Need Advice on New Years Eve Wedding! Is it ok?

lizi338 · August 2009

The Situation: I have just begun thinking about my 2010 wedding and need to secure a date for the ceremony at my church. I am Catholic and the cathedral my fiance and I attend is often in high demand for weddings and, as usual, Catholic guidelines can be strict on when you can have your wedding. The Problem: I have always dreamed of a Christmas/Winter wedding and my Fiance wants this as well. However, wedding ceremonies are not allowed at my church during the religious holiday of Advent. (Advent lasts through most of December for Catholics). Therefore, the dates they have offered me for a winter wedding ceremony is limited. Christmas Eve and Day are off limits..as are all the days preceding Christmas. New Years day is off limits as well. My only choice is New Years Eve. Friday December 31,2010 at 2:30 pm. While I LOVE this date, I would be selfish to assume everyone else does as well. Nearly ALL of mine and my fiances family and friends live out of town (and state!) and I feel this date would work well for those traveling, since they are off. But it falls on a Friday! How inconvenient! I would be asking family and friends (about 200) to spend their New Years Eve and vacation time with Brian and I. My wedding will be in downtown Austin, Texas. Although my wedding budget is decent I feel that my guests will expect an amazing party (maybe too amazing) since I am asking them to travel for New Years Eve as well. My Question: Would you want to travel and attend a Friday New Years Eve wedding??? Will I have any guests at my wedding (other than immediate family and wedding party haha!)??? Is a New Years Eve wedding practical and accepted? Sorry this post was so long, but I don't know where else to get advice! Thank you.

linz_e_moore · August 2009

I am getting married New Years Eve, 2010 - so I hope they do come!

danieliza1127 · August 2009

I don't think I would have a problem with it, but I would expect a great party type reception since it's New Years Eve.I would probably fly in Thursday evening and fly out Sunday, so yeah I'd have to take Friday off work but I probably would anyway even if your wedding were on Saturday.

pumpkinpumpkin · August 2009

yes! I've been to 2 NYE weddings.

tlv204 · August 2009

Honestly for me it would depend on my relationship with the couple. If it was a close friend or family member that I would love to spend the time with, I actually think it would be pretty fun (just don't necessarily expect them to stay until midnight). If it was a random cousin that I don't see that often but they had to invite me because I'm family and I have standing plans on New Years Eve every year, I probably wouldn't go. Sorry if that doesnt' help, just my take on it

eastunder1 · August 2009

I personally am not a fan of Holiday weddings, especially Valentines Day and NYE. Those are days people traditionally have their own plans and I think it's selfish to expect people to give them up for you. Maybe thats just me. And yes, if you are expecting people to give up their NYE, you had better be giving them an amazing party. Don't even think of not having fantastic food and an open bar and great music. If you can't do any of those three, picking another day will be your best option.

kdcwedding · August 2009

Personally, I would be ok with it as my FI and I are both off NYE and the following day. Plus we're not huge NYE people, so going to a wedding wouldn't drag us from other festivities, but that's just me. I would say, if you are going to do it, to try and do something New Year related toward the end of the reception, if it goes until midnight.

danieliza1127 · August 2009

Also you need to make sure your reception venue lets you go past midnight so you can all be there together. It would suck if the reception ends at 11 or midnight and then people are left in limbo for the big countdown/celebration.

tidetravel · August 2009

Contrary to popular belief, holiday weddings are not usually better for OOT guests. Yes, they may have a day off before or after the weekend, however, travel and accomodation costs are usually much more expensive than any other weekend. Also, many people have traditions that they stick to for holidays, or may only get a certain # of holidays off a year, so would rather use that time to spend with family/friends than go to a wedding.If it is a date that works for you, then of course, go ahead with it. Just keep in mind that you will be potentially limiting your guest list.

salt78 · August 2009

[i]I personally am not a fan of Holiday weddings, especially Valentines Day and NYE. Those are days people traditionally have their own plans and I think it's selfish to expect people to give them up for you. Maybe thats just me. [/i] This is exactly how I feel about it.

