Newly-engaged couple Dingdong and Marian Rivera announced in August 15 that their grand wedding would be on December 30–a Tuesday! While Saturday is the norm, weekday weddings are becoming more common nowadays. While almost all wedding considers a catering service in Manila or anywhere the couple will marry, there are opportunities and compromises a weekday or weekend wedding presents. Read on.
Saturday is considered as the most popular day for several reasons. Most working people have Saturdays as their days off and Sundays as rest days. There will be plenty of time for traveling and staying at the venue even when the wedding is out-of-town. They can use their Sundays to recover from a hangover and sleepiness before they head back to work on Monday. Any other day will certainly create an issue for some guests.
Choice. With thousands of weddings occurring in the Philippines and with only 52 weeks on the calendar, you are unquestionably facing a tough competition. The most popular churches, venues, caterers, and other wedding suppliers especially those that accommodate one-event-per-day might have already been booked. If the caterer of choice is a non-negotiable, for instance, you are more likely to book the supplier for a non-weekend wedding.
Cost. Saturday is the most expensive wedding day, and Wednesday is the least expensive day. Majority of the venues are offered on discounted rates during weekdays. The same goes with other wedding suppliers who may be more willing to negotiate since weekdays are not as in demand as Saturdays and Sundays. On the other hand, be reminded that some venues are only available on weekends. Some wedding suppliers have day jobs as well, so they may not be able to accommodate a weekday wedding. In case you need to settle for another venue, having second and third choices is a welcome idea.
Booking on a weekday will endow you with lots of savings that you can devote to nice-haves of a wedding such as food bars and stations. If you are initially restricted by your budget, a weekday wedding is the most polite way of limiting the guest list. Not to mention, accommodations and travels are cheaper during weekdays so you can expect a sizable number of guests even when the wedding falls on a Monday.
Crowd. If you worry too much about privy onlookers and crashers, timing your wedding day on a Monday to a Thursday will limit the number of the crowd in and around the church and venue. There will be less traffic on the roads as well since majority of the urban dwellers are at work, so competing for road space won’t be necessary. The situation is laudable especially for those who need to travel 2 to 3 hours just to be with you on your special day. Both situations lead to a much better guest experience.
Celebration. If the wedding falls on a Thursday or Friday, your guests can extend their stay especially when the wedding is out of town. Even until Sunday! On the contrary, some guests will be hesitant to stay more so because of work or school the next day. Possibly, there are some people who surely want to be with you on your big day, but can’t come because the boss said so.
Be prepared as well since there will be empty seats on the ceremony (though this might work to your advantage depending on from which point of view you are going to look at it). Expectedly, they will go straight to the reception.
Program. Weekday weddings tend to have shorter programs, thinking that some have to wake up early the next day. It would be useless to have a cocktails bar so skip the cocktails. Very few people will drink anyway. Consider getting a coffee bar instead. Guests can grab a to-go cup they can contend with while on the road going home.
Essentially, the gains and compromises involved in weekday and weekend weddings will vary greatly for each couple. Decision-making typically boils down to answering these questions: Can I afford a weekend wedding that I really, really want? Can’t my guest be with me even if I choose a Tuesday wedding? Can we compromise to celebrate our anniversary? These are the questions that deserve long deliberations.
Importantly, both of you should be comfortable with your choice. Weekday weddings occur because the date is so special to the couple like first date, first kiss, or anniversary. Some chose a weekday wedding because of the meaning behind the date (i.e., 8-8-2008, 11-11-11, 12-13-14, September 8, December 8, etc.).
If you really cannot go with the norm, remember these pointers:
Come what may, respect other people’s decision not to attend your wedding given all the circumstances. Don’t let this ruin your big day. The bottom line is both of you are happy, and so are the people who are able to attend the wedding. Planning your wedding day carefully ensures that your guests will have a great time regardless of whether it falls on a Tuesday.
For more than 30 years , we have been blessed to be a part of thousands of weddings, debuts, kids parties, corporate events, and private celebrations. In all these events, we make sure we are not only your caterer but more importantly your partner in every step from conceptualizing, budgeting and planning up to final execution.
