Need Advice: Wedding Date

[bekkiz]

A long long time ago, before we got engaged, Adam and I decided May 2004 would be the perfect time to get married. Our anniversary is in may, it's spring so we could get married outside...perfect.
Except now that I'm engaged and planning, I do not want to wait that long, and may is problematic for a few reasons

a) I am a teacher (or will be in june) If we marry in may, that's right in the end of school, we'd have to wait on the honeymoon and I'd have to go teach the monday or turesday after. However, the weather is perfect, we can get married outside and it still fits our anniversary

b) We can wait till June, but it's june not may, and that's a whole other month to wait. But I'll be off school, more family can come (maybe not a good thing???) and I'll be less stressed

c) We can move it up to November or December, assuming those dates aren't taken yet. If we do it over t-day or x-mas vacation, instant mini honeymoon. Can I plan that fast? It may be very cold and rainy, what happens if we have to marry indoors? But, I'd be less stressed and be married faster (which to be honest is all I really care about, the wedding is a nice side note)

Thoughts, help?
thanks

 

[skuttle]

Even though you are anxious to get married, I'd wait until June that way you can have a great wedding AND honeymoon without worrying about school. DH and I were engaged in December 1998 and married in June 2000...we waited so long b/c I wanted to wait until after I graduated (December 1999), I wanted a spring/summer wedding, and we wanted to wait until our friend would be finsihed school for the semester.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

Move it to June...
That way you can take a vacation every year on your Anniversary.
I would never do a holiday, uck...you will forever busy around that time and your anniversary will be lost because of it.

 

[BobBrazeal]

I voted for June as well for all the same reasons already voiced.

Do you really mean it when you say, "the wedding is a nice side note". If it really isn't all that important, why put a lot of time, energy and money into something that is going to last about 30 minutes. Scale it back and get married June 2003. I'm not suggesting a justice of the peace type thing, just nothing fancy with only close friends and family. That gets the wedding in June for all the reasons above and achieves what you want and that is to be married faster.

 

[caitycaity]

please don't do it over xmas or tgiving this close to the time. we recently had a huge disagreement with a very close friend of ours (dh is in the wedding) b/c they moved it to thanksgiving week, but we already had plans with my family that we could not cancel. i'd vote for june. i know that you want to get married sooner, but believe me, there is plenty of time.

 

[FOJMO]

Originally posted by bekkiz
Our anniversary is in may

OK, what anniversary are you referring to?????????

 

[CJMickeyMouse]

My only advice is NOT to get married on Thanksgiving or Christmas Day. My nephew wed on Thanksgiving Day this past year, and it really caused serious family problems. Even if everyone forgives, Thanksgiving will NEVER be the same.

Good luck with your decision!

 

[Boots]

I am the lone vote for December! I think you would have plenty of time to get things ready. Plus a Christmas wedding is beautiful. My church is usually decorated with poinsettias, wreaths, two big Chrismon trees, etc. There are also hurrican globes in all the windows with greenery. So the cost of decorating is way down plus it is gorgeous!!!

 

[Minnie824]

Where is your honeymoon going to be? We got married the Saturday before Thanksgiving and went to Disneyworld for the honeymoon and it was the perfect time of year! If you're able to take off those extra two/three days of Thanksgiving week, that would work well. There were a few flurries for us, but we love fall weather so to us it was great. On the honeymoon, the Christmas decorations were up, and it wasn't as crowded. So, I'd vote for the weekend before Thanksgiving if its possible.

However.....
it sounds like you like warmer weather, and if you dreamed of having a May wedding, keep it as a May wedding. It will be warmer and you can have it outside as you mentioned. Also, there is so much to do for the wedding! I know far in advance, you have lists and everything seems organized, but as it gets closer, theres always something to do and it can be overwhelming, especially if you're scurrying to change dates and get stuff done. So, I guess I'm kindof voting for May too. Congratulations!

 

[Serena]

How about this?
Get married and have a small reception now, then have a big party and a honeymoon in June.

