So you’ve decided to plan a wedding…that was the easy part! When planning a special event, the choices and decisions can be intimidating and overwhelming, but they also allow you to have fun and be creative.
The next few blog posts will discuss common dilemmas that arise when planning a special event, beginning with the choice of seasons.
Spring, Fall, Summer, Winter
Each season offers plenty of advantages and disadvantages, and of course, the weather is always a factor.
Winter special occasions are beautiful, especially with the holidays as a background for your theme. Colors naturally present themselves as do fabrics and flowers. However, because of the unpredictability of winter weather, no matter where you live, you need to have contingency plans. A friend of mine planned a March wedding in Georgia which should have been a relatively safe time of year, except for the blizzard that suddenly swept through. However, because the event was taking place at a hotel, many guests, including the entire wedding party, had already arrived. Additionally, because the event was in downtown Atlanta, transportation was still possible.
Spring events are guaranteed to be beautiful, but if the occasion is to occur outside, the weather cannot be relied upon. My wedding took place in June 2006. The week before my wedding was beautiful – sunny and mild. The day before my wedding, a heat wave occurred, so everyone was outside in ninety degree weather. Luckily, the reception was being held at the same place, so guests stayed inside until time for the ceremony, and the wedding party was provided with bottles of water. Finally, the ceremony only lasted about twenty minutes, so the time spent outside was minimized. As a final contingency plan, the ceremony could have been moved inside, but we were able to avoid that scenario.
Summer weddings seem easy to plan because families are not tied down with school schedules and calendars. However, because of the lack of commitments, families tend to travel which can make planning difficult. Consider setting a date for the middle of July which helps accommodate families who travel immediately after and prior to school starting, as well as the Fourth of July travelers. My brother chose this time of year for his wedding, and everyone was able to attend with minimal complications.
Finally, there is the Autumn special event. The weather is more predictable and usually more comfortable, but there’s another catch – It’s Football Season! One of my cousins planned a wedding for Autumn in Nebraska. Her solution to the football dilemma was to plan her wedding for a Friday evening. This type of planning allows college and professional football fans alike to attend the occasion without sacrificing the game. While this may seem like a minor issue to a non-football fan, if you live anywhere near a major university, it could be a major challenge for your guest list.