Need advice on weekday wedding!

I have to be honest, weekday weddings (excluding Fridays) make me a bit angry! It means you have to book two days off work (if you want to drink and stay until the end!) and it might mean more for people who have to travel and stay over the night before.

Having said that, I think I'm biased as the only weekday wedding I've been invited to (and will be declining the invite) is my h2b's friend, who gets on my nerves a bit anyway ?! If it was one of MY close friends who'd booked a Thursday wedding, I would book the time off and go. However, I have very generous leave allowances plus flexi which I can always build up if I need extra days off. Not everyone has this luxury.

My advice would be to look at your guest list, if there's several people you think might struggle (teachers, people with limited leave or who would have to travel a distance to the venue) then you might want to rethink. It may be that you get a lot of the plus ones declining, which means you can invite more of your own friends, so I would have a back up list if you decide to go ahead with the Thursday.

We are getting married on a Friday. We originally wanted a Saturday but couldn't get a registrar so had to move it forward a day to the Friday. The only person so far that has made it an issue is my sister but we expected that anyway as she is a nightmare!

I think with enough notice people can make arrangements if they want to come. We have already sent out invites for September so no excuses!

I went to a weekend day wedding last year and didn't have a problem with it. I booked two days off and turned it into a long weekend, the majority of people who were invited made the effort to go. Weekend weddings are pain for people who work weekends, the point is you can't please everybody so do what makes you happy but be prepared for some people to not be able to make it.

If I had enough notice I wouldn't mind a Thursday wedding. Yes, it means taking two days off work but as long as I knew in advance I'd be ok with it.

Some thing to consider...

Unless it's in the school holidays, teacher friends and kids (and even people with kids) might find it difficult.

I would send both Save the Dates and Save the Evenings at least a year in advance - and make sure you state 'Thursday the 5th of July' or whatever.

I'm having a weekday wedding BUT it's a small affair for family and very very close friends only and they have all known the date since it was first planned. In order to accommodate everyone that I want to invite to the reception, we decided to have it on the following saturday. We plan to show the wedding on a beg screen so that everyone can see it and hopefully that way we've covered all the bases! I think if people want to be there, they will make the effort but that will be easier for them with plenty of notice. So I would say go ahead as you do have plenty of time. Make sure you send your save the dates out in plenty of time ?

I'm having a weekday wedding. It's on a Wendsday. It is what i could afford and I am not wasting any time worrying about the people who can't make it. At the end of the day the two people who definitley have to be there, me and him, will be.

Because we comprmised ont his aspect, it meant we could afford other stuff which otherwise would have been impossible.

I'm not keen tbh. I have a child at primary school so logistically it would be difficult as I would need to organise for someone to pick him up or bunk him off for the day which is not ideal. We would also have to take time off work which we would prefer to use for our own holidays etc.

I think if you go ahead with a weekday wedding you just have to be prepared that there are people who might not be able to make it for one reason or another. I have six weeks annual leave plus public holidays but our company has a policy that only one of those week's is allowed to be split up and it must be used in two parts i.e. I can take a Monday off which leaves me four consecutive days to be used elsewhere or take two of my five days and use the three consecutively elsewhere. If I had already had to split a week for whatever reason I maybe wouldn't have the leave to take.

Hi ,

we get married on a Wednesday . In April Easter holidays.

The exact same happened to is- fell in love with our venue and changed our weekend wedding to a weekday!

I have had 90 out of 100 people say yes! And the others are either away on holiday or can't make it due to travel . ( I live in oxford and my family live in Newcastle) absolutely no one has had a problem with it.

if it means you can have your dream wedding go for it x

We're getting married on a Friday. We sent the invites out 4 months in advance. No one has had an issues, 2 teachers are pulling sickies, one is coming in the evening, and then one other person cant come because they've started a new job - not that it's a Friday. For us it really hasn't been an issue. I'd go with the cheaper option personally - it's worth it for the saving as you'll be surprised how quick the other costs add up!!

I'd say go for the weekday, check your guest list first and I think you'll find that everyone that you really want there apart from teachers maybe(?) will make the arrangements to be there.

x

I am getting married on a weekday, same reasons as you - the cost went down SO much.

I ensured it was in the school holidays so my brother and sister could go, apart from that children aren't invited anyway.

