You’re engaged (congrats!) and have decided that Charlottesville is the perfect place for your wedding (great choice!). You’ve even started picturing yourself as an autumn bride at a local vineyard. Then you talk to an event coordinator and find out the venue has a two-year waitlist for Saturdays and a budget-blowing price tag (yikes!).
You don’t have to go back to the drawing board for your big day plans. Just go back a day—to Friday.
“When I meet with a couple and learn that budget is their No. 1 concern or stressor, I always begin the conversation of Friday and Sunday nights,” says Christy Cormons, director of catering at Farmington Country Club. “At first they are reluctant and say, ‘It’s every bride’s dream to be married on a Saturday in June,’ but when the reality of the budget starts setting in and they see the savings, it’s a lot easier to reconsider.”
Having worked with brides for 16 years, Cormons has noticed an increase in Friday weddings. It’s no surprise when you see the numbers. She estimates that couples getting married on a Friday at Farmington could save between $6,000-7,000, which is about the cost of 75 additional guests or an open bar for 150 people.
“Of course, a Friday wedding isn’t for everyone. If your budget is healthy and you want to follow the traditional schedule then you should do what’s most important to you,” says Cormons.
Once you start to prioritize, you might find that the day of the week isn’t as important to you as the time of year, or booking a certain band for the reception.
“Your party is just as fun, your guests are just as excited to celebrate and you are just as married afterwards,” says Cormons.