In the words of Billy Idol: “It’s a nice day for a white wedding!”…or is it? Picking the date for your wedding can be tricky, but a few of these pointers could help you narrow down your options more effectively.
- The where?
Often the date and the venue go hand-in-hand. If you choose a very popular venue you might not have many days available to choose from, which might simplify (or complicate) things.
If the venue doesn’t narrow it down, perhaps the physical location will. Winters in KwaZulu-Natal for example are not nearly as bad as winters in the Cape. And rainfall patterns also differ from location to location. Be sure to take these into account when you are trying to decide.
- Indoor vs. outdoor?
If you are doing an indoor wedding the world is your oyster more or less. An outdoor wedding on the other hand, together with the location, will nudge you into more suitable outdoorsy times of the year. Just make sure your venue has a Plan B that you love, for in case the heaven’s open up. The weather has a particular knack of screwing you around when you least expect it.
- The season
We live in an awesome country, and although summer is typically seen as peak-season for weddings, our weather allows for weddings all-year round. With a spring wedding you have the benefit of flowers-in-bloom and with it not being rainy season a garden wedding, literally anywhere, could be ideal. A summer wedding in the Cape winelands or one of the surrounding beautiful beaches is also great as the Cape is normally not a summer rainfall district. Autumn and winter landscapes of the Drakensberg, Dullstroom, Clarens or Midlands Meander on the other hand are magnificent. Team that up with the cosiness of fires, a hearty hot meal and some red wine, and you’re set.
We’ve made it harder to choose haven’t we? Oops, our bad. Choices choices… Just think of the ideal backdrop you’ve wanted for your wedding, and pick your season.That way at least you have broader timelines available to you.
- Your available leave
If you don’t have enough leave available it would perhaps be a good idea to plan your wedding around a few public holidays. Even if you are not going on a honeymoon, you still need a day or two of down time before you get back to work again. Wedding on a Sunday and back at work the next day, will really suck, so make sure you plan properly.
- The honeymoon
Dreaming of that honeymoon on the beach in Santorini? Then you will have to go during April and September to get the best weather. Choosing the wedding date around your honeymoon might seem a little drastic, but it makes sense. Your honeymoon is the cherry on your wedding experience, and seeing as you’ll be honeymooning for several days (hopefully), the weather of your chosen destination has to suit your liking.
- The budget
A budget is perhaps not an ideal indicator of your wedding date, but it is the most practical. Perhaps you still need a year plus to save or maybe the budget is super tight and you are forced to get married on a Friday, out of season to save costs. None the less in South Africa autumn or winter weddings have plenty of perks, a cut in price can actually be a real bonus.
- Close family & your besties
With close family and besties scattered all over the country (and even the world), it is worth considering them before picking the date. A brother in England, a pregnant maid of honour or a sickly grammy can have an effect on your date picking. Try your best to pick a date that at least gives enough warning for people to do their thang.
Let us know if these tips helped by commenting below.