The Perks of an Off-Peak (Non-Saturday) Wedding
As hundreds of couples are postponing their weddings due to Covid-19 and with only 52 weeks in the year, couples are finding their ability to book a new Saturday wedding limited. While this fact initially saddens some couples, we are here to preach the good news about have an off-peak wedding! “Off-peak” means any day but Saturday.
They are called “off-peak” wedding dates. But there isn’t anything “off” about them!
I reached out to some of TGT’s previous non-Saturday wedding clients to see what they found to be perks of their “off-peak” wedding.
Off-peak wedding dates are known for having discounted rates with vendors and venues (hoorah money saving!) but beyond the potential financial discount, what were the other perks to hosting a wedding on a non-Saturday?
Eamon (Thursday Wedding) : The rehearsal dinner was significantly more affordable as we were able to stretch out budget further (champagne taste on a beer budget). Instead of an intimate sit-down, we were able to instead rent out an entire restaurant and have a large welcome party for those coming out of town.
Lauren (Friday Wedding): It gave my husband and I a full weekend of recovery time! We did not go immediately into our honeymoon. So it was really nice to just chill for a few days with our closest friends/family before they headed home.
Lisa (Monday Wedding) : We were able to get our favorite bar for the afterparty at no additional charge—that would have been impossible on a Saturday. It worked out great for the bar because they were packed on a night that is usually slow for them, and it was great for us because we had the whole place to ourselves without having to rent it out.
Grace (Friday Wedding): We were getting married in a public park which couldn't be completely closed off to passers-by. While we didn't mind having some non-guests in the area, Prospect Park can get really crowded on weekends, and we didn't want to have a kid's soccer game or a loud BBQ interrupting our vows! By having our wedding on a Friday, we were able to have a little more privacy, while still being in the public space where we first met!
Though we live in New York City, our wedding was still a destination for many of our guests. Having our wedding on Friday meant that our guests had a full weekend to enjoy the city once the wedding obligations were over.
The Perks of an off peak wedding. Photo Courtesy: The Portos
Do you think you were faced with any particular challenges due to having your wedding on a non-Saturday?
Lisa: Nope! People from out of town would have had to take time off work anyway, so having our wedding on a Monday allowed them to take the weekend to travel and enjoy NYC.
Grace: It may have been little harder on some of our family members and bridal party, as we asked them to come on Thursday to help with preparations. We made sure to clear this with any VIPs that it could have been an issue with and they all were happy to commit.
Lauren: There's more traffic on Fridays. So we had to account for that in thinking about transit times. We did do an evening wedding because of the day. Allowing local guests to work a full day and not much take time off (another perk, in a way).
Do you think that hosting on a non-Saturday affected your guest list?
Lisa: Not in the least! In our case it allowed friends to make it who wouldn’t have otherwise been able to.
Eamon: Nope.
Grace: Very minimally, if at all. Some of our guests also said they got better flight deals because they were flying in on a weekday!
Lauren: No.
The Perks of an Off Peak Wedding. Photo Courtesy Pat Furey
What was your favorite part of your wedding?
Lisa: Having all of our friends and family together and dancing like fools!
Eamon: The fact that our wedding wasn’t just a single day but rather a weekend of fun was probably our favorite part. The wedding goes by so fast, you hardly have time to make memories instead we had three days to catch up with everyone, have a laugh and be in the moment. All in all we were able to turn our wedding into a huge coming- together family weekend. Our wedding was on a Thursday, rehearsal dinner on a Wednesday and brunch party on Friday.... that left Saturday Sunday and Monday available for guests to explore the city where we fell in love... or recover from their hangovers.
Grace: Seeing so many different groups of people from different parts of our life come together to celebrate us was so special. It wasn't the food or the venue or the attire that was important, but the family and friends that shaped our lives coming to support us on the first day of our marriage.
So go on ahead! Book a Sunday wedding! Book a Friday (or Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday) wedding! Your off-peak wedding will be YOUR wedding. Your guests will show up. They will celebrate. You will be loved.
Need help rescheduling your wedding? The Get Together Events Co. is now offering The Covid Coordinator- rescheduling and replanning services for those affected by Covid-19.
For more TGT Covid Coverage:
To Postpone or Not to Postpone Your Wedding?
Amid Covid-19: How To Celebrate Your Wedding Safely
Navigating Your Wedding Postponement
4 Planning Steps to Get Married Now
4 Reasons Why Your Zoom Wedding Still Needs a Wedding Coordinator
Watch Lauren discuss your wedding and COVID-19 on Nashville’s Channel 5 News.
Read Lauren’s recommendations for postponement on Yahoo Finance.