Thursday night wedding?

I wouldn't recommend it if the following Friday is not a holiday. You should expect a lot of declines, unless you make it a quick cocktail affair that will not take up more than 3 hours in total, not too late in the evening. If you want a full swing wedding, you should rather keep looking for a venue that fits your budget for a Saturday or Friday.

One of my close friends had her wedding on a Thursday and she had alot of people come to her wedding. Everyone had a blase. I would suggest sending save the date cards within a good amount of time so that people can make their arrangements. You shouldn't have a problem.. Let us know what you choose.

I have mixed feelings on this. How many out of town guests do you have? I would recommend before booking anything, float the idea past some of your "key players" (wedding party, closest friends, parents) and see how they feel about it. I am having a Friday night wedding for the same reason you are considering Thursday (good deals, better availability, etc). I was worried it would be a huge inconvenience for our guests but almost everyone we wanted to come is coming. Of our guests who have declined, only 2 have been due to not being able to get off work/school. (About 3 of our friends' SO's haven't been able to come due to work but we are not very close to those people and don't care.) In the end I think the people who are closest to you will come no matter what, but you should decide if you care if less-close friends aren't able to come due to the date. If not, then go for it!

If your family and closest friends are mostly local, go for it! No reason they can't party on a Thursday night!.

If you're planning to invite a lot of people who'd be traveling from out of town, you might try informally floating the idea by some of those out-of-town people (the ones you care most about) and get their reaction.

Yes, you will get a price break from the venue and your other wedding vendors for a Thursday wedding.

Many venues and other wedding vendors also offer a price break for a Friday or a Sunday, as well.

--Steve/GOOD NOTE

Thanks everyone! If we decide to do Thursday, we'd do at least a year and a half notice and the Thursday before Labor Day, so we hope that helps. But we'll definitely have to check with key people to hear their thoughts.

Hi mem5000,

I just recently did the makeup for a bride who married on a Wednesday. She had a good turn out and enjoyed herself very much. This is the way that I look at it. The people who want to be there, will be there. Especially since you are giving plenty of time's notice. If it's the place that you love, then go for it!

To be honest with you, I believe that weekday weddings are becoming much more popular, and we'll see more of them in years to come.

Good luck!

Carmen

It depends on how important it is to you to save money. We are getting a 'double whammy' as far as savings. We saved money by having our wedding off-season (the week of Christmas) and we are having a small ceremony on a Monday.

Honestly, if your thinking of doing a Thursday night wedding I wouldn't do it before labor day weekend. Most kids go back to school eaither the week before or day or two after labor day. Its a really tough time of year for teachers, students or people with childern to travel to a wedding. My venue gave us a price break for getting married on a saturday in July. A saturday in July was the same price as a Friday in May or June Maybe they can work something out for you in an off "out of season" month

Molly,

As long as you give your out-of-town guests plenty of advance notice with save the date magnets or the like, I don't see why you couldn't have your wedding reception on a Thursday night. IMO the people who really want to be at your wedding will make an attempt to work out the logistics regardless of the date.

Dan

Hello. My wife and I have done a few week night weddings and do not see much of a difference at all in attendance, so I would go for it. We are also told that many vendors give discounts for week nights since they try to book more during the week. So I would honestly go for it!

I THINK A THURSDAY WEDDING IS GREAT!1 IM ALSO LOOKING INTO IT IM LOCATED IN JERSEY BUT HAVE FAM..FROM NY,CT,NC AS WELL AS TEXAS!... AND I BELIEVE IF THE HAVE ENOUGH TIME AS I WILL BE MARRYING AUG-SEPT OF 2012 THAT WILL BE PLEANTY OF TIME... GO FOR IT!!!! CONGRADS!!!

A nephew has decided to do this in October, after his sister did it just this July. October. Seriously. In the middle of the school semester, (University Professors in the family) knowing most relatives will have to travel and miss days of work, using precious vacation days to boot. I personally don't want to go since the planning is so inconsiderate, it makes me not all that happy with the bride and I hardly know her.

If you want to save money, there are better ways than inconveniencing your out of town guests and relatives. If all you can afford is a small wedding, have a small wedding! A modest reception, some nibbles, cocktails and cake. Totally acceptable. If you can't afford to rent a reception hall, DON'T RENT A RECEPTION HALL. Have your reception in a state park that rents out a pavillion and hire a caterer. If you have the ceremony in a church, the church might have a larger gathering room for a light meal... SO much better than having your wedding on some random, mid-week day because it's cheaper and you "fell in love" with some venue that cranks out weddings non-stop.

Going into debt for a wedding is a terrible move.