please help! Columbus day wedding?

Could you cut another way like maybe have a wedding off season or a brunch wedding there instead?

Monday has to be the MOST inconvenient day of the week. If you plan to have it there I would seriously evaluate your GL as many people would not be able to swing that. At my favorite prospective all inclusive venue the starting price for a Monday-Thursday was $6k cheaper but of course it sounds great but I would virtually have to cut my GL probably 90% in which case you have to ask which is more important a beautiful dream venue or celebrating w/ the ones you love. If its the venue you love I would do bridal or day of pictures there. I know a very popular venue here allows photography sessions for bridal, engagement, and day of photos for $300 as long as its during business hours & no one else has booked the space during that time. So you may consider asking.

Agree with Faran. Monday is the worst.

This all comes down to what YOU and your fiancé want. Is it more important to celebrate your wedding day with all of your loved ones or to have your dream wedding at the cost of your love ones not all being able to make it. Weekdays are very inconvenient, but they save a ton of money. Ultimately it's up to the two of you to decide what is more important.

We had the same dilemma ,fell in love with a venue but even to do a Friday wedding would have been too expensive for us so they suggested a Thursday.

When I got home I called all my VIP's (the people you want most at your wedding) to try and figure out if this could possibly work. I really think the only way we got away with it was because 98% of our family is all flying in ( only me, my mom and my FH live here) so its practically a destination wedding for everyone. Since most people were taking the week off to begin with we were able to book it for the Thursday.

My first suggestion would have been to talk it over with your VIPs but it sounds like you already have and they are telling you no. If you go ahead with doing it on a Monday, just be prepared that many people simply will not come. If you are okay with this then book it, if you aren't then I think Faran's idea is a great compromise.

Yeah that sounds like a terrible idea. Find other ways to afford it.

Unless your people are teachers or work in a bank or even for government they have to work that day. Rethink this plan, like Tucker said, find another way to afford it. Get 2nd jobs, sell crap you don't need but find a way.

Thank you everyone. I really appreciate the feedback. We are so upset because the more we think about it the more we realize the negatives are just too powerful. We wouldn't be able to take pictures there because it's on the opposite side of Long Island where we would do our other venue and they only have large events so a bridal shower would be out. Also we are paying for the wedding ourselves and both already have 2nd jobs...we really can't afford any other date.

As Susan pointed out there are very few people who have off on Columbus day, and...well...everyone hates Mondays. Have your pictures there if you can, but otherwise I can only imagine it being a more casual dinner type reception with immediate family where everyone would just go straight home after to be ready for work Tuesday.

I officiate many weddings on 3-day weekends -- but they are destination weddings and everyone is here for the week, at least.