New Years Eve Wedding

If you do this, it needs to be black tie or close to it. Travel, lodging, babysitters, and anything else your guests would have to pay for costs a lot more so you need to make it worth it. Top shelf open bar, heavy cocktail hour, multiple course plated dinner, late night snack, champagne toast at midnight, live band or an incredible DJ.

^Agreed.

plus minimum

Both of our families aren’t really “drinking” families... so maybe it’s the wrong date? Just don’t know when else to do a winter wedding... and I want all my nieces and nephews there.

I love New Years and would LOVE to have a wedding on New Years but we decided not to.

The fuss of a black Ck tie event right around the holidays is stressful. People might have other plans because of the holidays. Also, EVERY single person should be invited with a plus one, which could be an extra 20-50 people that you will have to invite. You’ll also HAVE to have a lot of food, and an open bar. You can’t NOT have an open bar or just a cake and punch ceremony (we saw this recently on WW. It didn’t go over well..)

You have to make sure your guests are beyond taken care of, and honestly start planning ASAP. It can be done, but it will probably be 10k more expensive than a normal wedding in my opinion because the staff has to be paid more, you have to tip your vendors more, and it’ll be hard finding someone who is willing to do hair and makeup on a holiday, and all of that kind of stuff. I would honestly plan for a different time, but if you’re set on it, it can be done

We did New Year's Eve eve (December 30th) -- no pressure of black tie, avoided Christmas, but still were able to have our friends and family come over the holiday break! This was important to us since both my husband and I are in graduate school, so the holiday break was key.

View Quoted Comment That’s not a bad idea!

I doubt you'll be able to find a decent venue or vendors this late in the game for New Year's Eve this year (they're usually booked a year in advance at least), but even if you can, you have to go all out as previous posters said. Full open bar, four-course dinner, etc. If you want to be a NYE host, then you need to host well. This is why NYE weddings are notorious for being a lot more expensive than regular weddings. Unless you have a big budget, my suggestion would be having your wedding on December 30th or December 29th.

The other option is to wait and do it in June 2019 instead. Many couples around here have had a 2 or 3-year engagement. Some even longer. It gives you more time to save and plan.

Your families might not drink, but I'm sure some of your guests do and they will expect to have alcohol available at any NYE event. I'd find another date.

View Quoted Comment This is exactly true

View Quoted Comment I don’t agree at all. Our wedding will be NYE this year because it is conviennent for our family and guests since most take off anyway around this time of year. Ours will be in a barn and although it will be nice/semi formal it is not black tie at all. Everyone’s situation is different - NYE does not mean it must be the most formal wedding.

If you have a NYE wedding be prepared for paying for top notch liquor. All things will have to be top shelf. Have you thought about Saturday 12/29/18? You could still get married in June - lots of people plan a wedding that fast. You need to be able to compromise and focus but you could do it!

What about the weekend after NYE? Most kids and all universities are still out of school

View Quoted Comment In my area, hotels cost $300+ a night for NYE. Babysotters cost $30/hr for two kids because it’s a holiday and they know they’ll be working past midnight. H and I gift $200 minimum at every wedding we attend. If I’m shelling out that much money to attend a wedding, I expect the service at the wedding to be top notch. If it won’t be, I wouldn’t bother spending all that money to attend.

View Quoted Comment I’m doing a NYE wedding and don’t agree with the other posters. Ours will be in a barn, open bar but not black tie. For us at least we found it a convenient time of year to get married because our friends and family normally take off work and thus do not have to use more of their time off. Of course you’re going to do the nicest wedding you can and depending on your friends and family that may be already a wonderful way of celebrating the new year. You know them best though. If they don’t usually do over the top for NYE there’s no reason why you have to this year for them.

View Quoted Comment If this is the case I would definitely not choose NYE as your date. 12/30 could be OK if it falls on a Friday or Saturday.

View Quoted Comment But not every area is like that. Our hotel block is $85 per night. Our guests don’t have children. It all depends on the OPs scenario.... NYE does not mean it must be black tie, especially as this year it is a Monday

View Quoted Comment We can agree to disagree. I have the expectation of a NYE wedding being black tie, regardless of the day of the week, and it seems that plenty of other commenters on this thread concur.

OP - if you decide to still do this coming winter and move it to the beginning of January as opposed to the end of December 2018 - your taxed will be affected. The IRS considers your marital status on December 31 for the entire previous year. So if you marry on 12/31/18 you are considered married for ALL of 2018. Just a heads up to consider the tax issues.

The point is OP you know your scenario better than anyone. If it works for you, then do it. There are no rules. If your family and friends are like ours and are happy to share our moment regardless of the alcohol brand served then it’s a great idea to ring in the new year with them

NYE= black tie or very close to it. The best booze and food, valet parking if needed, shuttle busses to hotel, great dj/band, wedding must not end before 12:30am, and plus ones for everyone. This list goes one really. It’s a lot of pressure.

People may disagree, and you have seen that in this thread but clearly the majority would have some expectations. I like the idea of having it the weekend before or after NYE.

Regardless finding a venue venue and vendors for June or late December is likely going to be difficult. But I hope it’s not! If you don’t have much time you will probably want a place that provides a lot (venue has catering and booze and vendor lists).