How to pick a wedding date for your micro wedding or elopement

Once you’ve decided that a small destination wedding is perfect for you and your soon-to-be spouse, the true planning begins - and, though you won’t be swamped by the task of sending out hundreds of wedding invitations or scheduling a DJ (whewie), there is still much to decide. 

​One of the most important aspects of wedding planning is choosing the date of the wedding. This is especially important when planning a small destination wedding, as many factors such as weather, holidays, and local events can influence your ceremony.

The Weather

Photo by Tom Koetting

Weather is one of the most important things to consider when choosing a wedding date. Though it is impossible to know whether it will rain or shine on a certain day over a year from now, it is possible to schedule your wedding during a time period that will cater to your preferences in terms of colors, attire, and season. 

​Colorado boasts beautiful seasons all year long, but each one is vastly different. The beautiful shades of fall will color photos much differently than a snowy landscape of winter.  Knowing this and researching Colorado’s seasons well in advance will put you steps ahead in terms of choosing the perfect wedding date. A good rule of thumb is as follows:

• A beautiful winter wedding should be planned between December and March.
• Spring weddings are usually best during April or May, when the winter has fully worn off and beautiful colors are in bloom in Denver, Boulder and the Front Range areas (like Colorado Springs and Fort Collins).  But “mud season” (post ski season) will be in full swing in the mountain regions. 
• Summer months happen between June and August. It’s important to be aware of temperatures that can climb to above eighty degrees Fahrenheit despite Colorado’s cold reputation, though the evenings are comfortably chilly (think jeans, flip flops, and a t-shirt.... but bring along that sweatshirt for after the sun dips down)
• There is a small window for autumn, between late September and October. If you can schedule during this perfect season, you’re in for beautiful colors and crisp air.

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Holidays

A smaller guest list makes it all the more important that the people special enough to receive an invite can make it.  When planning your wedding, keep in mind holidays that will be happening around that time, including those specific to your religion or culture.  It is important to ask your families about special anniversaries, birthdays or sadly, dates in which our loved ones passed - though that can also be a time of remembrance and hence celebration. 
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Even if your wedding does not fall directly on a holiday, it’s imperative to remember that people often travel for holidays, limiting their availability before and after. A buffer zone of a week on each side of major holidays, and a few days for minor holidays will ensure that the people closest to you will be able to attend your wedding without needing to rearrange their schedule.  Holidays in Colorado also mean lots of in-state travel, so expect lots of traffic on the roadways and higher lodging rates.  

Photo by Kathryn Kim Photography

Local Events

Lastly, being aware of local events that may be happening during your planned wedding date will help you avoid the last-minute stress of needing to switch venues or drastically alter your ceremony, as well as ensure your guests will be able to find accommodations close by. 

Before you decide on a date, you should make sure you know about any events such as concerts, parades, sporting events, openings, etc… that may be happening on or around your wedding day at your chosen location.  We recommend checking with the local chamber of commerce to find the event schedule.  
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The good news is that events big enough to cause a serious rift in your day are likely to be planned out far in advance, leaving you ample time to research and plan a date that will ensure the biggest event happening in the area is yours.

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Photo by Andrea Flanagan.