According to research provided by The Wedding Report (weddingreport.com), the most popular time to get married has shifted from May and June to September and October. There are some great reasons to consider when to marry and it many times that decision is based on the couple’s wallet or if guest participation is important, it may play a heavy role in that consideration.
The time of the year to consider getting married can vary from one couple to another. Some couples want to choose a time that is significant them as well as a time when it is considerate for families, friends and the wedding party. The origins for when May and June were more popular to marry were:
Harvest
Couples often chose to marry in accordance to their peak harvest time. Having a late spring early summer wedding meant that a possible summer pregnancy would still be early enough in the season that a wife could help out with manual work during that year’s harvest period. It also meant that after a spring birth, the recovered bride would be in good enough health to assist in the next year’s harvest.
Cleanliness
A long time ago, regular bathing wasn’t exactly considered a necessity and was therefore reserved as a once-a-year event that the most of the population observed during the last part of May or beginning of June. As expected, right after their “annual bath“, many couples decided to tie the knot since each person was probably their most presentable (and less stinky) during this time compared to the upcoming twelve months.
The Roman Goddess: Juno
Juno was the ancient Roman goddess of marriage, and accordingly, many Romans chose to honor this goddess by having their wedding in June. Many considered this month to be the most favorable time to marry and would be showered with luck and good wishes from the gods above if they did so.
Fast forward into the 20th Century, these months remained more popular because of the weather, it typically ranges from warm to hot and perfect for outdoor weddings. Participation from family and friends were more likely since kids are traditionally out of school and folks took time off of work. The more popular the time frame however, the more expensive venues, catering and other aspects of the wedding became.
Now in the 21st Century, the shift for the most popular times to wed went to the fall months, so why the fall? Many reasons were based on the weather, the fall months are far more “comfortable” for outdoor weddings and the scenery is as beautiful as the summer months. Less creepy crawlers in some areas are also popular reasons. The cost of venues were less expensive than late spring or heart of the summer but now that trend is also changing to be more like the summer months yet still slightly less. The level of participation with family and friends have not changed now that couples are sending out Save-the-Dates as a courtesy for planning purposes.
Overall, the off season (or deep winter) months are still the least expensive times to have your wedding; months such as — January, February, and March –but, December has been gaining fast because of the holidays). Because there’s less demand, you’ll likely get discounted prices on your reception site — not to mention most of your other wedding services, like catering, photography, and flowers (except around Valentine’s Day and Easter, of course, when roses and lilies are at a premium because they’re in high demand). You can still save on high peak times depending on the time of day and week you want to marry.
So when you are thinking about the best time for you and your sweetie to get married, be sure to consider not only the weather and participation of your guests but keep in mind what is best for your wallet.
TAP