Only close family and friends are invited to the ceremony (30 people) and we sent out save the dates a year in advance and formal invitations went out in January (we get married 31st July). We have not had a single rejection and to be honest if people want to come they will and if they don't they won't, regardless what day you have your wedding on. For me, someone inviting me to a wedding at the weekend is just as difficult because I work weekends. It is different for everyone.

My friend got married on a Tuesday and again it was fine for most.

Unfortunately so many people have weekday weddings nowadays, it's not always about booking 2 days off if you have several weddings a year! This year we have my h2b's cousin's wedding on a Friday, a long distance wedding on a Saturday so have to book the Friday off, another friend's wedding on a Sunday so booking the Monday off, then the wedding I mentioned in my first post on a Thursday! In fairness the only one I'm not attending is the Thursday one (don't have a problem with Friday/Sunday ones as it's only one day you have to book off!)

Marigold's attitude is right if you're having a weekday wedding - go for it as it's your day, but don't be disappointed when people can't come.

I am getting married on a Monday in July. Everybody we have invited is coming and the majority are staying overnight at the hotel. We made sure our invites went out nice and early so people could plan if they did wish to join us. It is your wedding so do what is right for you, i think more and more people are doing midweek weddings especially with how expensive weddings are. Cost was the main reason we chose a Monday. Good luck planning :-)

We have booked a Thursday in 2016, Maundy Thursday in fact. We picked this date as we have a lot of guests travelling from overseas which means we can then spend the long bank holiday weekend of Good Friday and Easter Monday with our guests without having to take extra time off work. I know not many people are guaranteed the bank holidays off but the majority of our guests have already said that it won't be a problem for them anyway as they get them off. It has worked out much cheaper for us to get married on a Thursday and we specifically chose that date because it was the most convenient for us and our guests x

Thursday wedding here!!!!

Sent out stds a year in advance, invites went out and rsvps are flooding back. No 'no's' as of yet!

Absolutely zero remorse for having a weekday wedding, the amount of holiday days I have used up booking weekends off for other peoples weddings/ hen dos/ birthdays/christenings/ is sickening so quite smug to have people return the favour!!!

OH is the same, he is allowed 10 saturdays off a year.

The mon - fri 9-5ers think everyone works mon - fri 9-5ers as well, but there are just too many careers that arent!!! Airlines, police, retail shop workers, hairdressers, nurses.. ok I wont name them all but enough to make you realise a weekend is not a weekend to millions of people in this country!!

If any guest was to be 'angered' by my midweek wedding I would rather them not be there at all to be quite honest!!!!

I'm getting married on a thursday as it saved us thousands of pounds! The people closest to us dont mind at all taking a day or 2 off work. We gave everyone 18months notice! Alot of our friends, including myself, work shifts anyway so wont have to use any holiday. I think the people that really want to be there will take the day off. As for those who dont want to use some of their holiday, well for me it would say it all! Lol

If people get angry over weekday weddings that they have to use their holiday they can a) not come B) pay the difference x

My daughter got married on a Thursday. It suited me perfectly because all my weekends are taken up with doing other peoples weddings. Everyone who was invited made it, and no one grumbled! You will never choose a date that suits everyone, even a Saturday, so choose one that suits you.

We will probably be getting married during the week. I don't feel bad at all - if people wNt to see us get married they will make the effort to be there. I don't think asking someone to use one or two days holiday to come to such a special day is asking to much; especially if y give plenty of notice.

just my opinion. Xx

Ok I've expressed this opinion many times when faced with this question, I have no problem with anyone having a weekday wedding but please please do not think that anyone that can't make it doesn't care enough or hasn't tried enough to attend. Some people just don't have the holiday available to take maybe even with a years notice

I agree with holey there - it is an incredibly valid point.

The exact same can be said for a weekend wedding too. Many of us shift workers would be in the same position too, the chances of me getting bank holiday weekend off are very slim, which are also some of the most popular weekends for weddings. I work for an airline too, so summer holidays are also more difficult.

I have and always will tried my very hardest to be there for special occasions, however not without a fair amount of leave and favours being used up. Now that I am getting married on a thursday I am only asking the same in return from my nearest and dearest. Anyone who tries and cannot make it will not be blamed - just as I haven't when I have had to miss out in the past too.

