Sure, the warm summer breezes have their allure but saying ”I do” in the cooler months is an often overlooked way to plan a festive wedding for much less. We share a few reasons to consider planning your wedding during the off-season.
Did Someone Say Discount?
You know that huge estimate you’ve been getting for the “small, intimate wedding” you and your fiancee have been planning? How would you like to take 30%-50% off of that number? ”We were looking at a venue and found that we could have almost the same wedding for nearly half the cost if we held it in January as opposed to June,” says Mike, 35, New York, NY.
Courtesy of PrestonBailey.com
Spend Less on Decorations
Most wedding venues host other celebratory events, such as holiday parties. This means that couples who book a wedding between November and January can expect many venues to come pre-decorated and fully-kitted out for Christmas, offering a ready-made festive atmosphere that your guests will love. The hard part will be finding the place that really suits your style. Do you want crisp and modern or cozy and traditional? Most venues will go for traditional festival feel with trees, garlands and the usual colour scheme of reds, greens and golds, and if you do opt for this theme, a cup of hot chocolate or mulled wine is the perfect way to help heat up guests as they arrive. More contemporary venues (and those who want to remain holiday-neutral) may choose decorations with a modern twist, opting for simple, clean white colour schemes or metallics, complimented by tasteful lighting. Think the bad guy’s lair from Die Another Day. Sincere apologies to all who have been successfully repressing the memory of that film.
Plan An Easy Playlist
Holiday music sung by Nat King Cole, Ella Fitzgerald, Frank Sinatra, Bing Crosby and Elvis is perfect for the cocktail hour and dinner time. Simply pop on Pandora “Frank Sinatra Holiday” and enjoy your evening. It’s classic, posh and will please guests young and old.
Kill Two Birds With One Stone
“We held our wedding on New Years Eve and allowed all of our guests to bring a plus-one. This gave them a chance to get away with a date and enjoy a party with a DJ and open bar, surrounded by friends, on a night they weren’t expected to be at work. Many guests said they appreciated the gesture and had a great time,” says Steven, 32, Greenwich, CT.
Gifts for Guests Made Easy
Colorful ornaments, ingredients for spiked cider and s’mores, or even Candy Canes with bows are festive, fun and inexpensive ways to thank them for coming.
A More Interesting Bar Menu
Hot Toddies, spiked cocoa and mulled wine are all festive (and less expensive) ways to indulge guests desire to be toasty and toasted.
Go With a Theme
Pick a restaurant that’s jazzed up for the holiday season to host your pre-wedding get together or rehersal dinner. If in New York, there are a number of venues to choose from, but few do Christmas decorating as well as Rolf’s. Stick with the winter theme when working on invitations and go all white or use retro Hanukkah, Christmas or New Years Eve cards.
Rolf’s NYC
Things to Keep In Mind:
Book in advance. The holidays are a busy time thanks to corporate parties and family reunions. Book with the same forethought as you would a summer event.
Send Save The Dates early. You want to make sure guests know where they will be on or around a holiday.
Be thoughtful of guests with different religious backgrounds. For example, serve Hanukkah cookies or candied dreidels alongside candy canes.
Plan for bad weather. You don’t want to make guests trek through slush and snow or put them in harms way by making them drive on icy streets.
Plan for travel issues: Encourage guests to book any travel arrangements at least three months in advance to avoid price increases and overbooked planes, trains and automobiles. Encourage guests to get bad weather insurance.
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