The most popular months to get married are June and September. That means that venues and vendors for those months fill up fast. After the date, the issue that will impact everything else will be the size of the wedding. Essentially, will you “go big” or “keep it small?” There are pros and cons with both picks. Here’s what to think about.
The Cost
The average cost for a wedding hovers around $29,000. Obviously, the bigger the wedding the bigger the budget. Once you commit to that big wedding, it can become a kind of runaway train of spending. It could even reach the equivalent of putting a deposit down on a house. Would you have regrets spending all the money for a single day? On the other hand, a small wedding lets you keep the costs manageable but still allows you to create a wonderful day.
The Guest List
You’ll find that every guest you invite comes with a price tag. This ties directly back to your costs. With the big wedding, you can open the doors to family, friends, friends of the family, former classmates, co-workers, friends of parents, the mailman… that list can become endless? Of course, having all those people focused on sharing your day of love can create an extremely fun atmosphere. This could be the perfect opportunity for family and friends to reconnect after being apart.
A small wedding guest list will be more intimate. That could mean you get to spend more time with your guests. It might also mean leaving people out of the wedding and that could hurt some feelings.
The Details
For the grooms: When it comes to wedding planning your best approach is to be supportive, ask what to wear and when to show up. Beyond that, it’s all on the bride. This might be the day she has been planning since she was a little girl and you don’t want to get in the way of that. Just know that with a bigger wedding there will be more stress. Details might be micromanaged in the quest for perfection. The stress is going to get to anyone even with a wedding planner. A small wedding requires coordination, too but the details are more manageable. Try to look ahead to the actual day: Will the bride be relaxed and enjoying the moment or scrambling?
The Gifts
Okay, this one is strictly a “pro” for the big wedding. More guests mean more gifts. Who doesn’t love a bounty like that? Be warned though that registering for a wedding is going to take a chunk of your time. This becomes another bride vs. groom thing. Thankfully, many stores let you take a scanning gun to zap barcodes of the stuff you want registered. That’s always fun.
Weddings are meant to be shared. How many people you’ll be sharing with is entirely up to you. It is your day.
