Be trendy and frugal with the Sunday wedding (Source: + darkolina).
So your wedding date is going to be set for sometime next year, right? Sooner? Yeesh. Have a seat before you call around for venue prices, because it may be hard to take. Just a newsflash, but according to the CDC, there were almost 2.1 million weddings in the United States in 2009! Don't ask my why the CDC keeps those statistics, but do ask if you can afford to ignore them. Just because your wedding is coming up soon doesn't mean that number of competing brides is going to get any smaller.
Wedding venues are expensive for many reasons, but mostly because they have to pay a mortgage and property taxes. Then you have cleaning staff, coordinating staff, and even possible caterers. Add on their utility bills and marketing budget, and you have a recipe for losing money - unless venues get top dollar for prime wedding days.
The absolute best way to get around paying a lot for a wedding venue is have a ceremony in a public place. I've attended several beautiful weddings in parks or otherwise which have special meaning to the bride and groom. The big drawback is you still have to throw a party. Enter the Sunday wedding. Wedding event venues can be marked up to 40% off the Saturday price. If you have the wedding on a week night, you might save even more. Especially on the coasts, the weekday wedding trend is starting to take hold. But the drawbacks have to be considered.
Sunday wedding goers from out of town may have to skip Monday work, costing them in turn. DJs, musicians, and photographers will likely charge the same for a Sunday's work, but look for other vendors actually charging more. Caterers, florists, and any sort of clergy that is normally busy with a Sunday service may add on certain percentage to get them out twice a weekend. Make it up to your out of town guests by having an early ceremony and wedding party, leaving them plenty of time to jet back home. Also, consider having a get together on Saturday at someone's house just for those that can't stay through the Sunday party. Or make it up with a great dinner, or better drinks. Just do a little math and remember, going the Sunday route isn't the end of the world.
