Picking your wedding day
Weekdays easier to book, lower cost than Saturdays
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Destination weddings |
Beach weddings |
Historic sites
Many a bride with dreams
of a storybook wedding on the beach has faced this cold reality: the demand for space often exceeds
the supply.
There are only so many oceanfront hotels, ballrooms and restaurants. And
a finite number of historic mansions, plantations, and romantic riverside venues.
Add to that a steady demand from vacationers, conventions and business
meetings; it’s no surprise the most popular spots book up a year or more in advance.
The tightest competition, of course, is for weekends: Saturdays and Sundays.
This guarantees that some reception facilities are booked as much as 18
months in advance for Saturdays in the summertime.
Fridays and Sundays
Fridays and Sundays, while still busy during the main tourist season,
may be easier to book than Saturdays.
Some restaurants will close down exclusively for your reception on a
Sunday afternoon or evening, with special rates or packages. Don’t expect this on a Friday
night, though, at least during the warmer half of the year.
Your favorite DJ or band is more likely to be free Sunday than on a
Friday or Saturday night, especially in a town with as lively a nightlife scene as
Wilmington. During prom season, a Friday or Sunday may be the only time you can hire a
limousine. Your first choice of other professionals may be unavailable.
Check with your clergy to see if they perform Sunday weddings. Many
prefer to devote Sundays exclusively to regular worship services and family.
Weekday weddings
One solution to cost and availability dilemmas is to get married on a weekday.
Banquet rooms, hotel rooms, and professionals are much more likely to
be available -- and to charge less -- on an off-peak day like a Wednesday or Thursday.
For example, one large Wilmington hotel sets a minimum of $8,000 to $11,000
for a Saturday night wedding reception. On a Thursday, that minimum is cut in half.
Blocks of hotel rooms for guests will cost significantly less on, say,
Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday nights than on Friday through Sunday.
A photographer who can choose from three or four Saturday weddings may
charge less to work on a weekday, when demand is lower.
If you and your guests are coming from out of town, a weekday wedding
can make a good excuse for everyone to enjoy a mini-vacation on the coast, at bargain rates
compared to a weekend.
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A selection of vendors offering
Banquet & Reception Sites
Caterers & Chef Services
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Capt'n Bill's Backyard Grill
The Ballroom at Thalian Hall
Hilton Wilmington Riverside
See complete listings for
Banquet & Reception Sites
Caterers & Chef Services
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