Lots of things come into play when you’re deciding on your wedding date, but today we’re talking seasons and how the time of year may affect your decision. The seasons here in Adelaide are really lovely and there’s a definite change from one time of year to another, offering lots of amazing photo opportunities and wedding styles. Here’s a few of the pros and cons that may help you make up your mind…
Winter -
From a practical point of view the winter can be a great time to get married if you’re looking to make the most of your budget. While not guaranteed, many vendors offer discounts due to it being the ‘off-season’ for weddings and that could mean money left over to upgrade your honeymoon plans. Some may think that winter is too cold for your ceremony but I think it’s an opportunity to really go to town with the styling details – add a fur stole (faux of course!) to your wedding gown, decorate indoor trees with sparkling silver frosty lights and serve warming cider pre-ceremony. Don’t choose an outdoor wedding venue in the winter time unless there is some sort of solid flooring installed throughout. Guests do not want to tramp even a short distance through the mud to get to your venue, and a horse and carriage is not ideal transport in that situation either. The other thing is that the available hours of sunlight throughout the day is shorter at this time of year so you’ll be running on a tighter schedule to get outdoor venues set up and have photos taken in the best light.
Spring -
The most traditional time to marry and certainly one of the prettiest with its abundance of flowers. Spring conjures up dreamy images of floating tulle and pastel colours with the season’s natural beauty being the ideal backdrop. There are no weather restrictions to think of when choosing your gown, the weather will more than likely be mild and sunny so whether it’s short or long sleeves you prefer, you’ll be comfortable on the day. With spring being the most popular choice however comes a few logistical issues. You may not always get your first choice of wedding vendor as they are super-busy and often booked out 12-18 months in advance. It can also be more difficult to secure a date that works for all the most important guests on your list as they’ll probably be attending several weddings during that time.
Summer -
Outdoor weddings are fantastic on a summer evening. A late afternoon ceremony, followed by a cocktail bar set up by the pool and chinese lanterns hanging from trees over the dance floor, and there’s generally going to be an amazing party vibe going on. A good photographer will be able to get some fabulous shots on an evening like that one. One of the seemingly obvious choices in the summer is a beach wedding, but do remember that there is no shade on the beach and the weather regularly tops forty degrees at this time. A better time for the beach is at the change of season from Spring to Summer, the end of November or perhaps beginning of December, and even then I’d recommend a fairly short ceremony, just in case.
Autumn -
My fave time of year to get married! The weather is mild, and those autumn colours in your photographs are going to be to-die-for. The first half of autumn generally finds us with a hint of summer still lingering, so an outdoor venue is still a pretty safe bet. If a rustic theme is your choice then this time of year is perfect, with many natural settings providing all the décor you need. It’s a good idea to choose a flexible venue with a back-up plan for rain, and these are not always easy to get so you’ll need a good 12-18 months again to get this one right. Also, it might not be such a good season to choose if you have lots of guests travelling in from out of town. They’ve often used up their annual leave over the recent Christmas period and won’t be able to get the time off they need.
There you have it folks, hope you’ve enjoyed this walk through the year and it’s made your choice of date a little bit easier.
I see a lot of debate online about who pays for what, in terms of dress, shoes, hair, etc, and sadly I also see a lot of women falling out over it. If it’s true that money is at the root of most arguments for married couples, then it seems the same can also be said of you and your besties.