While planning a wedding, one of the biggest dilemmas you have to resolve right away is when your wedding will take place. You might already have a date in mind — an anniversary, a birthday, or whatnot — but might be worried if the day itself is a good idea.
Your chosen date might land on a Friday. Before proceeding with making a booking, keep in mind Friday weddings’ pros and cons: for example, venues and vendors might offer more affordable rates, but some of your guests might not be able to make it on your special day.
More pros and cons of Friday weddings are listed and explained in further detail below.
Friday Weddings Pros and Cons Compared
| Pros | Cons |
| Venues often have more affordable rates on Fridays. | Guests might not be able to attend your ceremony or reception because of work. |
| Wedding vendors might be more available for a Friday wedding. | Friday weddings typically last longer into the night. |
| Vendors might offer discounted rates for Friday bookings. | You might have to settle for a shorter wedding day. |
| You have more options for dates when booking your wedding venue. | Some venues are not available on Fridays. |
| You can spend the weekend doing whatever you want. | Some vendors do not work on Fridays. |
| The traffic on the way to your venue might be bad. |
Pros of a Friday Wedding
1. Venues often have more affordable rates on Fridays.
The most popular options for wedding dates are Saturdays and Sundays, as the weekends are typically more convenient for guests. Due to the relatively smaller demand, venues might charge a smaller fee for a Friday booking.
A renowned wedding venue might charge around $10,000 for a Saturday wedding. However, the rates might change from $6,000 to $8,000 for a weekday wedding; you can save $2,000 to $4,000 by simply booking a different day.
2. Wedding vendors might be more available for a Friday wedding.
As mentioned above, a significant number of weddings take place on weekends. As a result, you have to compete with other couples not only on the venue but also the vendors — photographers, videographers, and coordinators might be fully booked for weekends a year in advance.
With a Friday wedding, you have more of a chance to work with the wedding vendor you want. For instance, the DJ you found might already have a schedule on Saturday, but they might be available on Friday.
3. Vendors might offer discounted rates for Friday bookings.
Because fewer weddings occur on weekdays, wedding vendors might offer more budget-friendly rates. Alternatively, if you book them on a Friday, they might have discounts for specific packages.
4. You have more options for dates when booking your wedding venue.
If you have your mind set on a weekend wedding, you might have to inquire about venues at least 10 months in advance. A famous venue might even be fully booked for two years.
You have more flexibility in terms of Friday weddings, as venues might have more open dates on weekdays.
5. You can spend the weekend doing whatever you want.
After your wedding, you might have to return to your daily routines immediately. You might have work or school on Monday, or your flight might be scheduled immediately after the weekend.
With a Friday wedding, your weekends are freed up. You can schedule anything you want to do during those two days. Couples often choose to hold a more intimate afterparty with their loved ones or go on their first adventure as newlyweds.
You can also simply spend the weekend resting and recovering. Let go of the stress of planning and executing your dream wedding. Practice self-care, whatever that looks like for you and your partner. You need this downtime before going back to real adulting life.
Cons of a Friday Wedding
6. Guests might not be able to attend your ceremony or reception because of work.
One of the biggest cons of a Friday wedding is that your guests might have prior commitments. Their request for leave might not be granted, or they might have a work-related event they cannot skip.
You can work around this setback by scheduling your ceremony or reception later into the night. This timeline allows your guests to catch up to the event once they are done with work.
Alternatively, you can let your guests with prior commitments arrive later during the event. Tell them to inform you if they will be late. They can also choose to just attend the reception or afterparty if that works better with their schedule.
Ultimately, you have to accept the fact that some of your guests will not be able to attend your wedding. They might be too tired after work, or they cannot afford to lose a day’s worth of salary. Do not take it personally, and find alternative ways to make them feel included.
7. Friday weddings typically last longer into the night.
Since Friday weddings tend to start later, they also tend to end later. You might be looking at a reception — or informal afterparty with your closest guests — that finishes beyond 3 a.m.
This schedule might work well for seasoned partygoers and night owls. However, if you are a morning person or simply prefer going to bed early, this setup might not be best for you.
Likewise, you might run into some logistical problems. For example, some venues prohibit loud music and other sounds beyond a certain time.
8. You might have to settle for a shorter wedding day.
With such a late start to your special day, you may have to condense and trim your wedding timeline. It might not be realistic to expect everyone from your bridal party to join you for a morning hike or a sunrise first-look ceremony.
However, look at the silver lining: you and your partner can do anything you want before starting to prepare for the ceremony. You can eat all you can at a breakfast buffet, play some video games, or sleep a few extra hours.
9. Some venues are not available on Fridays.
As couples look for locations for their Saturday wedding, venues might offer a package that includes an overnight stay before the ceremony. If they choose to avail of this package, then you will not be able to make a booking anymore.
10. Some vendors do not work on Fridays.
While contacting multiple vendors and determining whom you want to hire, you may find that some of them will reject you once you tell them your wedding will be on a Friday.
Vendors have plenty of reasons not to take a gig on specific days. One of the most common reasons is they have another job; being a wedding photographer, videographer, or DJ might only be their side hustle. Their main occupation might only leave weekends free.
11. The traffic on the way to your venue might be bad.
Most people work on Fridays. A lot of people go out on Friday night to celebrate the end of the week. As such, you and your guests will share the roads with them — depending on where you live, you might be looking at being stuck in traffic for over an hour.
The traffic might be a bigger problem for your guests, especially if you are having a destination wedding in a different city or state. They can leave on time, but the congested roads might make them late for your ceremony or reception.
Final Thoughts
Ultimately, reading a list of Friday weddings’ pros and cons can help you decide whether this schedule works best for you, your partner, and your plans. Regardless, make sure your special day is all about you.
