Why Friday Weddings ROCK!
Don’t get us wrong - Saturday events are great! It’s easy to see why Saturdays usually fill first when we open the books for another year of weddings. However, there are some awesome advantages to hosting a Friday wedding. In fact, we actually chose a Friday for our own wedding!!
Now that we’ve helped more than 500 couples with their weddings, here are some of the highlights and considerations for choosing a Friday!
Cost
Venues and other vendors often offer lower prices on Fridays. While our venue provides an amazing value and pricing transparency for clients, studies from across the country show that many people end up spending more on their event than initially planned. Leveraging the savings from a discounted Friday date can allow you to stay on budget and splurge on the details that are important to you (such as the ideal venue, hiring a videographer and serving late night snacks or a signature drink).
Flexibility
Saturdays typically fill up faster than other days of the week. If you’re open to a Friday, you might have more date options to choose from. If others beat you to all of the Saturdays during your ideal month at your favorite venue, snatching up a Friday allows you to still have an amazing event without sacrificing a desired month or location.
Weekend getaway
It can turn your wedding into a weekend-long celebration for guests, especially those traveling. They can take the Saturday after the wedding to enjoy the area with relaxation or local exploration.
With the extra Saturday, you can extend the celebration with a post-wedding gift opening, brunch or outing. Out of town guests will be more likely to join since they won’t have to rush back home as soon as they would on a Sunday.
Another Day of Rest
People can sleep in and have two whole days to enjoy the weekend after your wedding! On Friday weddings, guests can have an amazing time staying late to celebrate a close friend or family member’s wedding, then wake up Saturday morning with two days to recover and enjoy the weekend. Saturday weddings still have the advantage of Sunday to recover, but we all know the “Sunday Scaries” could settle in. I know I’d definitely take that extra day buffer!
Work schedules
One of the biggest concerns from couples is that guests won’t be able to make a Friday wedding, or that they’ll need to take time off work. While some guests may need to take another day off to attend a Friday wedding (especially if they are part of the wedding party or traveling), the new reality is that many people might not have to take off much or any time if they have flexible schedules or work from home, especially if starting the ceremony a little later in the day.
Friday Event Timeline
If you are having both your ceremony and reception at the same venue, you can start your event later since there is no travel time needed during the event. Here is a sample timeframe for a Friday event with a later start time (although you can easily choose to start your event a couple of hours earlier than this):
Ceremony: 5:30pm
Cocktail/Social Hour: 6pm-7pm
Dinner/Toasts: 7pm-8:30pm
Dance: 8:30pm-11:30pm
Most DJs suggest up to 3 hours as the ideal timeframe for a dance. People get tired after hours of enjoying free beverages, doing the Cupid Shuffle and singing Sweet Caroline! Starting your event later in the day increases your chance of your event ending with a bang. As a wedding DJ for nearly 15 years, I can promise you that the Friday night crowds were more likely to be chanting “one more song” at the end of the night..
If you’re interested in our award-winning venue, we would love to work with you and help you have an amazing event, whether that be a Friday, Saturday or even a weekday!
Reach out to our team to start planning your amazing wedding day today!
Written By Blaine Beck, Owner, Abella Weddings & Events
Photo by Katie Lee Photography (@katieleephotographywi)