pumpkinpumpkin · August 2009

I agree with East. In the two that I've been to, I was given plenty of notice that the couple would be getting married on NYE, both happened to be good friends, and friends that I would normally celebrate NYE with were also invited...

ricksang · August 2009

I think you will have only a small amount of guests at your wedding. I say this because I had a Halloween wedding which fell on a Friday and only half of the people who rsvp'ed "yes" showed up. I think the other half had a offer better than our wedding. Also, flying during the holidays is a PITA. I'd pick another date.

Soon-to-be Mrs. Vogt · August 2009

I want engaged awhile back and was planning a NYE wedding. Everyone was really excited about it. It's a free party for them, basically. We were in a great downtown location so they could go to the bars afterwards if they wanted to. We planned to make the party start later (7pm ceremony, 8pm cocktail hour, 9pm dinner)...so people would be well fed and boozed into the next day. Plus, New Years Day is a holiday for a lot of people so they could feel free to stay out later. And in my city at least, they offer free cab service to anywhere so that you don't drink and drive...free shuttle to the hotel or afterparty. If people have their own plans and don't want to make it then that's your choice. But I can't imagine standing party plans more important than a wedding, especially if I knew that was going to be a good party as well.

eastunder1 · August 2009

Going off what someone else said about holiday traditions: That is very true. We have standing plans every NYE with a couple friend of ours. One year they come to visit us, the next year we fly to Columbus to visit them, and so on. Many people have some sort of standing traditions with holidays whether it be with friends or family. You would have to be EXTREMELY close to me to get me to break them and I bet most people are the same way. This goes back to the selfish part I think.

angiebear11 · August 2009

Like others have said, if it were a close friend or my family, I'd be spending NYE with them anyway so I wouldn't see the big deal with spending that time with them at a wedding. I'd actually think it'd be fun. If I wasn't that close with the person, however, then I probably wouldnt go. If I were you I would cut the guest list down to just close friends and family.

ffmaid · August 2009

As a guest I would expect a black tie very fancy wedding open bar great food lasting till 1am. A lot of folks do not get new years eve off. Some things to consider 1. you will need STD so people do not make alteranate plans 2. vendors will be more expensive as they could be catering /djing/photos/flowers/ect for any of the million other nye parties3. venues will be more expensive as everyone goes out or to parties on nye and thus there is a ton of demand4. travel and hotels so close to christmas and new years will be expensive and thus a burden on your guests5. you will need to include kids as babysitters are impossible to get for new years eve

ricksang · August 2009

Okay well, she logged off.

aprilrose975 · August 2009

If it was for someone I was close to I would go. But FI and I really never do anything on NYE that we would mind missing one year. If you decide to do it make sure you block off several hotel rooms for your guests that are very close if not at your venue. Guest rooms at hotels fill up quick on NYE since alot of hotels host their own NYE parties. Don't forget that you will have out of town guests driving in unfamiliar territory along with all the drunk drivers that will hit the road on NYE. So many of them may want to stay in a hotel close to venue.

tlv204 · August 2009

Oh yeah I didn't realize people would have to take off work for the 2:30 pm. I usually don't mind gaps, but if you were to want a reception that lasts until midnight it would have to start pretty late, and for some reason a gap on new years eve sounds like it would suck, particularly if I had taken off work for it. PS: my whine for the day, BIL is getting married on Halloween this year and I'm actually very irked. I want to go out with my friends, not go to a wedding where I don't get to sit with DH and won't know 80% of the guests particularly when the bride doesnt' even like DH's/our family. New Years eve would be even worse unless it was a friend's wedding full of people I'd be with anyway.

venus554 · August 2009

I also agree with east. I'd have to be extremely close to someone AND know that it was going to be an outrageous party to go through the hassle of holiday traveling and skipping other NYE plans. Also, at my company we only get a half day for NYE.

redheadfsu · August 2009

I personally would enjoy a NYE wedding. But I have several friends that have standing plans for NYE. Not to mention, holiday wedding are usually more expensive for everyone involved. My biggest concern with you post is you said at 2:30pm. Honestly I would only like a night NYE wedding. IMO most OOT guest would find this annoying.

