Setting a date for your wedding requires some careful planning. There are practical considerations to bear in mind as well as personal reasons for wanting to marry on a particular date. For example some couples arrange to get married on the anniversary of the day they first met.

For other people a summer wedding is a nice idea because they will be more likely to get good weather. Other couples choose a date later in the year because the idea of an autumn or winter wedding appeals to them.

So which date would suit you?

When planning your wedding you need to think about practical needs. For example a Christmas wedding might seem like a romantic idea, but how willing will your guests be to show up at this time of year? It might work if you want a small wedding with just two witnesses, but even then you need to get their approval first before you decide to go ahead with a date around this time of year.

The same applies to summer weddings. Since this is a time when most people head abroad for their annual holiday, you will have to accept that some people may not be able to make it. It all depends on how far in advance you book your wedding and how much notice you can give your guests. You may not mind if a distant relative or workmate cannot attend, but if the person you decide on as the best man or bridesmaid cannot be there, it will cause bigger problems.

Think about what kind of theme you want for your wedding as well. For example if you have always liked the idea of a romantic winter wedding you will be restricted to those months of the year. But in addition to this getting married in January might pile on too much pressure after the expenses of Christmas. As you can see, you need to think about other events occurring at a similar time before you settle on your chosen wedding date.

It helps to decide on how big your wedding is going to be before you decide on a date too. The more people are involved, the more important it is to choose a date that the key people will be able to attend. Of course if you want the date to be meaningful to you both you will have a specific date in mind anyway. And that will be more important than anything else.

For example, if you met on the 15th May and you want to get married on that day, would you cancel just because your beloved Great Aunt Maud cannot attend? It is just this kind of question you need to ask yourself.

In the end whatever date you pick is likely to be inconvenient to someone in the wedding party. And you need to remember that this is your wedding and your special day. So put yourselves first as much as you can.

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