Weekday or Non-Saturday Wedding?

Finger Lakes Wedding Photographer | Ithaca NY Photography

Having been in this industry since 2012, I’ve done weddings *every single day of the week*. Yup, I’ve done big weddings even on Mondays and Tuesdays. In 2023 I had weddings on Wednesdays and Thursdays. Why would anyone choose to have a weekday or non-Saturday wedding? There are only so many Saturdays in a season, and that fact usually has an appropriate premium rate applied to the day. Other days of the week, most commonly Monday – Thursday, but in my case Sunday-Friday being based in Ithaca, NY, are non-peak times. If you’re looking to save some money, it’s a great idea to consider a Sunday-Friday date. If you’re looking for a smaller package or less time with a venue or vendor, they are more likely to be receptive if it’s a non peak day for them. This can be true for elopements, micro weddings, and even larger size weddings.

The absolute best and most efficient way to get all the things you’re looking for at a more affordable rate for a non-peak day, is to be direct in your communication with venues and vendors, never assume, but it doesn’t hurt to ask.

There’s a general theme for weekday weddings: flexibility and budget friendliness. And honestly… who doesn’t like that?

WEEKDAY OR NON-SATURDAY WEDDING VIBES

TRAVEL IS MORE AFFORDABLE
Travel is always more affordable during the week. This is pretty much universally true across the board. Flights are cheaper on non-weekends. Hotels are more affordable. Rentals cars usually have a lower rate.

VENUES CAN OFFER MORE AFFORDABLE PACKAGES

When venues book out a non-peak day, it’s more likely they can offer a smaller package or a package at a discounted rate. This is beneficial not only for the obvious money saved, but can also be more complimentary to a smaller or more intimate celebration.

VENDORS CAN OFFER SMALLER MORE FLEXIBLE PACKAGES

While it’s awesome to do large weddings on Saturdays, it’s nice for vendors to have more low-key days too. For example, for myself as a photographer, I offer elopement, micro wedding, and just shorter coverage for Sundays – Fridays starting at just $1000 for up to 2 hours continuous coverage. The same is likely to be true for a lot of vendors who do not provide a physical one time use product – like a wedding cake. Weekday or non-Saturday weddings provide the ultimate in flexibility.

GREAT TO NATURALLY LOWER THE GUEST COUNT

If your extended social circle is in the hundreds, the cost to have a party that size quickly adds up. Having a Sunday – Friday wedding is a great way to get that guest count down to a more manageable size.

YOUR DAY CAN BE MORE UNIQUELY YOU

If you don’t want to get locked into one location or activity, having the ceremony at a waterfall and then the reception at a winery, brewery, or restaurant is very possible. This can also provide the most diverse backgrounds for photos which your Ithaca wedding photographer will definitely be excited about, as well as give a sense of adventure to your day. Want to go on a boat tour? You can. Want to have s’mores around a bonfire? Hot air balloon ride? Waterfall hike? Jump in the lake or river? You get the picture… Activities like this are always less busy on weekdays as well, so weekday or non-Saturday weddings benefit by having a more relaxed vibe, and especially for your Finger Lakes wedding photography.

TIPS FOR A SUCCESSFUL WEEKDAY OR NON-SATURDAY WEDDING – From a Finger Lakes Wedding Photographer

• Have the ceremony start earlier in the day. Brunch weddings a definitely a thing – fancy breakfast buffet station with blueberry pancakes and Belgium waffles, sausages, seasonal fruit, pastries galore with mimosas. What’s not to love? Lunch receptions are also an option – you can do a fancy picnic style day in the warmer months at a winery, or rent out a whole brewery to celebrate with burgers and beer! By the end of the day everyone will be ready to wind down after a great party.

• Provide options for guests to make it easy. Giving options for places to stay and options for transportation can make all the difference, so much so that any one guest might otherwise have difficulty attending. This is especially true for locations or venues without cell service or ride share options, the last thing anyone wants is a bunch of guests getting stuck without the ability to leave.

• Send out save the dates as soon as possible. The sooner invites are sent out, the more people can likely attend. Email invites may work better/faster if you don’t already have everyone’s current mailing address, it’s also more affordable.

• Have the rehearsal dinner the night before so guests don’t have to take off additional work days. Alternatively, you can include a smaller guest list for the rehearsal dinner, I’ve photographed rehearsal dinners with just immediate family and wedding party.

• Be okay with the fact that probably not everyone is going to be able to show up. And realistically, this can potentially be a good thing, especially if you have three great aunt Susans who you haven’t seen since birth who have no intention of showing, but who would be forever offended if they didn’t get an invite.

• Plan for rush hour traffic. Add extra transit time for anything that involves a major highway or people traveling a long distance before, during, and after the wedding.

• Prepare for guests needing to leave early. Most people will probably be going to work the next day, so having all the main events happen before evening is considerate of all attending. Anyone who is able to stay longer totally can, and end of day snackies or an awesome dive bar after party spot are always welcome options for guests, and a great photo op for your Ithaca wedding photographer.

• When going for unique or unconventional weddings, take extra time to plan and prepare. This is especially true if having multiple locations and moving guests. There’s often hidden logistical things that can pop up, but I’m more than happy to help work out the kinks in any timeline to make sure your day is totally awesome, runs smoothly, and that you have the best Finger Lakes wedding photography ever.

Need a Finger Lakes wedding photographer?

Ready to hit GO on your weekday or non-Saturday wedding? I am so excited to hear from you and can’t wait to help you shape the best unique wedding day. You can find me via email usually pretty much instantly at most hours unless I’m working on-site that day.

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