Why You Should Consider a Weekday Wedding

There are many benefits to hosting your wedding on a weekday, primarily lesser demand for vendors and venues and overall lower costs. However, planning a weekday wedding can be a little tricky, as it’s not the norm, and there are certain things — like guests’ work schedules — that you’ll want to keep in mind as you plan.

Here are all the reasons why you should consider a weekday wedding, what you can expect if you do schedule your wedding for a weekday, and how you can make your weekday wedding as successful as possible.

Biggest Benefits of a Weekday Wedding

The two biggest benefits of a weekday wedding are greater vendor and venue availability and lower costs.

The wide majority of couples plan their weddings for Saturdays. It just makes sense for many of them. That’s when most people are free, all day, and you can party well into the night without needing to worry about making it to work the next day.

However, if you break away from this custom, you could just find that (a) you have far more vendors and venues to choose from, as there’s less competition with other couples to book desirable vendors and locations, and (b) you save a whole lot of your wedding budget.

How Much You Can Expect to Save by Holding Your Wedding on a Weekday

You could save as much as 40-60%, or even more, on your wedding by hosting it on a weekday.

An interesting Reddit thread started by Wedgewood Weddings, a wedding planning service, in 2024, broke down how the savings can play out, based on the team’s planning experience:

• Many venues offer 40-60% discounts for couples booking a weekday wedding.
• Many vendors further provide discounts for weekday weddings.
• Fewer guests will be able to attend a weekday wedding, cutting down your per-person costs for expenses like catering.
• Weekday weddings often end earlier in the evening, cutting down your bar costs.

As such, if you’re on a strict wedding budget, a weekend wedding could be exactly what you need in order to have the wedding of your dreams while avoiding overspending.

Other Benefits of a Weekday Wedding

Beyond cost savings and greater vendor/venue availability, other nice benefits of a weekday wedding include more flexibility in your date, cheaper travel if you’re planning a destination wedding, and more of an intimate vibe vs. a party setting.

Date Flexibility

There are only 52 Saturdays in a year, but when you open up your wedding date options to include weekdays, you get a bonus 260 days on the calendar to choose from.

This means you can choose really whatever day is going to be most meaningful for you and your spouse-to-be. Have your wedding on your first-date anniversary. Have your wedding on passed loved ones’ anniversary. Have your wedding on a random holiday that has meaning only to the two of you!

Cheaper Travel

If you’re planning a destination wedding, you’ve likely gathered that flights and hotel accommodations will be a big part of your wedding expenses, but if you travel on a weekday, you’ll save.

According to Kayak data, Wednesdays are one of the cheapest days to fly, but that doesn’t always make sense for a weekend destination wedding, unless you plan on arriving a few days in advance of the ceremony. So, plan your travel for a Wednesday, host the wedding on a Thursday or Friday, and save that extra cash for your honeymoon.

More Family Togetherness, Less of a Party

Of course, if you have fewer people who can make your weekday wedding, you’ll have more of an intimate atmosphere on your big day, and it’s more likely that the people who do show up are going to be those family members and friends whose presence you truly value.

Additionally, because many individuals will have work the next day, you may find that the drinks don’t flow quite as freely, and guests aren’t as likely to dance into the wee morning hours.

The Downsides of a Weekday Wedding

Weekday weddings aren’t all pros and no cons, though, and downsides to a weekday wedding could include backlash from guests, fewer guests being able to attend your event, and a shorter event overall.

Backlash from Guests

Some guests may protest against a weekday wedding, saying it’s rude for you to plan such an important event on a weekday, requiring them to take off work, which may be a financial imposition. While other guests may not outright criticize your decision, they may simply RSVP “no” without an explanation.

You’ll have to discuss this potential con among yourselves and decide if these guests are worth planning your wedding around. If Great Aunt Carol who you’ve only met twice is complaining, you might decide you don’t really care. Let her complain. However, if it’s a longtime best friend who can’t make a weekday wedding due to strict work constraints, you might want to look again at the weekend.

If you’re considering a weekday wedding, feel out your family members and friends, and get some initial feedback, before springing the idea upon them.

Shorter Events

For some guests, attendance at a weekday wedding will depend on if it starts after the workday or if they only need to take a half-day off. They may still leave early in order to be ready for work the next day or to relieve a babysitter.

For some couples, this is no issue whatsoever. For others, who are wanting a big blow-out bash with Champagne toasts aplenty and partying well into the night, it can be a bit of a bummer.

If you really want a party atmosphere at your wedding reception, you may want to opt for the wider window of a weekend wedding instead.

Make It as Easy as Possible for Your Guests to Attend a Weekday Wedding

If you decide to go with a weekday wedding, make it as easy as possible for guests to attend by:

• Communicating the wedding date and time well in advance
• Choosing a day and time that works for your most important guests
• Potentially ending the party early, so no one feels pressured to stay later than they should

Protect Your Big Day with Wedding Insurance

Whatever day you choose for your wedding, make sure you can recoup your costs in the event of a cancellation, vendor no-show, venue damage, or other costly mishaps. Getting coverage is quick and a wedding insurance policy will be one of the most affordable parts of your planning process.

Learn more about BriteCo’s comprehensive wedding insurance options and get your quick wedding insurance quote now.

Weekday Weddings FAQs

Is it cheaper to have a weekday wedding?

Yes, since there is less demand for vendors and venues during the week, most offer discounts for weekday weddings.

When is the least popular time of year to get married?

The least popular months to get married are January and February, according to The Knot’s 2025 Real Weddings Study. Thus, if you planned your wedding for a weekday in January or February, you could secure the cheapest prices of the year.

Why would guests not attend a weekday wedding?

Guests may not be able to attend a weekday wedding primarily due to work obligations, as well as inability to find childcare or travel with children who are in school.

Is it weird to have your wedding on a weekday?

While it’s not the norm, it’s certainly not weird, and more and more couples are choosing weekday weddings for the cost savings.

What days should you avoid for a wedding?

Typically, you’d want to avoid planning a wedding for a major holiday, as well as dates that are personally significant to family members and close friends (such as graduations, birthdays, etc.).

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