Our very own Kristine of Kate Whelan Events on her New Year’s Eve Lake Tahoe Wedding
Image courtesy of Vernon Wiley

Mythbusters is a new series where we will be debunking common wedding myths related to all aspects of planning your wedding for a newly engaged bride and groom.

Myth: Choosing a date in the off-season will save you thousands of dollars.

Truth: There are a multitude of reasons why this does not always ring true (there are rare exceptions for venues with seasonal snow and wine harvesting) – and especially so in Northern California with it’s mild weather.

1. June is not necessarily the most popular month for weddings in Northern California. In fact, more couples are opting for March, September and October weddings due to the lovely, more mild weather. This means that venues and vendors are not hurting for work in the “off months.”
2. The true off-season for wedding professionals is in December and early January – and typically at that point, you are competing with Holidays for both vendor availability and venue availability for Holiday parties.
3. If you love peonies, but you decided to get married in December because a vendor gave you a slight discount, you could end up paying a premium for your flowers. That could end up costing much more than what you’ve saved with this initial discount. In fact, your florist might tell you that peonies are unavailable due to the quality of the blooms accessible at that time of the year.

Solution: How should you choose your date? Here are a few suggestions:

1. Choose a date that is meaningful to you and your fiance.
   ie. The anniversary of the date you met.
2. Choose a date during the months your favorite blooms are in season.
   ie. Spring for peonies, Fall for dahlias.
3. Choose a date that fits with the aesthetic or color palette you are interested in.
   ie. Summer for a tropical soirée.

How did you choose your wedding date?