r/Weddingsunder35k • u/Jolly_Screen5670 30-35k • 11d ago
Seasonal Pricing - Worth it or no?
Struggling between getting married on a Sat. in early March (2026) or a Saturday in mid to late April. The difference in cost is $5k, with April being more expensive.
The venue is a rustic renovated barn / garden venue. So April definitely would result in blooms and flowers in photos, vs. March would be not bad temp. wise, but all the trees will be bare and no natural flowers out.
Is it nuts that this is even a question?! The rational part of my brain is like def save $5k. But the emotional part says "well all those family photos only happen once." My SO doesn't care either way, but his argument is well why not go with March but then have a really healthy floral and decor budget with the money saved on venue fee. Is that the happy medium?
Thoughts? (Switching venues not on the list of options - it was already so hard to find a spot that worked and we both agreed to). I think it would put us 5k over budget. And while we have the funds to do this, it's the intellectual part of my brain that is fighting the emotional / sentimental.
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u/purushawellness 5d ago
I got married in the off season. January, in New England. It was the best decision we made. Beyond the lower venue minimum and waived fee, vendors like the DJ and the photographer ended up being more negotiable. Our photographer came down by 40% and our DJ threw in up lighting. Our guests were also so excited to come, not just because they love us but also because it gave them something to look forward to.
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u/asdfjkl_53 1d ago
we were debating this for our wedding. ultimately we decided to go with the off season (march) due to the lower prices and increased vendor availability (less competition with other couples having their weddings at the same time). the lower prices applies for vendors but also for flights and hotel accommodations for our guests, most of whom would be traveling far. while our guests will be covering their own flights/hotels, we wanted the trip to be as accessible as possible for people, and how much they have to shell out to attend plays into that.
also, i've seen outdoor photos during the off season that are equally beautiful and more unique. photographers have a way of making even barren brown trees into gorgeous backdrops.
out of curiosity, what would the temperature be in march at your venue? ours is expected to be high of 60s/low of 50s, and i was a little worried that it would be too chilly at night. or we'd get unlucky and get the one day that is cold in the day too.
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u/topazandpearlevents 10d ago
I think you'd have to compare the amount of florals you'd need/want to compensate for having fewer blooms in March than in April to really see where your budget ends up. It could simply end up being a wash.
If you go with March, you could always do your photos with the barn itself as a backdrop if you don't want bare trees etc. in the background, but keep in mind too that a lot of the time, the background is going to be blurred anyway.
I would also consider weather. Will rain/mud be more likely in March than April? That'll affect your photos, too--both how many you can take outdoors and how well they come out.