MissSarah786 · August 2009

Yeah, NYE weddings need to be big parties - lots of great food, tons of alcohol and mixed drinks, great music, and an awesome setting. I also think a big crowd is necessary. I did not have the funds to pull of such a party.

MissSarah786 · August 2009

Wait, 2:30? Yeah, that's a big hell no. You can't be starting aNYE reception at 4:00 or even 5:00. That party needs to start at around 7:00, so ceremony at 5:00 at the earliest. What the heck are you gonna do at 2:30?

ricksang · August 2009

Wait 2:30. I missed that too. I'd be pretty fukced up by the time 2011 rolled around. Not good.

tlv204 · August 2009

Does your church have a 5 o clock mass on fridays? Why does it have to be at 2:30? I'm used to that rule for saturdays, but not fridays. Please come back and answer us!

eastunder1 · August 2009

My biggest concern with you post is you said at 2:30pm. Honestly I would only like a night NYE wedding. IMO most OOT guest would find this annoying.This bothered me too. If you ARE going to do it (and I'm still on the "dont do it" boat) it needs to be an evening wedding lasting through the turn of the year. A afternoon/early evening reception takes up the day and ruins guests plans for the night, but doesn't actually replace them since it will be finished before the late evening. Its like taking a sort-of-bad plan and making it even worse.

Soon-to-be Mrs. Vogt · August 2009

Oh, I missed the 2:30 thing. If that's what you're doing, have the ceremony, cake and punch to immediately follow, and let people get on wiht their plans.

angiebear11 · August 2009

Yea, I don't know how I missed the 2:30 time either. The only way a NYE wedding ...especially on a Friday... would work, is if it were at night. Late at night.

TheFutureMrsM-LoungingBeachside · August 2009

Would you want to travel and attend a Friday New Years Eve wedding??? Nope! I have to work every other holiday so if I'm off on NYE I'm probably working New Years Day- so traveling wouldn't be possible. Unless I agreed to work Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve and Christmas to travel out of town to your wedding. And you'd have to be a REALLY good friend for me to do that!Will I have any guests at my wedding (other than immediate family and wedding party haha!)??? You know your family and friends and how open they will be to this. Is a New Years Eve wedding practical and accepted? Not to me, but I think a big part of that is my job. I honestly think a bigger issue is having a Friday afternoon wedding with a lot of out of town guests.

sameoldash · August 2009

We're having a NYE '09 wedding, but we're only inviting family (FI has a HUGE family) and very close friends and family. While we're hoping that it will be a great party for everyone, we would never expect people we aren't as close to to break standing holiday plans just to see us get married. We're talking ten non-family related friends invited total.Also, our ceremony won't start until 7pm, cocktail hr at 8pm, and dinner at 9pm, just like a PP said. Having a ceremony at 2:30 in the afternoon defeats the whole point of having a NYE wedding. I'd say try as hard as you can to push the time back or else try to pick another date. OR don't be too crushed when several people decline.

mocha beans · August 2009

I'm with East too. If the wedding was within my close circle of friends that I normally spend NYE with, then that would be great, provided it's in the area they all live in or the party lasts past midnight. If it's in the area we normally party in, it can end earlier, I'll get to the bar by midnight just fine.But an OOT wedding that starts at 2:30, not so much. Reception shouldn't start until 6 or 7, at the earliest, unless you want everyone smashed by midnight. And a 4 hour gap is unpleasant. If it wasn't very close friends getting married then, I'd decline. NYE is too big of a holiday for me to not spend it with those I'm closest too.

Need Advice on New Years Eve Wedding! Is it ok?

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