Don't Get Married on a Saturday!!
Okay the title may be a little optimistic. But seriously, there are some big benefits to having your wedding other days of the week. The biggest of those being HUGE savings! The venue, catering, DJs, photographers, and almost everyone in the business is willing to offer discounts for any day other than Saturday. I currently offer $200 off any wedding that isn't on a Saturday. I know many businesses with discounts as much as 50%. I've done weddings on Fridays, Sundays, and even Mondays! But let's be honest, the vast majority of people want to be married on Saturdays. So most wedding professionals have only a few weddings on different days of the week, and would love to fill the schedule.
Another great advantage is availability. It's a big letdown when you have a certain caterer you would love to use, or a venue that you've always dreamed of, but they're already booked. In fact, my Saturdays are almost completely booked 14 months in advance, year-round. Weddings are being planned further and further in advance for this exact reason. It will be so much easier to get the businesses you want for your wedding if it's not on a Saturday.
The most obvious choices other than Saturdays would be Fridays or Sundays. I think each has compelling reasons. If you want your wedding to last pretty late, Friday would be the obvious choice. But I would recommend a late ceremony, so people have time to get off work. Maybe as late as 7pm. You won't have to worry as much about work schedules on a Sunday, it's the fact that people have to work early on Monday that is the concern. Therefore many of the Sunday weddings I photograph are early afternoon ceremonies. And pay attention to extended holiday weekends, where you can get the best of both worlds!
You may think the whole idea is crazy. And it's certainly not for everyone. But hopefully I've opened your mind to the benefits of non-Saturday weddings, and maybe you'll even consider it a possibility! I'd love to hear your feedback! Are you open to being married a different day of the week? Comment below!
All of these images were taken from my first wedding on a Monday in Columbia, SC at 701 Whaley. Notice they look just like wedding pictures from a Saturday wedding ;)
Thanks for reading! I'm Trevor Mercer, a wedding photographer from Columbia, SC. I've been photographing weddings for over 10 years, and as a second-generation wedding photographer, I literally grew up in the business. I'm now providing wedding photography and videography for weddings in my state and well beyond, and I'm a 2016 winner in the Knot's Best of Weddings. I decided to start a blog and share everything I've learned about weddings through the years, and I hope it helps make your wedding planning a little easier. Please subscribe, share, and comment with your input or questions!
