XP: Friday evening wedding

retro_belle24_23092757 · September 2013

I always assumed that my wedding was going to be on a typical Saturday, it is the party night of the week plus I think it would be easier on our guests (having a destination wedding in NYC with most of our family and friends from CT) but after going over our budget as well as venue and vendor options, I'm thinking a Friday evening (in June) would be best. The venue I really like is $1,000 cheaper on Fridays and I've heard about photographers, DJs, and other vendors offering lower prices for Friday events as well.

My question is for those who had their weddings on a Friday is or attended a Friday wedding is, were you able to receive more discounts because of the day of the week? Are you happy about your choice? Were your guests (or you) okay about doing Friday instead of the normal Saturday night? I would love to read what people's thoughts are on this!

misssunshine17 · September 2013

I think it's a little inconsiderable because your guests will have to take all day on Friday off to make it to the wedding. If you consider lost wages/vacation time taken, you're probably not going to saving any money. This is just my opinion. I think if you do it late enough it might work, but I think it would be a logistical nightmare going into NYC on a Friday night.

southernbelle0915 · September 2013

Some circles have people who work the M-F 9-5... If this is your crowd, it's more considerate to have a Saturday wedding so that people don't have to use vacation time to attend.

If your priority is to have your wedding at a particular venue in NYC, you will pay less on Friday. If your priority is your guests' convenience, I'm sure you can find something within your budget on Saturday. It really just depends what your priorities are. Either way, you'll be able to find something in your budget.

WildMagelet · September 2013

I think you need to be ready for more declines (which I guess would save you more money too). Guests may already be travelling, but they're essentially going to have to move up their timeline by a day so that may include taking another day off of work. If I would attend or not would depend on our relationship and the amount of PTO I had.

Maggie0829 · September 2013

I think since you are having a destination wedding a Friday night wedding is kind of rude to your guests. Now instead of your guests being able to drive in Friday night they will have to instead take off all day Friday and drive in Thursday evening.

I understand you want to save money but you also have to think of your guests and their logistics. Just know that if you do go the Friday route that your RSVP count may be lower then what you would hope because your guests may not be able to get off work or rearrange their schedules.

Also, I have a Friday night wedding coming up in a few weeks. The wedding is taking place about 45 minutes away from our home at 6pm. My H already has had to put in for a half day and I need to make sure that I get enough hours in during the week to be able to leave at 3 that Friday. And that is just for a local wedding so you could imagine what we would have to do to attend a destination wedding.

retro_belle24_23092757 · September 2013

Thanks girls for being honest, this is why I come here instead of family or friends because they'll try to give me the answer they think I want to hear! Saturday would work best, I agree. It's a little extra financially but I think it's worth it because I want to make as much people can make it since we're already having a small wedding anyways (around 50 people). Plus I can't help but feel bad for those who have to take time off from work.

ashleyep · September 2013

retro_belle24 said:

Thanks girls for being honest, this is why I come here instead of family or friends because they'll try to give me the answer they think I want to hear! Saturday would work best, I agree. It's a little extra financially but I think it's worth it because I want to make as much people can make it since we're already having a small wedding anyways (around 50 people). Plus I can't help but feel bad for those who have to take time off from work.

Vendors might give you a better price for a Friday - but you're probably more likely to get that discount the closer to the wedding you book, which could be stressful. I certainly wouldn't count on it though, so if the $1000 price difference of the room is enough of a budget buster, then go with Friday. When I looked at venues I was willing to consider Friday if it was significantly cheaper, but it turned out that the only discounts I was getting was on the room price, not the food price, so it wasn't a huge percentage of the total price tag I was saving. I opted to go with a Saturday (and it's near Cape Cod in MA, so Cape traffic on Friday evenings is horrendous).

I don't mind taking a day/half a day off from work to go to a Friday wedding if you're a very good friend or family, but I might not do it for a more casual friend.

Though I would still prefer a Friday night to Sunday wedding, personally.

misssunshine17 · September 2013

retro_belle24 said:

Thanks girls for being honest, this is why I come here instead of family or friends because they'll try to give me the answer they think I want to hear! Saturday would work best, I agree. It's a little extra financially but I think it's worth it because I want to make as much people can make it since we're already having a small wedding anyways (around 50 people). Plus I can't help but feel bad for those who have to take time off from work.

Good for your for taking the advice! So many brides would have come back with guns blazing. Stick around and you'll learn a ton!

JoanE2012 · September 2013

retro_belle24 said:

Thanks girls for being honest, this is why I come here instead of family or friends because they'll try to give me the answer they think I want to hear! Saturday would work best, I agree. It's a little extra financially but I think it's worth it because I want to make as much people can make it since we're already having a small wedding anyways (around 50 people). Plus I can't help but feel bad for those who have to take time off from work.

You mentioned a June wedding. Have you considered an off season month? You might be able to get a Saturday off season for a comparable price to a Friday in June.

loca4pook · September 2013

I got married on a Friday and YES, I got discounts on every vendor I had. 10 percent seemed standard. Not only did I get 10 percent off my venue's menu, the "minimum" we needed to spend was much less as well...which helped since my wedding was tinier

I do not regret it. I had no complaints at all, though I was not the first to do it in my family, so I basically knew nobody cared when my sister had done it..so I knew I was mostly safe.

I had a big turn out at my church, too, (which people told me I wouldn't have due to work).

melbelleup · September 2013

Thanks girls for being honest, this is why I come here instead of family or friends because they'll try to give me the answer they think I want to hear! Saturday would work best, I agree. It's a little extra financially but I think it's worth it because I want to make as much people can make it since we're already having a small wedding anyways (around 50 people). Plus I can't help but feel bad for those who have to take time off from work.

