Friday, the new black?

Don't you just hate that saying???? What is the NEW black and what's wrong with the old black?

Back in focus...

Today is Friday and had this been 6 weeks down the line, chances are, you might just be getting prepared to attend a Wedding as a guest (or working in my case).As inflation is taking its toll on everything, including the lovely wedding market, more and more couples are considering the option of non-Saturday nuptials. I for one encourage them hands down and actually have my fair share of Thursday/Monday weddings this year as well.

Why exactly may be different than you think…

While it’s common knowledge that on average, couples can save 10 to 20 percent on the total bill by booking a non-Saturday wedding, typically in the venue either crediting the gratuity (19-21% in our area) , waiving fees such as rentals, offering bigger ballroom space, offering the same menu as on Saturday, at a reduced price, and greater availability for the more popular venues, did you ever consider that a Friday wedding may in fact be more convenient for your guests? Let’s take a look...

Travel:
Airfare/accommodations will often offer discounted rates for travel on Thursday

Flexibility:
Most people actually prefer to take off Friday rather than a Monday (for Sunday weddings). The rational is simple-you have 2 additional days to recover from the weekends festivities and you really don’t get that feeling of “missing” out on the weekend…don’t you hate that?

Comps:
We LOVE the comps! Many hotel/lodging facilities offer comps during the week such as continental breakfast, reduced rates and upgrades…much more than they do on the weekend.

If you are having a Friday wedding however, please be conscience of the time. Friday night at the shore mid June at 6:00 pm, with 90% of your guests coming in from OOT, may cause a few hiccups along the way. As it is, many out-of-town guests will have to take a day off work to attend a wedding held on a Friday (or Sunday). Analyze your guest list to determine if the majority will be traveling locally, or from a distance. If you find that many guests are driving in, aim to have your weekday wedding later in the evening so that your guests still have the option to attend work (possibly half day), avoid rush hour congestion and get ready without looking a flustered mess.

If you’re finding this to be a problem, and just can not get the venue of your dreams during the latter time frame, my advice…book it and be done! At the end of the day, the people who love you will attend your wedding and make the necessary arrangements REGARDLESS of the day or time-believe me. Your best friend/mother will be at your wedding be it Friday at 4pm, or Tuesday at 11:30 am, will they not?

Happy Friday!