Romantic Friday Weddings
Emily Bartell Photography
at Dusk
By Paula Clark Ramirez
One of the most common comments that couples make after their wedding is “It all went by so fast!” You spend months planning the perfect celebration, somehow manage to get all of the people you love in the same spot, and then in four or five short hours, it’s all over! What if you could extend the party from a few hours to a few days and enjoy a longer wedding weekend?
Holding a beautiful dusk wedding on a Friday is a great way to extend the celebration and enjoy time with your friends and loved ones on a relaxed timeline. Friday evening weddings leave your whole Saturday free. You can plan smaller events that allow you to socialize when the spotlight is off. Schedule a casual Saturday post-wedding brunch and an evening pub crawl. Or book a laid-back all-day excursion. Your imagination is the limit! The wedding industry considers Saturday evenings gold. They are in the highest demand and usually cost the most. Friday night weddings may actually save you money and open up weekends that you thought were previously out of the question due to existing bookings. Be sure
96
RI C HMO ND W EDDI NGS MAGA Z IN E
to ask your venue and vendors if there are special rates for Friday evening weddings – you may very well be pleasantly surprised. Friday dusk weddings also give you more time to relax. There is no rush to get up at the crack of dawn to get your hair and makeup done. Instead, you can take some time to enjoy your morning with a massage or a small private lunch with friends before you start to get ready for the festivities. A little-known benefit to Friday evening weddings is that they can help you pare your guest list down to include only the people who matter most to you. Since Friday is a workday for many, not everyone can take time off to attend. View that as a positive since only your best and closest friends and family will make the effort to be there, and that is exactly who you want surrounding you when you say I do. Whether you are more concerned with extending your party beyond just a few hours to a nice long weekend or you simply want to keep your guest list under control, you’ll find Friday dusk weddings are a romantic, often underestimated, yet wonderful opportunity to make your wedding goals and dreams come true! Paula Clark Ramirez is the Proprietor of Historic Mankin Mansion Private Wedding & Event Estate in Richmond, VA. Paula and her husband Martin have lovingly restored this National Landmark to its original grandeur and are honored to share this treasured landmark with couples and their families. The property features stunning architectural views and is the past recipient of countless awards and features in Forbes, Orbitz, The Travel Channel, Martha Stewart Weddings, The Huffington Post and Oprah Magazine.
