Planning/Friday weddings
Friday and weekday weddingsThe venue, all to yourselves
October Saturdays book a year ahead. This year, more of the couples we spoke with chose a Friday, a Thursday, a Sunday or even a Monday, and loved it.
- SaturdaysBook about a year out
- The perkEvery corner of the venue
- Plan forWork and traffic
- Also popularThursday and Sunday
The best-kept secret in wedding planning is an empty venue on a Friday.
Some venues host more than one wedding on a Saturday. On a Friday you are often the only couple there, so every staircase, garden and terrace is yours for photos, and nobody is setting up the next event behind you.
Here is why couples chose a weekday this year, and how to plan around what makes a Friday different.
Why couples choose a weekday
The venue to yourselves
Often the only wedding that day, with every photo spot open.
The date you want
Not the one left over. Popular months fill on Saturdays first.
More choice
Photographers, planners and florists you love are more likely to be free.
Lower minimums
Many venues price Fridays and other weekdays below Saturdays. Ask each one.
A long weekend
Out-of-town guests turn it into a trip, with Saturday to explore.
A date that matters
One couple chose a weekday because its repeating digits mean “forever” in their family’s culture.
Plan around work and traffic
Send save-the-dates early
Give guests plenty of notice to book the day off.
Start a little later
A late-afternoon ceremony lets guests leave work and miss the worst of the traffic.
Check the sunset
In winter the sun sets before five, so a later ceremony may be after dark. Take portraits before it, or do a first look.
Choose a central venue
Friday evening traffic in Los Angeles is real. A venue near guests’ hotels saves them an hour.
Plan the weekend
A Saturday brunch or beach day gives traveling guests a reason to stay.
What a Friday gives your photos
With no one else booked, we can use the whole venue: the grand staircase, the quiet garden and the terrace that is normally reserved for another party’s cocktail hour.
We can also wait for the light. On a busy Saturday the best corner might hold someone else’s chairs at golden hour. On a Friday it is yours. See our sunset photo guide.
Thursday, Sunday or even Monday
Sunday works especially well on a holiday weekend, when guests have Monday off. Thursday suits intimate weddings, often followed by a relaxed long weekend. And yes, couples booked Monday weddings with us this year, at venues they could never have had on a Saturday.
Smaller weekday weddings pair well with our micro wedding coverage.
On a Saturday we often share a venue’s best corners with the next wedding’s setup crew. On a Friday we can wait for the light in the best spot, without anyone moving a chair behind you.
Lulan Studio · wedding photographers & filmmakers
Weekday weddings, answered
Are Friday weddings cheaper?
Often. Many venues price Fridays and other weekdays below Saturdays, and more vendors are available. Ask each venue for its weekday minimums.
Will guests come to a Friday wedding?
Most will if you tell them early. Send save-the-dates well in advance so guests can request the day off, and make it a long weekend.
What time should a Friday wedding start?
Late afternoon, so guests can leave work and avoid the worst of the traffic. In winter, take portraits before the ceremony, because the sun sets early.
Is a Sunday wedding a good idea?
Yes, especially on a holiday weekend, when guests have Monday off.
More from our couples
Looking at a Friday?
Tell us your venue and the date you are considering. We will tell you what the light will do and how to shape the day.