How to Choose Your Wedding Date

Choosing an auspicious or lucky date for your marriage is of the highest importance when planning a Chinese wedding (happy belated Chinese New Year!), but here in the West we tend to think about many other things before the numbers…

It’s all about priorities.

Team E from Elmore Court have put together a cracking list of tips and things to consider if you’re thinking about your wedding date. Plus, we’ve got a rundown of their current late availability for summer 2022 and winter 2023 should you fall in love with this very big house in the Cotswolds.

Budget

We can’t kick off a planning feature without mentioning the b-word. Your budget is one of the first things you should talk about when considering when to marry. Peak wedding season in the UK typically runs from May to September so these months might be a little more expensive than choosing to marry off-season (October to April). However, if a summer wedding feels serendipitous, consider weekday options. It could mean that the venue you’ve had your eye on might have some available dates sooner than you think!

Speaking of which…

Short Notice Weddings

If time is the most important factor to you and you want to get down that aisle as soon as possible, then you will probably only have a handful of dates to choose from which helps whittle it down.

You might also want to go down this route if budget is the biggest determining factor, as venues are often able to offer great deals on late availability wedding dates.

Psst! While we’re on the subject we actually have a couple of July dates left this year! Scroll down to see all available dates.

Significant dates

Many Elmore couples have chosen a special date for their wedding such as the date of their engagement, when they first met, their first date, or the date of one of their parent’s weddings or their birthdays. But if you are looking at dates that might have significance for someone else, just check in to see how they feel about it and if they’ll be available.

It’s also worth considering if there are any events happening around your venue on your potential date, if there’s a local or national event then accommodation around the venue might be booked.

Your wedding season

If you don’t have a special date in mind consider which season you want to hold your wedding…

For instance, if you’re set on an outdoor wedding (we’re delighted that the law has now changed making outdoor weddings legal for good!!) then late spring and summer is the obvious choice. But if you’re sold on the magic of a winter wonderland wedding then the end of the year is the time for you.

Seasonal flowers + Decor

If you don’t feel you have a strong preference as to which season you want to wed, have a think about the kind of flowers and decor you envision decorating your wedding day with. If you have a favourite flower which you just have to have, you might want to consider when its in bloom to avoid having to order flowers out of season from overseas.

Wedding guest availability

Your wedding guests’ availability is a big consideration. If most of your friends and family have children, or folks in your immediate wedding party are teachers, then perhaps a wedding in a school holiday would be best? Or maybe that rules out August because so many of your guests will be away on holiday? While there is no right or wrong way to do things, don’t forget to keep these factors in mind when choosing the date for your big day.