So long, Saturdays: More couples embrace weekday weddings

NEW YORK (AP) — The pandemic forced 30-year-old Stephanie Harnen to twice postpone her wedding. When she finally did get married, in June last year, she settled for a Thursday because her venue was fully booked on weekends.

That turned out to be just fine with Harnen and her husband, Trevor. Most of their 163 invited guests made it, thanks to pent-up vacation time and flexibility working from home. Plus, she saved at least $10,000, in part by taking advantage of reduced rates at the Middletown, New York, country club where they wed outdoors under an open tent overlooking a golf course.

“We didn't want to change venues,” said Harnen, who lives in Stamford, Connecticut. “It was perfect for us. Thursdays are going to be the new Friday.”

She isn't wrong. With some coveted venues still backed up because of rescheduled weddings, and with more couples traveling again for destination ceremonies, an uptick in weekday nuptials has carried into 2022.

“I've already been in a Thursday wedding as a bridesmaid,” said Harnen. “Personally, we preferred it.”

Weekday weddings are expected to rise by about 2% this year when compared to pre-pandemic 2018 and 2019, according to a survey of couples using the wedding planning site TheKnot.com. Though most weddings among Knot users planning for this year will take place Fridays through Sundays, about 10% will be held on Mondays through Thursdays.

When it comes to destination weddings — events curtailed by travel restrictions during the early months of the pandemic — 13% took place on weekdays last year, The Knot data showed.

Kim Forrest, senior editor for the wedding marketplace WeddingWire.com, said the average number of weddings in a year is typically 2.2 million in the U.S. This year, that number is expected to increase to 2.6 million....