You’re engaged!! Woohoo!! Cue the confetti and soak up the love, you’re about to be bombarded with the number one question for newly engaged couples by everyone who sees that shiny bauble on your finger.
When’s the big day?
There are a ton of factors that go into picking the right wedding date for you. Maybe it’s as simple as what date your dream venue has available. But what if you have no set venue or ideas on when to get married?? Where do you start in making those decisions? There are several factors to consider such as the weather, your color palette, the dress code and of course in the end also your venue!
Traditionally the busiest months for weddings in the Midwest are May through October. But how do you decide which season to look at for your wedding? Before making any decisions it’s important to look at some of the factors and ask yourselves a few questions.
Process of Elimination
Do you sweat a lot? Sounds like a weird question, but I have had grooms/brides in the past who get super hot super fast. This one question eliminates the summer/early fall dates from the potential wedding dates for you. On the opposite side of that, do you HATE being cold?? Then winter might not be a good fit for you either. Statistically later fall and early summer offer milder temperatures. Another process of elimination question to ask yourself is if there are particular florals that are MUST haves for you. Some florals fluctuate in price quite significantly depending on the season, this could really affect your budget and some decisions. One quick note, if you have your heart set on outdoor photos and plan to get married in the dead of winter, talk with your florist about creating an OUTDOOR ONLY bouquet. This would consist of items that can withstand the cold temperatures. Most, okay I’m pretty sure ALL, florals brown and wilt in our harsh winter temps and can NOT be taken outside for photos!
The Color Palette
Let’s say you’ve narrowed it down to a spring or fall wedding. The next thing I would look at, and this may surprise you, would be PINTEREST! Head on over to Pinterest and type in “Spring Wedding Inspiration” and then open a new window and do the same thing for Fall. Take some time to really let those different color palettes and ideas soak in. Put those windows side by side on your computer and ask yourself “which one feels more like YOU”.
Traditionally you’re going to find more bold colors for the fall and more muted tones for the spring. Now is this saying that you HAVE to use those color palettes ONLY in that season? No, it’s your wedding, you do what you want! This is just what is traditionally seen in those seasons for colors and themes. I’ll say this a few different times, you can do what you want, it’s your wedding day! Just keep in mind how your color palette will also look with the backdrop of the season!
Mother Nature
Oh the unpredictable beauty that we call Mother Nature. If you live in the midwest you’ll remember that this year and last year were both INSANE for predictability for the weather. Some of the earliest snowfalls and highest amounts of rainfalls as well. This fall in particular was riddled with rainy weekends and some unseasonably cold weekends. There, of course, were a few beautiful weekends plopped in-between the chaos of the weather, but weddings aren’t planned in a day. My biggest piece of advice I offer to all of my brides, GO WITH THE FLOW and HAVE AN OPEN MIND. Have a backup plan, roll with it, but have seriously have a back up plan. There is nothing worse than waking up the morning of an outdoor wedding knowing there is no backup plan and it is pouring outside. Most venues will help you with a backup plan so be sure to utilize that help as well!! Winter weddings have their own unique set of challenges in Minnesota. Sure, the freshly fallen snow makes everything look so beautiful and clean, but travel in winter can be treacherous at times. Let’s face it, Mother Nature is unpredictable so the biggest point I want to drive home right here is that you NEED a backup regardless of the time of year. Have boots and umbrellas ready to go for summer and be ready to book last minute hotels for vendors if they are traveling in from out of town for a winter wedding and have those winter boots and cute wraps ready too. And you know what, rain on your wedding day doesn’t mean we can’t get outside for some amazing photos!!!
The Venue
It may seem a little obvious that the venue is going to play a big part in deciding what season to get married. But maybe it doesn’t. Some venues such as the Hampton or Bluebelle Event Venue offer year round services where as others such as BWB are not equipped for hosting events year round. Look into all of your venue options and talk with them about your wedding day. Find out what backup plans they have in place if they are hosting the ceremony on site and the weather takes a turn or what they have to offer for winter weddings. Some venues will even offer an off season special on their pricing so be sure to check that out too. Oh, and don’t forget to check out the venue for HOT weather too. Some venues that run just in the summer months don’t have air conditioning, and folks that gets REAL uncomfortable REAL fast. Whatever you decide, I honestly can’t stress enough to have a backup. Rent the tent and make sure you’re covered in any event!!
The Attire
Now, this can be a bit of a smaller factor, but one I wanted to mention. It wouldn’t make much sense to get married in the dead of winter and wear a slinky summery dress with thin layers and tiny straps, especially in Northern Minnesota. Can you add a fur to it to make more season appropriate, totally. Keep your dress code in mind as well when you are looking at when to get married. Your guests might not be super happy with a black tie outdoor wedding in July. And groomsmen, they don’t like sweating their butt off in a full suit all day for photos and then the ceremony on a hot summer day either. This goes for the girls too, if you’re wanting to plan a winter wedding, make sure their attire is fitting. Gift them cute wraps to take the chill off.
OH and BRIDES, please please PLEASE compare the whites!! If you have an ivory dress a stark white wrap is going to have a bluish tint. Same goes for veils, but that’s another topic for another day.
One last question to ask yourself. What season makes you happiest. That’s the most important question of all. If your favorite evenings are those late summer nights by the bonfire with friends, that should play a huge factor in your decision making. Or if your favorite memories are cozied up in the winter with friends and board games while the fire roars, let that sway you too.
Whatever you choose, your wedding day will be fabulous and amazing just like you. Over the next weeks I’ll be sharing each individual season in a blog post and talking more in-depth about the challenges, benefits and sharing some inspiration. Drop a comment below with any questions you have about a specific season, I’d love to hear from you!!!
