Thursday weddings

jemmini6

So FI and I have gotten pricing back from about 20 venues and it seems like almost every one of them is WAAAAYYYY cheaper to do on a Thursday instead of a Friday or Saturday.  One all-inclusive package was a whopping $5,200 difference!!!  It's crazy.  I of course would rather have a Saturday wedding just because that's the norm and it's more convenient for people (although almost all of both of our families lives within 3 hours of us).

Would you find it difficult to attend a Thursday evening wedding?  Would you suck up the price difference and go with somewhere less nice just to have it on a more convenient date or would you go for the Thursday?

zipis1

At the moment I wouldn't have an issue getting there, but I am currently unemployed. However, I know that a lot of people would have a really hard time getting there on a Thurday. Theorectically, with enough notification of the date, they could do it, but that's not always the case.

I think I would probably suck it up if it were me. But, that may depend on what my budget actually is and just how big a difference we're talking here. However, if I did go with the Thursday, I would make sure that I was OK with a lot of people not coming, so I may ask the people that are most important to me if they think they could make it before I made any deposits.

bethsmiles

I think it depends on how many out of town guests you have. If most are local I think a Thursday wedding would be fine.

nefariousmango

Spend that $5200 somewhere else, like on your honeymoon :-)  If you're okay with a more intimate wedding (and especially if you're hoping for a smaller wedding) then a weekday is ideal!  The people who really matter will make it work, and so will most of the people who you would just really like to have there.  We went with a Monday wedding because of a similarly drastic price difference and everyone we cared about showed up (aside from one couple's last-minute emergancy bailing) and we used the money we saved on liquor and party buses, which were both big hits!

nefariousmango

BTW, >50% of our guests were of the OOT variety,10% international, and they all still made a weekday wedding!

Ana_2985

I agree with PPs.  It really depends on 1) how many guests are local 2) what time the wedding will take place and 3) how much you care whether or not most people will be able to make it.

People will most likely need to take at least one and a half days off from work.  Some people have that (it wouldn't be a problem for me) but some don't.  Also, if you are having a wedding party, you need to think about that also.  Will it be Wednesday night?  Because that might mean more time off for those people.

I think you really need to ask yourself "would I be okay if a lot of people I love could not attend my wedding?".  Think about all of your family members and friends and decide if there are people you'd really like to see at your wedding.  If you don't mind the possibility of a small wedding- go for Thursday and save your money.  If you think you'd be disappointed, I would keep looking for a cheaper, but still nice venue for Friday or Saturday.

Personally, if it had been a reasonable option for me, I would have chosen to have a wedding on Friday or Saturday with everyone I love at a cheaper venue.  I would look for parks or something like to accommodate everyone I wanted to invite.

Blue & White

I'm a MOH in a Friday wedding (a "more convenient" day than Thursday).  I have to schedule my entire class schedule so that I don't teach Thursday or Friday that semester.  I also have to fly down Thursday morning to be at the rehearsal dinner Thursday night.  The only redeeming quality of this is that I can see my family on Sat & Sun when the wedding's over.

I will be getting married on a Saturday (someday).  Not everyone has a cushy job you can take off whenever you want (especially teachers...)

If I was local, I teach at 8 AM Friday...and the boyfriend works at 7:30 AM.  We'd leave your Thursday wedding at like 9 PM.

So I agree with PPs, you'd probably have to determine how much it means to you that people like me would show up   I'm less grouchy about family members that have weddings on Thurs/Fri, but if this wasn't my best friend, we likely wouldn't go to the wedding on Friday

bakes218

I personally think that weekday weddings are difficult for a lot of people. I would probably be a little annoyed at a weekday wedding if I had to take off work and travel.

purplepeopleeater11

Unless it was someone especially close to me I don't think I'd go if I had to drive very far.  It would mean taking time off work and I have so little of it that I try to save it for emergencies. 

If it was close, like within an hour, then I would probably go and just cut out early.  Probably around 9 like blue and white said.

KatyRoseM

I don't know anyone who would have a wedding in the town I live in (I and my friends are in school, most would have their weddings at home) so if my friends did this it would mean a 2 hour drive at least.  I probably could go, but would be annoyed.  It also depends on the time, it would be best some time clearly after work but ending soon enough you could go to work the next day.  I think you might end up with fewer people coming, and people leaving earlier, however if thats ok with you go for it. 

loopy82

Did the packages give you options for a Sunday wedding? Those are typically at a lower prices from Friday/Saturday weddings. IMO I would definitely think that a Sunday would be easier for a lot of people to get to vs. a Thursday. Maybe not stay late, but it probably wouldn't involve a lot of people needing to take time off.

calindi

Even if it was local, then people would probably leave early since they'd be going to work the next day.  My Mom went to one Sunday wedding and swore that it was a horrible idea since everyone left right after dinner - the same thing would happen on a week night.

leia1979

I understand the pain, Jemmini. A lot of places we're looking at are far cheaper on Friday or Sunday than Saturday, but I really prefer Saturday, myself.

I do think Thursday will be inconvenient for people, so you may get more people declining. If they have to come from any distance (even an hour away) they'd have to take the day off, unless the ceremony would start really late. Otherwise they need to leave early because of workt he next day.

I'd aim for a Friday or Sunday rather than Thursday.

