|
- If your heart is set on a specific location such as a church or reception site, you'll need to check right away. Popular venues book far in advance, and I am talking far. Some are up to 2 or more years in advance, so call them as soon as possible to get a sense of dates they have available.
- Keep in mind that when you have the ceremony at one location and the reception at another, you'll need to co-ordinate availability at both sites.
- Pull your work calendar and your partner’s so you can schedule time for the Civil Ceremony and honeymoon. Many people have jobs in which there is a "busy season" so you'll want to avoid work conflicts.
Holidays
- Many venues host more than just Civil Ceremonies, so they'll book up for holiday parties as well.
- You may elect to hold your Civil Ceremony during a holiday, because you and your family will have additional time off work in order to travel and visit.
- During holidays, such as Christmas, many venues put up additional decorations and floral arrangements, so you can take advantage of this and save money in your budget.
Special Dates
- Keep in mind special dates of your parents and not so special dates – lots of parents do not want their children getting married on the date of marriages that didn’t last – and believe me, you want to keep the folks happy so they'll pick up the tab!
Vacation Time
- Plan around vacation time available for your and your soon-to-be spouse because you want a nice long honeymoon and you don’t want to have to rush! Trust me, you'll need the rest after the planning!
Relatives' Birthdays
- If someone in your family or your partner’s family is having an important birthday, such as their 50th, you’ll want to select another date so that you don't compete with their celebration.
Other Special Event Dates
- Check with both of your families to make sure family members are not celebrating other special events such as weddings, Bar Mitzvahs, Bat Mitzvahs, Quinceaneras, Graduations and Milestone Anniversary parties on the date you wish to select. Again, you don't want to compete, and you do want everyone to feel invited to your ceremony. Plus, you want the presents, don't you?
Seasons
- If you are having a destination ceremony or an outside ceremony, you'll need to keep seasons in mind. The last thing you want to do is to choose a date and get rained out, or worse, stranded due to a hurricane!
As you work through the above questions, review a calendar.
Now, go set a date and have fun! Congratulations and best wishes!
|