Monday 18 July 2011

The Four Seasons - Marrying throughout the year

The tradition in the UK for summer to be the season of marriage stems from two things: 1) Traditionally people took their annual baths in May (which is why it's very unlucky to marry in May) and were still clean-ish to marry in June.  (It's also because people bathed so seldomly that brides traditionally carry a posy of flowers to block out the smell.)  2) In the days before electricity, people used to make as most of the natural light as possible.  Times move on and habits change.  We now get married all year round.  So what are the pros and cons of marrying during the different seasons:


SPRING: March, April, May

According to ancient Biblical myth, the world began in spring, so what a perfect way to begin your marriage.  Outdoor bushes and flowerbeds are blooming at this time of year.  The world really does seem to come alive after the long dark winter.  Spring is definitely the time of year to get hitched if you love your flowers.  Spring blooms are vibrant in colour and rich in sent.  The end of April consistently brings a bout of warm weather - just watch out for those April showers!


SUMMER: June, July, August

The wedding season at it's height!  And because of this, be weary that suppliers will put their prices up, especially venues and hotels.  If you are planning to get married in the summer, make sure you book everything well in advance as locations, photographers, cakemakers and the like get snapped up very very quickly.  Hopefully the weather will be on your site and plenty of extra daylight means you can party for longer.  Just bear in mind: the best summer weather tends to be in July.  June is the month when you're most likely to see a thunderstorm and August is the wettest month of the year in the UK.


AUTUMN: September, October, November

Wedding trends seem to show that in the last five years or so, September is definitely the new June.  It is THE month to get married.  Honeymoon prices certainly go down as the airlines need to persuade people to travel after the school holidays.  If you want to be seen to be quirky, get married in October.  It is the least popular month to marry in.  With November comes the added bonus of fireworks (if you marry around the 5th!) and a Christmassy themed wedding (without the Christmassy price tag) if you get married later in the month.

WINTER: December, January, February

Winter weddings are great for creating cosy, intimate environments.  However, do beware the winter weather.  Snow may seem like a great idea on paper, but it does tend to grind everything to a halt, especially in rural areas.  Suppliers will struggle to get to you and, worse, your guests may do too.  December can be a tricky time, but January is good month for those on a tight budget to get married.  Often venues who bought in extra supplies (e.g. wine) over Christmas will be willing to let you have it at a discount rate.  However in February, thanks to Valentine's Day, availability with certain venues will be limited and the cost of flowers will sky-rocket.

In truth, there is no good or bad time to get married.  There are good things and bad things to be said for every season.  The best time to get married will be known only to you and your-husband-to-be.

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