How to Plan a Wedding - Part Eight - Dear Diary......

Actually come to think about it, this should have been Part Five but my brain was a little tired.

So you thought about the time and venue for ceremony and reception (see what I mean about lists becoming lists!), time to think about what time of the year you want to get married.

Autumn, Spring, Summer or Winter?  What is the best season to get married in?  Is there a best time of year?

Unless your country experiences bad weather at certain time of the year, any time of the year is perfectly fine.  It all depends on what you want to do on your wedding.

Normally spring or summer is associated with outdoor weddings because the days are long and the weather is nice and warm.  Whereas autumn and winter are general considered suitable for indoor weddings.

However this is not a hard and fast rule!

So long as you have suitable clothing and heating, no one said you can't have an outdoor wedding in winter.  Just imagine having a wedding when there is snow on the ground or when the leaves are falling off the trees.  It will make wonderful photos!

Then again, if summer for you and the guest is just too hot to handle but you still want the long days to party then having an indoor wedding would be refreshing indeed.  And if any of your guests wish to enjoy the sun then they can venture out while you keep your cool in the venue.

I think technically, I had an autumn wedding but for some reason (maybe global warming) the weather in October was really nice.  In fact on the actual day, we had lovely sunshine and it was nice and warm throughout the day so I didn't have to worry about getting cold.

How to Plan a Wedding - Part Four - What's the time Mr Wolf?

This can be a tricky question because there are a lot of factors that could affect your decision for the ceremony time.

From Black Country Metalworks 

You can get married anytime in the UK so long as the registrar or the religious official is free but when should you get married.

A morning wedding would suit a couple who are planning a small wedding where it is just you, your partner and some close family members and friends. The advantage of this is that when your ceremony is over, you can head straight to a reception for lunch and them spend the afternoon relaxing. However it does mean you have little time to get ready hence why I said it is suitable for a small wedding.

Then there is the afternoon wedding, this gives you plenty of time to round up your wedding party and get ready in relatively good time. Also if there is any issue that needs to be resolved, at least you have the time to get someone to sort it out. However should you get married before or after lunchtime? Before lunchtime then you will need to organise some sort of light refreshment while the photographs are being taken. Whereas after lunchtime then this is not an issue but then when do you want to serve the wedding breakfast?

Finally the evening wedding or at least before 17.00. This overcomes many of the issues raised in the previous paragraphs however do not be fooled. Even though your wedding is late afternoon, you will not be able to do anything in the morning because you will be preoccupied with you wedding.

Another thing to consider is how long you want your special day to last? If you want to go the whole hog and have the ceremony, wedding breakfast and evening disco then you will probably want to have an early afternoon wedding so you have time for your day to unravel. However this means your guest will have a long day and if you are like me and your guest list is mainly elderly relatives, having such a wedding would be too tiring.

So to summaries!

• Think what wedding elements you want.
• Choose a time for the ceremony which will allow you to fulfil your plans.
• Consider the guests needs.