[Deleted User]

I know you want to have a smaller wedding anyway, so that may solve some of your problems.  However, if you are concerned and would prefer a weekend wedding, check to see if there is any discount for a Sunday or even Saturday lunch-time.  A lot of places I was looking into gave discounts for these "off times". 
My wedding is at 11am on a Saturday, reception to start around 12:30.  I have several friends who have already told me that they will drag people onto the dance floor to have some fun if it gets at all slow and the form my DJ sent to me asks for the names of some of our "rowdier" friends so they can call on them if things get slow.  It's going to be just as fun as an evening wedding, but it's a little cheaper doing it this way.  And, a couple of FI's GM's have never been to Vegas, so those guys are going to go out Saturday night and enjoy the nightlife after the reception.

jemmini6

Yeah, the place I really like so far (based on pictures, pricing and reviews) is only a $500 increase to do it on a Saturday, which still brings us in under budget .  However, some of the places FI is really wanting to check out are already almost over budget even for a Thursday, so there is no way we could do a Saturday there.  (He's got expensive taste apparently, LOL).

I really want to do a Saturday wedding, but I'm just worried that any place we agree on is going to be too expensive.  I guess we'll have to get a bunch of tours and more specific pricing in mind before we choose.  Hopefully he'll love this place tonight too and we can save ourselves all the headache and just book there. LOL


Edit:  What do you guys think of this venue?  This is the one we are looking at tonight...www.trebellaaz.com

calindi

Jemmini, that place looks nice, and the price is amazing for all inclusive.  But the rooms look rather... narrow and long.  I'm not sure it'll be the best venue for everyone to be able to see and participate in the action (first dance, cake cutting, etc.)

[Deleted User]

Phew this is a toughy.  I would talk to those closest to you, that you really want to be there and see how they feel about a Thursday wedding.  If it was someone close to me, of course I'd make it.  But just a friend or distant relative, I doubt I would take the time off of work to attend. 

We're having a Thursday wedding but we're eloping so it doesn't really matter when it is

jemmini6

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/special-topic-wedding-boards_not-engaged-yet_thursday-weddings?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Special%20Topic%20Wedding%20BoardsForum:136Discussion:0be52357-aa82-4c7c-a821-3e89dcf29f0dPost:7d4fe0d2-3e15-48a2-882a-ae6e199ead06">Re: Thursday weddings</a>:
[QUOTE]Jemmini, that place looks nice, and the price is amazing for all inclusive.  But the rooms look rather... narrow and long.  I'm not sure it'll be the best venue for everyone to be able to see and participate in the action (first dance, cake cutting, etc.)
Posted by calindi[/QUOTE]

I know, the price is what really interested me.  It's in the downtown area where all the shops share walls, etc hence the long, skinny parcel.  The layout concerns me a little too, but that's why I just want to take a look at it, for all I know, those pics could have been set up for over 100 guests, etc. 

I've always pictured an outdoor ceremony and indoor reception, which this doesn't have.  But again, that price might be worth the compromise.  Who knows, just the first of probably 10-15 venue tours we are going to do.

Maybe luck will be on my side and I will find the perfect venue that will be around the same price for a Saturday :D

GreenPepperBurger

Fun fact: Many religious Jews get married on Thursdays, since in Genesis, that day is described as being "very good" rather than just "good."

I really have no opinion on what day of the week people get married. If I'm close to the couple, I will be there no matter what day it is.

loopy82

How many people really watch the cake cutting and first dance? I like the idea that was in one of the pictures where it looked like the cake and dance floor area was in the middle. This way would help guests see what is going on. I like that venue though. It looks really cool.

Ana_2985

I agree with Loopy - I actually really like that venue a lot.  Some of the pictures show great ways to make the space work well for a wedding.  I like the one with the dance floor area in the middle and I like how they used different shaped tables to use the space best.  I think that unless you are planning to fill the room to the maximum capacity it would be a really nice venue.

babybchbum

If you are important to me I'd make it. I'm doing my wedding on a Friday to limit the guest count... but even on a friday I've come to realize who FI and I are important too.

jemmini6

We just got back from the venue tour.  It is really pretty and I like all the options to work with the space.  However, FI and I felt it to be a little claustrophobic.  Not that there wasn't plenty of room, but we both pictured an outdoor ceremony, so the indoor space was a little confined.  Also, the major downfall I find with the place is the lack of places to take nice pictures.  There's no room indoors to do all your WP photos, and no nice backdrops to do couple photos.  Pictures are really important to us both, and I'm not sure it's going to work.

It's a good back-up option if we can't find anything in our budget, etc, but I don't think it's going to be at the top of our list.  The staff there was super friendly and I've heard tons of good reviews about their coordinator, but all that isn't quite enough to push us on their side just yet.

And the search continues....

loopy82

Well at least now you know. Good luck with your continued search. We didn't go on any venue tours. In some ways I think it would have been fun, but more than that I am glad we didn't have that added stress.

johnsonia

agree with PP. i think thurs is quite inconvienient. if you go with this then be prepared to have a lot of ppl not come. also agree sunday is better than thurs for an off-peak day.

my cousin got married on a sunday. huge wedding of over 400 ppl. was a beautiful affair. most people were leaveing before the cake was served. she splurged for the viennese hour and most people had left even before they opened those doors.

just bc your wedding is the most important day for you and FI, others have work & other such obligations.

also- consider people with children, child-care, school night etc...

HobokensFury

I have to agree with PP.  Unless you were very close to me (sister, mother, best friend) I would not go to a weekday wedding.  I have to be up at 5:45 am the next morning and it would be dificult.