Glad you decided on this. My cousin had his wedding on a Friday and I had to take off thursday and friday just to attend it. I live 8 hours away which is why thursday was needed.

lizandmark2014 · October 2013

I think it depends on the area you are planning a wedding in. There are several venues and venders that do not offer a discount for a Friday vs a Saturday. You are lucky.

cordsniper · October 2013

Most people are unlikely to complain to your face, even if they are grumbling elsewhere. They are inconvenient for many people but to each their own.

vmj23 · October 2013

My wedding is planned for Friday evening. It is a holiday weekend (Monday is the holiday) so I figured more people would be likely to get out early that day. Our reception is at 7 (cocktail hour starts at 6) so even if people have to work they can still attend. we are having a relatively small wedding and the people that I would most want to be there all can attend. I definitely prefer a Friday evening wedding to a Sunday wedding. My venue was about $10/person less for Friday.

ei34 · October 2013

Friday weddings are extremely popular in NYC- it's where I'm from and the only night I've ever gone to weddings on. I just don't know anyone who can afford a Saturday night wedding. I personally love it because you have an extra weekend day to recover from the wedding I'm not the type of person who gets offended or inconvenienced by something as trivial as Friday vs. Sat though..

Hubby and I got married on a Friday (in NYC), and the venue was $80 less/pp than if we'd went with a Saturday. We didn't receive discounts from any other vendors though (florist, DJ, limos, etc.) Like I already said, because Friday is such a big night for weddings around here, everyone else's prices were the same. Happy planning!

Mitch617 · December 2013

Hi ladies, I'm hoping to book a Friday wedding too, for August 1. The venue is $500 cheaper (catering is separate and we are having the ceremony and reception in the same place). We originally wanted Saturday, but the venue was booked for any Saturday that would work for us this summer, and summer is a must because we work in schools and have summer off. I would much rather have a Friday night than Sunday, but am kind of torn on start time. We have 5 hours including ceremony. My mom says 5-10 because any later would make people start leaving before the reception ends... Not sure if I agree. I was thinking 6-11 to give people more time to get there from work, but then again they would still have to leave early or take a day of when you consider driving and changing clothes. I feel like summers are generally more flexible with people's work schedules, but don't want to stress people out with making arrangements. I know my bridesmaids do not mind the Friday no matter what time, but what do you think?

pinkcow13 · December 2013

I personally have no issues with a Friday wedding. I am also from NYC and honestly, Friday night weddings are very common. Most [if not all] venues are cheaper on a Friday night compared to a Saturday night. In fact, one venue we visited would let us party till 4AM on a Friday night. If we chose Saturday night, we would need to end by 9PM or pay an extraMitch617, I like the idea of a 6-11 or even 7-12 wedding on a Friday night. What are your guests like, though? For example, our family and friends are pretty much party animals so we are looking into after party's also LOL. I think maybe take into consideration what the majority of your guests are like when determining the time frame for your event.

Mitch617 · December 2013

@pinkcow13 thanks for the feedback. Huge price difference you have there!! Most of our guests are family, many over age 50 and a few kids. The friends and younger cousins would probably do an after party but for the official event a 10pm end time might be best.....I will ask more of my family and see

peggerzz · December 2013

I am having a Friday night wedding. Currently I live in FL and my family is all in MN/ND. For me it was logistically easier b/c they can party all they want Friday night, relax on Saturday and fly home SUnday. no one likes to fly home early after being out late.

It's really up to you. I look at it as either they are going to travel or not.

CrazyCatLady3 · December 2013

Mitch617 said:

@pinkcow13 thanks for the feedback. Huge price difference you have there!! Most of our guests are family, many over age 50 and a few kids. The friends and younger cousins would probably do an after party but for the official event a 10pm end time might be best.....I will ask more of my family and see

I would prefer to have the extra time to get there and have 6-11 rather than 5-10. I feel like 10 is a really early end time for a friday night wedding, unless most of your guests are very young or very old.

Kerigirl9 · December 2013

Part depends on where in CT people will come in from. I grew up in SW CT where you could get to Manhattan in 45 minutes by car or take the MetroNorth express from Brewster North and be in Grand Central in slightly over an hour. I'm assuming since you're calling it a DW that your guests will be traveling farther?

chkmeowt · December 2013

I'm also having a Friday evening wedding - ceremony at 6pm, cocktail hour 6:30-7:30, dinner 7:30-8:30, dancing 8:30-11:30. If people can't/don't want to take off work early then I'm not going to begrudge them that. It would be the same for people who work on Saturdays, which is a lot of people I know, since my friends and I are in the public service sector. Guests are generally going to have to make some kind of sacrifice to their schedule to attend (yours/mine/our) weddings. It's the nature of the beast. And also why we want to treat them right with a well hosted event.

buddysmom80 · December 2013

We're having a Friday night wedding. The only reason we're doing this is because the venue we booked at has no guest minimum for a Friday night. Our guest list is 50 and most venues in my area had guest minimums for Saturdays at 100-200. I want to properly host my guests, so we chose a Friday night wedding.

FWIW, I prepared FI that we are going to get a ton of declines. I understand that Friday weddings are hard. But as someone who works in healthcare, Saturday weddings were just as bad too since it was hard to get a Saturday off if you were working.

Our timeline (in my head so far) is this: Ceremony 6:30-7pm, Cocktail hour 7-8pm, Dinner and receptions 8pm-midnight.

XP: Friday evening wedding

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