 

[Wagamama]

i voted for a december wedding...

 

[Sonya]

As a teacher who has doen the Christmas wedding, let me say DON"T DO IT! You are too stressed with the end of term and Christmas to have wedding. I went on my homeymoon with pneumonia. I voted for June.

 

[disykat]

I didn't vote, but I will give my %.02. If you have your heart set on a May wedding, do it. However if I was in your shoes I would do a Christmas wedding or wait until June when school is out. The honeymoon was too important to me to be just a weekend.

I am a teacher who had a December wedding and it was great. I got engaged in June, got most of the details done over the summer, had the wedding on the 22nd and enjoyed a great honeymoon. Since we did not live together (etc.!) before getting married, it was important to us to marry fairly quickly and have time for a really special honeymoon. We knew going in that we would not celebrate our anniversary in a big way, but that the entire Christmas season would be special to us and we would plan a big date after Christmas day each year. Although my wedding had 200 guests, it was a simple affair so the stress level wasn't that bad. I would take into consideration if it will be your first year of teaching though- that might throw the stress over the top.

Heck, if I were you I would probably opt for early August.

 

[smileybrat]

i voted for june. more people come to weddings during the summer and leaving it in 2004 gives you plenty of time to change dates with the caterer, band or dj, wedding hall and reception hall, photographer, etc. plus if you have it in june and want to go somewhere for your anniversary you don't have to miss school or go at busy times (holidays) as you would at the other dates. don't rush your wedding plans just because you want to get married now, you'll regret it later.

 

[Rock'n Robin]

I voted for June. As a teacher I've seen teachers do this every which way. One friend of mine got married two weeks before school was out and took his honeymoon in July. A guy last December got married Friday Dec. 20--our last day of school before vacation--and even worked in the morning, but he was the groom, not the bride!
I got married June 21 myself. Our "special day" up to that point was 12/22, the day we started "going together" (how quaint and OLD!!!). I wanted nice weather and I figured the first day of summer would be easy for DH to remember.
The end of the year can be so stressful as a teacher. I don't know if I would ever want to juggle that with a wedding!
Robin M.

 

[snoopy]

I had a summer wedding and am partial to summer weddings. But Christmas weddings can be so beautiful too, but NOT if you are planning on getting married outside!

If it were me, I'd wait until June.

 

[Mishetta]

Anytime is the right time for a wedding but....I chose the Christmas Holiday because my cousin got married the day after Christmas several years ago & that was the most magical wedding I've ever been too. I've been to tons of weddings but that particular one is the one I remember the most details. The church was breathtaking & the reception hall was decorated so beautifully too!

One thing to keep in mind is that if you're trying to cut expenses, the holiday season is the best time to marry since Churches are all decorated with lovely poinsettia's & reception halls have beautiful Christmas decorations as well....you won't have to spend as much on decorating or flowers!!!

Have fun planning!

 

[minniecarousel]

I gotta agree - June 2004 makes the most sense. Even here in the Bay Area, outdoor weddings in November & December are risky. June is the perfect time to get married (we got married in Sept since DH was a student at Cal State, & the quarter there didn't start 'til the end of Sept.) It also won't seem like you're "putting it off" much by changing it by a month. The anniversary of your first date will always be that, plus another reason to celebrate!
Good luck in your decision!

 

[bekkiz]

Just an interesting side note. I posted this same question on a wedding msg. board (the DIS of wedding stuuf) and they came up with the exact opposite response as you all. Most said to have it in Novemeber, and almost no one said to push it back. I think the difference is that most of them are also waiting for their weddings, and also feel anxious, where most of you have been there, done that and realize how much work it all is

Just some clarification. We'd probably have it Nov. 22, 2003, not on the actual day

 

[Minnie824]

Just thought of something different.....what about getting married the Saturday before your spring or Easter break? My friend who is a teacher did this and it worked out great. That way, you'd move up the wedding a little bit, and its still close to May. Just another suggestion.