Reasons to say "Definitely" to a Day Wedding

Image courtesy of RuffledBlog.com

As an eager NJ bride, you may think that a day wedding is the low-rent wedding option. "Oh, we can't afford anything more than that." Yes, a wedding that starts at noon instead of 6 pm may in fact be the more economical choice.

However, for all you NJ brides who are feeling let down by the thought of getting married during the daylight hours... maybe no one has filled you in on the many ways that day weddings totally rock.

They cost less. I can't resist re-stating this. Our wedding was held in November, on a Saturday, at noon. It included open bar, cocktail hour, buffet dinner and dancing, and ended at 5 pm. The price was $60 per plate.

Less time to be nervous. When you have a day wedding, there's no time to fret all day about how the wedding will go, if you'll get to the church on time, and so forth. You'll just be rushing around trying to get out of the house... and then suddenly, you're getting married!

You can kick off the festivities bright and early. Maybe this isn't the option for you younger brides... but my friends and I all have kids, some on the younger side. We start our days a little after sunrise, and tend to shut it down around 10 or 11 pm. I'm not saying that you'd want to stick to your usual bedtime schedule on your wedding night! But a day wedding may very well work with your parental body clock.

Old folks will appreciate it, too. A day wedding can be particularly thoughtful to the older relatives who don't drive well at night, and are simply livelier before the sun goes down.

Day weddings tend to be a bit more casual. My husband and I are not really fussy types. We complain when we have to wear constricting clothing, and generally feel out of sorts in places where one must dress to the nines, put on airs, and try not to accidentally break expensive items. A day wedding was a nice option for us to have a "come as you are" kind of day for our wedding celebration.

You actually have longer to keep the party going! Here's how our wedding went: married at noon, cocktails at 1 pm. Dinner, then dancing, then say goodbye. Old folks mostly go home – some hang out at the hotel, or maybe head back to our parents' houses for a post-wedding get-together. Bride, groom and good friends all shower up, then head down to the hotel bar/lounge area to drink beer, play cards, and thoroughly enjoy each other's company. For a busy bride and groom who typically spend their entire wedding running around greeting people, taking pictures and dancing/doing various rituals for an audience... a day wedding can actually give you some time after hours to finally relax and let your hair down.