I just personally find the weekend wedding a fairly tired tradition as saturdays are such a busy business and trade day to so many these days - any wedding on any day will require a portion of guests to make sacrifices is all I am saying!

Hello & welcome!

If it were me i'd be too tempted with that bargain and book the weekday wedding. Just make sure you get the std's out soon as possible to give people a chance to book time off etc.

Personally i'd have no problems at all attending a weekday wedding, but I also wouldn't mind if anyone couldn't make it to mine for those reasons...it's expected I think that some people would be unable to attend so don't take it personally or be upset if they don't

We are getting married on a Monday, but it is a Bank Holiday, so hopefully for most people this just means taking the Tuesday off. It is in the summer, so time off school will not be an issue. For my OH, this time of year at work is quieter, so more of his work colleagues/friends will be able to attend - during term time, however, a week day wedding would mean a lot of them can't make it. For me, I work in a retail environment so a lot of my friends have to work on a Saturday, and would need time off anyway. We sent out save the dates over a year in advance, and know some family members who are travelling from further afield have booked cottages for a week to have a holiday too.

It may depend what your friends and family do for jobs whether a weekday wedding would have a good attendance. If you love the venue that is only affordable for a Thursday, go for it, and send out save the dates sooner so people can plan

I'm quickly learning weddings are about compromise so I would weigh up how important this venue is verses the day. I personally wouldn't have any issues attending a weekday wedding and it does sound like a bargain. Ultimately you can't please everyone & there will most likely always be someone who complains no matter you decide on so just go with what would make you happiest.

We are getting married on a Sunday, so almost a weekday! I see it as an excellent way to cut down on guest numbers - the people we really want there will make the effort to come, and hopefully all the relations I've only met once will be put off! Oh and we sent Save the Dates nearly a year in advance with 'Sunday' on them so people know well ahead.

We're getting married on a Friday as our venue was booked up for every Saturday in April and we wanted April.

Luckily it falls during Easter week so it's half term for most people, I say luckily as we both have sets of Aunts and Uncles who are teachers, only my Uncle's school has funny term times which meant he wasn't on holiday but has managed to arrange a day's annual leave. We sent out Save the Dates in advance to warn people. So far we have only had one decline to the invitations and the reason wasn't the week day.

What did you decide in the end? I'm trying to decide whether to go for a weekday next year. It's almost half the price! But concerned no-one will come! Although for our close family it shouldn't be a problem.

We're having a weekday wedding as I come from a family of shift workers! It will be in half term though as two of my bridesmaids are teachers. Both my partner and I work weekends- it is actually easier for us to book a weekday off. For many people who have to work the odd weekend (in my experience) the company doesn't always allow them to book a weekend day as annual leave, so they have to swap with another colleague. In the past for me this has meant working 12 days on the trot either before or after the event, and it can be a nightmare finding someone who is willing to swap! Having said that, I've never not been able to attend a wedding because of it, but it does make things easier for us shift workers if it's on a weekday! Obviously you'll never please everyone, and it might be that in your circle most people are 9-5 in which case some might resent it. On the other hand, it's a good way of making sure only the people who truly care about you are there, and not just the ones who are in it for the free meal and open bar! But I say go for it if it means getting your dream venue :-)

If it's your dream venue I would go for it and make it work. It won't suit everyone (I personally find them difficult as I don't get a lot of annual leave) but as long as it doesn't cause any massive issues for your bridal party then it will be fine! x

We're getting married in 13 days and it is a Thursday. We fell in love with our dream barn and didn't want to compromise on our venue. The weekend prices were eye watering. we have been planning for 2 years so sent save the dates really early and made sure we put Thursday 6th August so people didn't just presume the 6th was a weekend. Every single person we invited to the day time is coming - no problems at all. Some of our evening guests can't make it but it's because they're on holiday not because they found the day awkward. I'm a teacher and the middle of the holiday is very popular with teachers. If you love it, go for it and just give people plenty of time! x

Morning!

I'm a Thursday bride too... One week after you Betts!

As previously mentioned you will never meet all of your guests wants/ needs.... planning with plenty of notice is key.

My save the dates also clearly stated it was a Thursday. ... I'm a teacher and many of our guests are... but h2b and many of his friends are shift workers. So our best choice was a weekday in the school holidays. .. weigh up what is best for you.

We booked Thursday as is saved approximately £4K! For the same package!

Xxx