Friday, Saturday, or Sunday?

A bride who called me today is debating whether to schedule her wedding on a Sunday next year. She wondered if Sunday wedding receptions are less fun, with less dancing, compared to those held on Saturdays After all, Saturday is more commonly a party night, and Sunday is what we all grew up knowing as a "school night."

Good question. Here's what I told her.

Generally, Sunday night receptions can be as high-energy as Saturday night events. I've never had a problem getting Sunday night crowds to fill the dance floor.

This is especially true if a lot of your guests are coming from out-of-town, meaning that they're staying overnight Sunday rather than going back to work Monday morning. But even local guests usually seem to get into the party spirit at a well-run Sunday evening reception.

Notice that I specified Sunday NIGHTS.

I do find that Sunday DAYTIME receptions sometimes are bit less boisterous, a bit more restrained. But frankly, that can be true of Saturday afternoon receptions as well.

Think about it. How often do you or your friends go out dancing in the afternoon? It's just not something we typically do in our culture. When it comes to dancing, we tend to open up after dusk, when it's darker, like night-blooming flowers.

I'm not criticizing daytime weddings. They can be wonderful. And I've DJ'd at plenty of afternoon weddings with lots of folks cutting loose on the dance floor. But as a general rule, it's fair to say that, all things being equal, there may be less dancing at an afternoon reception.

What about Fridays? Like Saturday nights, Friday after dark is also a traditional "night out" in our culture. The only downside to Friday night partying is that your local guests might get tired a bit earlier, coming to your wedding after a normal 9-to-5 workday. (This doesn't apply to out-of-town guests who are making a 3-day weekend out of your wedding celebration.)

One advantage to a Friday OR Sunday wedding is financial. Due to supply-and-demand, many wedding vendors often a discount for those dates, compared to Saturdays.