What Day for Reception?

csweaney · December 2011

Hi everyone...I figured since most of us are students here you all could help me out with the dilemma I'm having.

Ok...so my fiance and I are planning on getting married in 2013. I am scheduled to graduate on May 30, 2013--so the original plan was to get married sometime on a Saturday in June 2013 so I would have adequate time to wind down from school, etc.

Heres the deal...the place we'd like to have our wedding is SUBSTANTIALLY less expensive on Fridays and Sundays than it is on Saturdays. We have quite a bit of family that is coming in out of town, so we thought Saturday was best. But, in an effort to keep our budget manageable, we thought a Sunday or Friday option might be better. I'm worried that people won't have enough time to get off work on a Friday and make the trip up for an evening ceremony/reception. Also worried that having a wedding on Sunday people wouldn't have time to get home and rest for work on Monday mornings. I'm just trying to be considerate here.

Heres where the student part comes in--this is another option I have. I COULD possibly have my wedding on May 26th 2013 instead (which is a Sunday of Memorial Day weekend and everyone would have the Monday off work). This way, things would be cheaper AND everyone could have time to drive leisurely home and not have to worry about work the next day. My problem is this--May 26th would be the weekend after I finished my final finals. Would I be too stressed out? And then we couldn't go on our honeymoon til a week later.

I know this is a large issue. I'm hoping all of you may have some positive thoughts/ideas for me.

Thanks!

cashkitty · December 2011

I think that if you have planned well enough in advanced you wouldn't be too stressed after finals. Because you'd have the entire week to focus on your wedding after finals. I may be giving bad advice because I stress before finals and I'm fine afterwards. I think that as long as you have most things done before the wedding then that last week after finals would be plenty fine for you. So, I vote the Memorial day weekend one!

toothpastechica · December 2011

we are having our wedding on the sunday of the long weekend in may (2012)...i thought i finished my practicum in april, but apparently they lied to us!! and the registration dates run to the friday before the wedding....so now i have zero time between school and the wedding...not to mention the wedding is 5 hours away!!!, we are just going to try and get as much as possible done over christmas and think we will be ok.....all the big stuff is done, so hopefully between having the holidays and family and friends help...it will go ok! (i'm also missing grad because they told us it was the second week in june..and then when the dates got posted officially its the first week and we already booked our honeymoon)

csweaney · December 2011

Unfortunately I wouldn't have a week after finals. The wedding would be the Sunday after finals week. I'm still not sure what to do. I just don't want to jeopardize grades because I'm too focused on the wedding.

vikingmom806 · December 2011

I would stick with a summer wedding. Things get so, so crazy during finals week.

If you planned an evening wedding late enough on Friday, it might work. But I suppose that depends on how far away your out of town guests are. I wouldn't suggest a Sunday wedding.

DramaGeek · December 2011

I got married on Dec 14. I took my last final on Dec 13. It was totally crazy, but it worked just fine. I graduated with a 3.875 so it obviously didn't affect my grades too badly! The thing is, everyone is different, and only you know if you'd be able to handle it or not.

Blessed=2BeInLove · December 2011

Even though you may be able to have the wedding on an alternative day, since it is a noted holiday (Memorial Day) and people do typically have long weekends, have you checked to make sure you would still get the discounted Friday/Sunday rate? They might jack up the price, because they know they can.

As for Friday vs Sunday.. I would honestly ask close family and see what day works better for them, just as a reference to where your guests may be coming from.

About getting married right after finals. I know how I am over finals, and I wouldn't be able to hand finals stress and then go straight into being entirely relaxed and happy, let alone smile for pictures, see my entire family, oh yeah.. and get married. lol You may be a bigger champ than me, but I would personally like a little time to focus on my wedding plans and the excitement, rather than stress until the day before and then get excited. Its all up to you and what you are comfortable with.

ravenray · December 2011

I am getting married this May around that same time frame. Except I have a week in between finals. I think if you have everything done before hand you will be fine. Just make sure you have it all done at least three weeks before hand. Be proactive and you will be fine

Asjohn967 · December 2011

I originally planned my wedding for the day after my last final exam, but the more I thought about it, the less comfortable I was with it. My FI and I ended up moving the date back 4 months just so we had more time to plan and enjoy our wedding (and do well in school!). Even if you think you can handle getting married days after your final exams, do you think you'd really want to? The week before will be so stressful because you will be studying for finals and putting together the finishing touches of your wedding. I'm sure it will all work out just fine, but it will be more difficult for you to enjoy your wedding day because everything would have been so hectic.

It's your wedding, so do what you want to do! The most important people will be there, no matter the day. I'm getting married out of town, just a few days before xmas, so I worry about who will show up too, but I know that the most important people to me will be there.

If you're looking for an opinion, I would say wait until June. That will give you a few extra weeks to focus on just the wedding, and you will enjoy it more! But ultimately, you have to do what feels right to you.

MMRoberts11 · December 2011

I think as long as you can get everything WR done before you have to worry about finals you would be ok to have it in May. Personally, I'd just go for June to be safe. For me, little things before finals always seemed to just pop up out of no where and need to be completed.

Anyway, I'm doing a Friday wedding to save money too. Personally, I prefer Friday weddings to Sundays because of the time factor with people's work schedules and what we wanted; later weddings are difficult on Sundays.

toothpastechica · December 2011

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/special-topic-wedding-boards_students_day-reception?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Special Topic Wedding BoardsForum:684Discussion:23729db5-4254-4418-bca1-1ab3405a47d0Post:e34ec5eb-7320-4171-a083-ac10570d3974">Re: What Day for Reception?</a>:
[QUOTE]I think as long as you can get everything WR done before you have to worry about finals you would be ok to have it in May. Personally, I'd just go for June to be safe. For me, little things before finals always seemed to just pop up out of no where and need to be completed. <strong>Anyway, I'm doing a Friday wedding to save money too. Personally, I prefer Friday weddings to Sundays because of the time factor with people's work schedules and what we wanted; later weddings are difficult on Sundays.
</strong>Posted by MMRoberts11[/QUOTE]

This is why she commented about memorial day....this is also why i am having mine the sunday of a long weekend...so people have monday off.

KellyBrian2013 · December 2011

Keep in mind that a holiday weekend automatically equals higher hotel prices, higher flighter prices, and higher gas prices. So while you may save money by holding it on a Sunday (though, as PP mentioned - make you ask that the discount stands for a holiday weekend, as it might not), your guests will ultimately wind up shelling out more money.

Talk to you family and friends about what would be easiest on them. FI and I decided to have a Friday evening wedding, even though more than half of our guest list is OOT. Our families told us they would prefer the extended weekend, rather than having to rush back to work after a Sunday wedding. Plus, most of our family said it was easier to take a Friday off from work with Monday to play catch-up, rather than take a Monday off and then have to try to catch up on a Tuesday.

carrieloomis · December 2011

I graduate with my Bachelors May 12th, 2012 and we're getting married on Friday May 25th (Memorial Day Weekend). I'm giving myself a couple weeks between graduation and the wedding so I have time to focus on the wedding only. Summer classes will be in session, so we're giving our friends time to get to the venue by having the wedding at night! Our school is 4 hours from the venue, so by pushing it back, most of our guests will be able to go to classes then drive to the venue...It does help having it on the extended weekend because some teachers give students that Friday off as well. And they have time to make up anything they missed. If it's really a big deal they won't come, but I haven't had that problem. All of my friends that will be in school are coming!

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