Would you attend a wedding during the week?

Question

if given plenty of notice (9mos to a year or longer), would you make plans to attend the wedding of a good friend/family member during a weekday evening? what if you have children and/or live very far away (and would have to fly)? the cost difference is significant b/w weekday and weekend of the venue i love.

Answer 1

only you know your guests- do you think they have the money to take time off work, travel (with kids), on top of your gift and possibly new clothes they have to buy for the event?  I think it's the same everywhere, weekdays are cheaper than weekends duh, but people fork over the money for weekend weddings because they want to be sure everyone can be there.  either you value your guest's attendance over your own finances or you don't.  I'm not saying that's a bad thing.

Answer 2

For me, it would depend on these things:

1. how far away the wedding is - across the country or across the state?

2. what day of the week? Monday would be ok since you could still make a long weekend, wednesday would be a bit harder since it would take more vacation days.

3. how close I and my family are to the bride and/or groom. Would I be heartbroken to not see this niece/nephew/cousin get married?

4. What time of year? summertime would be easier than school year if I had kids since traveling far to this wedding would mean that the kids would have to miss some days of school.

Hope this helps.  

Answer 3

If they are important to me, and I am important to them, absolutely.

Answer 4

I did mine midweek, because most of the people had to travel....and it worked great! Just let them know well in advance!

Also, since I decided to answer this question, I might as well throw a line out there for the woman who photographed my wedding...she is FANTASTIC and travels all over the world to do weddings, and she is very reasonably priced. She did my wedding and I was SO happy with the photographs...check her out at www.noeyehasseen.com

Answer 5

Yes, I would.

My friend is getting married on a Friday, I am her MOH so I'm taking a couple of days off. She would do the same for me!

Answer 6

It depends.....

If the cost would not be a hardship or there wasn't a pressing financial need or obligation at home..my home & family come first

If the job(s) we have allow the nessesary days off

Answer 7

my son got married on a Friday.....plus it was a distance away...but his bride wouldn't change any of it.....besides his sisters and parents he had 3 people....it is alot of expense as we had to all take time off work and stay in hotels...plus he felt bad because he had only 3 people there

Answer 8

Unless it was my sister's wedding then no, I would not go to a wedding that required me to travel a long distance during the week even if I had plenty of notice.  That's a lot of money to expect people to pay to come to your wedding - airfare or gas (if driving), hotel accomodations for at least a couple nights, the cost of taking of time from work and either not getting paid for it or having to use vacation time...

If most of your family and friends have to travel a long distance to get to the location site, I would really suggest that you have it on a Saturday even if it'll cost you more.  It'll be more convenient for your guests.  If you're the type of girl who doesn't care whether most of the invited guests are able to make it, then go ahead and have it on a weekday.

Answer 9

It depends. I'd be more likely on a Thursday than a Tuesday because I could make a long weekend out of it. If it were immediate family, I would def. go, no matter the day.

Answer 10

Yes I would. There is no law that a wedding can only take place on the weekend.

Answer 11

i would not , because i would have to take may be tuesday and defintly  wednesday to friday out of work. Too much work and weddings are too expensive. I would not want to use that many vacation day on a wedding sorry. I would send a very very very nice gift though. I am sorry but it is the truth

Answer 12

Depending on who it was.  A weekday would be tough getting time off work and getting sitters but for a close family member it would be worth the time.  

Answer 13

I've attended 2 Friday weddings so far. I have to fly for both. No biggie

Good luck

Answer 14

No, probably not.  Weddings are not that important.  Most of them end in divorce.  Now, for a funeral, I would fly across the world, if it were one of my sisters, because I would be celebrating if one of them died.

Answer 15

if i had to fly there in the middle of the week just to attend a wedding, probably not unless there was some major attraction around like disneyland or something to do that i could make a vacation out of rather than just going there for a wedding.  

Answer 16

I would say, with so much time to save and make plans I'd go. I mean, an excuse to get off from work, and see friends that i may not see that often. The kids would love the day off if its during school, and well, its for a friend so I couldn't think of a better reason for traveling.  

Answer 17

i would really have to be close to that person like my best friend or immediate family member for be to travel far especially during the week. if your determined to have the wedding that week dont get offended when you get more gifts than actually guest

Answer 18

I would definitely go  if it were within driving distance.

It would be better to see about a Friday or perhaps a Sunday though.  

Answer 19

Well if anyone does have a problem with it they should not be at your special day anyway. Plus not only is your venue cheaper on a weekday but you could also point out to your family members that travel expenses are almost always cheaper on a weekday. Sometimes you pay double for hotel and air during the weekend.  

Answer 20

For me personally, if the wedding was local, yes I would attend. If it was out of town, no. Too much hassle trying to get time off from work during the week. JMO

Good luck!

Answer 21

Probably only if it was local. I doubt I would travel for it. Weekday weddings are inconvenient.

Edit: Your last comment about if they want to come bad enough, they will save for it...well, not to make you mad, but it is your wedding, which is important to you. However, other people may have more important things to do. I think your guest list will be much smaller if you do it on a Thursday.  If it is gonna be at a lake, I say have it the earliest on a Friday evening. You also have plenty of time to save for it so that you don't have to inconvenience your guests. Really, the reason Saturdays are the best day for weddings is that people can't afford to travel and take off work for that long.

Answer 22

If it was local, then yes I would.  I would not drink as I wouldn't take time off from work the next day.

If I lived far and with children, then no.  That means taking them out of school, requesting a whole week off, etc.  Will it be during a time when kids take vacation like Spring Break or Summer break?

Edit--Three years?!?! You are planning way too in advance.  You won't even know if a) your location will be available or b) if prices will be the same.  I say its more like you have three years to save for a weekend wedding!

Oh and for everyone else saying how they gladly attended a "Friday" wedding, that's not really a week day wedding now is it? I'm guessing she means more like Monday through Thursday.

Answer 23

It would be a nice change, especial with all the saturday weddings i'm seeing, but i would go, its family or a friend that cared enough to invite me.

And with that much time, i can ask off, save up some vacation time or find some one to cover for me for a few days. (everyone could use the money nowadays.) and make arrangement for the kids ect, unless i was a lazy slacker.

Answer 24

if you have the money and you have made arrangements why not?

Answer 25

If it were a family member or a close friend, that I would be more inclined to attend, but since I don't have kids, I can't speak for what parents might do.  Dealing with kids in the middle of a week, and having to take vacation from work is a bit much for some people.

Answer 26

I'd go to a wedding given ample notification and as long as it's local and I don't have to take the day off for it. I would NEVER not attend a wedding on purpose. If there's travel involved then I may not go because costs are pretty high and I'd rather just give the couple a present and not pay for so much more to attend.

All the best!