Mid-week brides! How have you found guest turn out?

We’re having a mid-week wedding, 6 weeks today! Our RSVPs were fine - we had far fewer declines than statistically average. Some people after reading one of the threads on here had me super paranoid at one point, as there was a sentiment of it Saturday being the best choice, however we stuck with our date.

I will say for us there were probably a few things that helped us specifically. None of our families except me and my partner are a Mon-Fri 9-5 worker, so they’d have had to get leave anyway, and Saturdays are particularly difficult to request off for some of them. We kept the wedding to 50 (with no extra evening guests either), so I think by only inviting our nearest and dearest these are also the people most likely to take time off anyway. Most of my partners friends aren’t 9-5’ers, but nearly all my friends are. We sent the Save the Dates in Aug last year (11 months beforehand) and the Invites end of Jan this year (5.5 months beforehand), so people had time to plan their leave accordingly. Everyone I know is excited by it, and I’ve had no grumbles for it being a weekday wedding.

Your nearest & dearest will be there, is my firm belief. Just do a few things to make it easy for them, like letting them know with plenty of notice, and you’ll be all okay. I hope that helps, and good luck!

My uncle had a midweek wedding. Some couldn't make it. It was a Thursday. Give people notice and they'll either make it or they won't.

I am getting married on a Thursday in September and we invited a few more people than originally planned as expected to get some no’s but only 7 people said no (not 7 couples). I think generally with weddings, most people will go out of their way to make arrangements and be there xx

We had a midweek wedding, and it was fine, but we had a small wedding and the majority of our guests were retired, self-employed or worked weekends normally anyway. I think it's more problematic if you have a lot of guests who work 'standard' office hours, but unless you are inviting multiple people from the same company, then hopefully they should all be able to get time off.

Do your parents give a specific reason for not liking a midweek wedding? Maybe knowing why they don't like it might help you answer their concerns.

It's your day and you have your reasons. Stick to your guns in the nicest possible way.
Btw we got married on a Tuesday 💕

View quoted message Thank you for replying it gives me hope as everything is a bit cheaper

View quoted message Thank you, we only have a max of around 50 guests I'm hoping, we don’t have many friends so it’s not a big deal for me to have a weekend wedding, as the next date for this would be in 2027 which is just too far away

We are planning a Wednesday destination wedding, which some of our friends have raised eyebrows at when we've mentioned it - but we've not had any actual negative feedback. We're sending our save the dates almost 18 months in advance to 40 guests, so similar numbers to you! We're hoping that they'll see it as an excuse for a holiday - ft. a big celebration - and as we have lots of mutual friends and almost all of our guests have met before the big day, it will hopefully have a real family feel

We have mid week wedding September this year and have had about 20 people decline. I think long as you give plenty of notice the majority off people can put holidays etc in at work, myself as a wedding guest would have to put a weekend holiday in so it depends on people's jobs as well.

Genuinely - being mid week has been so so good for us! The people who love you and really want to make it - will make it!! (Ofcourse there will always be those who really wanted to but can't) but generally we haven't had an issue with that. Aside from that its been really helpful for having vendors with availability because its on a less pressing day and of course there's the price factor!

I would always try to attend a midweek wedding and would be happy to use my annual leave to do so. I have a job where this is reasonably easy for me to do so this is a privilege.


I used to be a teacher where, depending on the school, I might have been able to take the day off unpaid. Again I would have been happy to do this in the majority of occasions however at one school I worked at there is no way I would have been allowed the day off, so I would have had to decline. Similarly, my brother is a teacher and was allowed the unpaid day for the wedding but was not allowed any time off for travel or to accommodate an overnight stay so he went but had to leave very early.
I think it really comes down to how many people you want to invite are teachers or have other jobs where it is difficult to get time off outside of the school holidays…alternatively you could go for a weekday during the school break

We're having a Thursday wedding in September 2024. I have given my guests a year and a half notice in hope they can attend. In my eyes if they want to be there they will be if not then it's clearly meant to be, I don't want to waste money on fake friends and family. I have had people kicking up a fuss but I've said that exact thing to them and then they soon shut up 😂

We are getting married on a Tuesday. I agree with what some of the ladies on here. Those real family members will make it. I sent out our save the dates in February so 1 year in advance. Invitations will go out about 3 months before so plenty of notice. My Fiance has invited his cousin she lives abroad so not sure if she can make it. That is understandable. Now we wait and see . Have your wedding when is best for you. Its your special day I agree with you prices are cheaper week day. Every saving helps!=)