Is It Worth Having A Midweek Wedding?
By
5 months ago
Trying to save a few crucial wedding pennies? The midweek wedding could be your saving grace
Wedding season is in full-swing (typically spanning May to September), but you might have noticed some differences this year amid soaring prices. So long, Saturdays: one thing leading wedding planning website Hitched has noticed is the rise of the midweek wedding as couples swerve those premium weekend slots (which come with premium prices).
In fact, the most popular date for couples to tie the knot in 2024 is Monday 23 September, with more than 4,500 weddings set for that date. And, for the first time in Hitched’s years of research, a Saturday date hasn’t even made it into the top five most popular days (intriguingly, the top five are Monday 23 September, Friday 23 August, Sunday 23 June, Thursday 23 May and Tuesday 23 July; what is it about 23?).
If you’re in the early stages of wedding planning, you might be wondering whether it’s worth having a midweek wedding for yourself. We’ve gathered all of the pros and cons so you don’t have to.
Should I Have A Midweek Wedding?
The Pros
1. Saving Money
The number one benefit of a midweek wedding is reduced cost, and according to Hitched, Tuesday is sparking lots of interest, with a 42 percent increase in interest over the last two years, according to internal data. Zoe Burke, leading wedding expert and editor at Hitched, says couples can save up to £10,000 on their wedding venue by opting for off peak, midweek dates. ‘We have found that many venues are half the price if booked Monday–Thursday and a lot cheaper if booked off-season in months like December or January,’ says Zoe. ‘Everyone thinks they want this beautiful spring time or summer wedding, but autumn and winter weddings are just as special, and often less than half the price, saving a couple potentially thousands of pounds of wedding spend.’ In fact, only seven percent of weddings this year will happen between December and February.
‘I don’t know a single person who isn’t looking to save money at the moment, so I would urge nearlyweds to consider thinking about off-peak options if their wedding budgets are looking tight,’ Zoe adds.
2. Snap Up Your Dream Venue
If your heart is set on a particular in-demand venue, you might find that it’s tricky to secure, with Saturdays snapped up first. Opting for a midweek wedding means you jump the queue and tie the knot in the venue of your dreams. If you were hoping to save money with a midweek wedding but prices remain an object, Zoe at Hitched has a solution: ‘If you have a dream venue in mind, ask them what is available for your budget. Lots of places offer tiered packages, so they might be willing to remove some details of a package to make it work for your budget.’
3. A Meaningful Date
Do you have a lucky number, or a date that is significant to your relationship? If you don’t restrict your options to the weekend, you can celebrate your big day on any day that’s meaningful to you.
Natalie Lankston from West Sussex is getting married on 23 September this year. She told Hitched: ‘We chose the 23rd because 23 is and has always been my lucky number, so it seemed the right thing to do. We’ve always wanted to get married in September, and we had our engagement party on the 23 September 2023 – exactly one year before our wedding day!’
The most popular wedding day of 2024, 23 September is a Monday – but that didn’t bother Natalie. ‘We felt this was a good day as it follows on from the weekend and would probably be easier for guests to take a long weekend to attend our wedding,’ she says.
4. Cheaper Accommodation
Even if you’re both from the same hometown and you choose to get married there, a portion of wedding guests will always have to travel and seek hotel accommodation the night before or after the wedding (or both). Hotels are invariably cheaper during the week, with some premium weekend prices slashed in half midweek, welcoming guests who might not have felt able to come otherwise. Better still, if you fancy heading to a premium honeymoon suite after the reception is over, the best room in the house will almost always be cheaper midweek.
These Are The Best Country Wedding Venues in the UK & Ireland (© Amy Sampson Photography)
The Cons
1. Some People Can’t Make It
This con is a truth of all weddings, but if any of your close friends or family members are teachers, say goodbye to the midweek wedding – unless you’re happy to celebrate without them, or you’re opting for a date in the summer holidays. Even though midweek weddings are on the rise, Saturday remains the most popular wedding day for 2024, with Hitched reporting that 42 percent of all weddings this year will take place on the coveted weekend day. Why? You can pretty much ensure all of your nearest and dearest will be able to make it.
2. Annual Leave
Having a weekend wedding means no one needs to use one of their precious holiday days – so a midweek wedding has the opposite effect. Plus, if guests are drinking or have had to travel far, they might need to take a second day off work so they’re not hungover or exhausted from a quick journey home. Perhaps Friday is the perfect middle ground?
3. No Kids Allowed
If you want to welcome children to your wedding (no judgement either way), a midweek wedding might not be the best option for you as the kids will be at school (again, unless it’s an out-of-term-time wedding).
4. Limited Venues & Suppliers
Weekend weddings are so popular that some venues don’t even offer midweek options – and the same is true for some food suppliers, musicians, DJs, photographers and videographers. If your heart is set on a midweek wedding, your pool may be a little more limited.
What Are The Least Popular Wedding Dates?
Fancy being a little different? Have a Christmas wedding, a Wednesday wedding (accounting for six percent of all weddings), or tie the knot in January or February (when only two and three percent of weddings take place respectively).
This year, the least popular wedding dates are:
- Tuesday 17 December (22 weddings)
- Tuesday 3 December (23 weddings)
- Monday 9 December (23 Weddings)
- Boxing Day (24 weddings)
- Christmas Day (33 weddings)
- Christmas Eve (37 weddings)
