed. Don't ask family members to share their big dates with your wedding.

Consider peak travel times also when selecting a wedding date. Look over your address book and factor the number of out of town guests. Then look at possible dates. Airlines book up fast around Thanksgiving, Christmas, and the Fourth of July. Guests might have their own traditions and family commitments, so look for a weekend that is free of hectic schedules.
Budgets are usually stretched during the holidays, so be mindful of others as you choose your date.

VENUE

The wedding location is also a major consideration in date selection. Your church or synagogue needs to be consulted. June weddings tend to book early in churches. In addition, other church functions and groups might need the venue.

Outdoor weddings are always a slight gamble. Six months in advance of a chosen date, it is hard to calculate the possibility of rain. Consult local meteorologists and even the Farmers Almanac! If choosing a municipal garden, talk with the planning supervisor to make sure that the sprinkler system is not being replaced or that the flower beds will be planted.

HONEYMOON FACTORS

Dates of weddings often depend on two honeymoon factors that are seldom discussed openly.
Frankly, no bride wants to be on her period during her honeymoon. Consult a calendar to plot out dates! Also, the honeymoon destination might affect the wedding date. If your selected Caribbean resort is booked the week of your honeymoon, then hold up on that wedding! If you really want a ski honeymoon, wait until the resort can assure you of snow.

TIME SELECTION

"Any time is fine, dear." Well, not exactly. Caterers have to be consulted. Hair stylists need to be booked. Limo services have to be reserved. Again, make a list of all the variables and go down the list one by one.

I DO, I DO

Remember that no date or time is going to be totally perfect for all the guests, all the attendants, and all the service personnel. But, with careful planning, that bride and groom will say "I do" to each other and, twenty years down the road of marriage bliss, they will look back and say, "Didn't we have the perfect wedding on the perfect day!"

Learn more about this author, Jan Vroegin.
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