Searching for the 'Wedding Season'
By Emilie Haulenbeek

Marry in Lent and you'll to repent,
Marry in April if you can, joy for maiden and for man.
Marry in May and rue the day…

- Old Irish proverb

Queen Victoria is credited with starting the idea of a "wedding season." Victoria, who we can also thank for the custom of the white bridal gown, had some very definite ideas on wedding dates. May, she felt, was an unlucky month, ("marry in May and rue the day") while June was the luckiest. April, September, November and December were also smiled upon, with October also being another prime month. During the months of Lent, ministers wouldn't even perform a wedding, so the months from February to April were forbidden.

Today, of course, we're more open-minded. Couples get married year-round, as well they should. Some envision a pristine winter morning wedding, bridesmaids radiant in red velvet with furry white muffs. Others want the glow of a golden fall afternoon; still others envision a crisp spring morning with flowers blooming and the sun shining.

Whatever your plan, you'll soon find that there's really no beginning or end to the "wedding season."

"There is a perceived season, but there isn't," said Mary Keene, owner of Angel Weddings Bridal Consulting. "I would say May, June, July and August are the heaviest months for me. And that's not always for everybody."

"I find that I'm booked year-round," said Margaret Gavlick, bridal consultant and owner of Wedding Expressions. "I do have more requests for April, May. It's an all-year long play and party time."

There are lulls, of course - fewer couples marry in January than, say, June - but it's acceptable, if not always smiled upon, to marry at any time. And as more and more couples choose different dates, the "wedding season" is becoming almost impossible to define.

Most couples pick their date very carefully, with specific criteria in mind. Some want to marry within six months; others will wait years for the perfect day. A couple may marry in a certain month because it's a special date (a birthday or the anniversary of the date they met); others may pick a date because they want a garden wedding and if they live in Michigan, the wedding will have to be in the summer.

Nicole Losack, a bride-to-be from Albuquerque, New Mex., chose to have her wedding in September. Because she lives in the Southwest, she knew that the weather would still be warm in September, without being too hot. She also knew that fall in Albuquerque tends to be beautiful, and that there is little wind or rain at that time of year. It fit her plans perfectly.

Keene says this strategy is fairly common. Couples simply choose a date that fits with their needs - weather, special meaning or ease of travel - without pondering any old traditions or superstition. In the five years that she's been in business, Keene has had clients marry in every month of the year. And recently, she's noticed that people are increasingly marrying in "off" months: she had three weddings this December.

Even a traditional "off" month, October, can be glorious in San Antonio. October, in fact, is one of Gavlick's favorite months to hold weddings. "I can almost always guarantee my brides fabulous weather," she said. "It's not too hot, it's not too cold. We've just got glorious weather here."

Whatever date you choose, consultants and other vendors are happy to wed couples at any time of the year. So choose wisely: this is a date you'll celebrate every year for the rest of your life. Make sure it's meaningful for you and your spouse-to-be. This is your day, so make sure it's special.