Is a Thursday or winter wedding in Ireland actually cheaper?

Once upon a time in Ireland, getting married on any day other than a Saturday or a bank holiday Friday raised eyebrows from every auntie in the parish.

Today, 16% of couples in weddingsonline's 2025 survey married on a Thursday, and winter weddings are no longer the hard sell they once were. Why? Because Saturdays at sought-after Irish venues often book out 18 to 24 months in advance, and because couples have realised that moving the date by 48 hours, or by a few months, can keep €4,000 to €7,000 in their bank account.

But how much do you actually save once all the bills are paid? Let's do the real maths.

1. The venue and per-head savings, where the big money lives

Venues make up 41% of the average Irish wedding budget, so any discount here does heavy lifting. Most Irish hotels and country houses work on three tiers of pricing:

• Peak Saturdays, May to September and Christmas week The full rate, and the highest minimum guest numbers.
• Midweek in peak season, Monday to Thursday Typically 10% to 15% off the per-head package, or valuable free upgrades: complimentary corkage, a free Day Two barbecue, or extra bedrooms for the wedding party.
• Off-peak winter: November, January, February and early March Typically 10% to 20% off the per-head rate, even on a Friday or Saturday.

The real-world maths, for 130 guests

Take a typical, popular four-star Irish wedding venue whose peak summer Saturday package is €115 a head, with a €1,500 exclusive-use hire fee and a minimum of 150 guests. Say 130 guests actually come.

2. The secret superpower: lower minimum guest numbers

Look closely at the table above. The €13-a-head discount is nice. The bigger financial win of a Thursday or winter wedding is the drop in minimum guest numbers.

Many flagship Irish venues enforce a strict minimum of 150 to 180 guests on Saturdays in June, July and August. If only 125 people RSVP yes, you are still contracted to pay for 25 to 55 "ghost guests" at €115 each: as much as €6,300 for empty chairs. On a Thursday, or in November or February, venues routinely drop their minimums to 80 to 120 guests, so you only pay for the people actually in the room.

3. Do other suppliers discount for Thursdays or winter?

Not every supplier offers a midweek discount, and the reason is simple: a Thursday takes exactly the same hours of editing, flowers and labour as a Saturday.

• Photographers and videographers rarely discount summer Thursdays, but some offer a little off, or a free engagement shoot, for January and February dates when their diaries are quieter.
• Wedding bands are much more open to negotiating €200 to €400 off on a Wednesday or Thursday, or in January and February, and your first-choice band is far more likely to actually be available.
• Florists aren't necessarily cheaper in winter, as fewer Irish blooms are in season. But winter venues naturally need less styling, because candlelight, roaring open fires and fairy lights do 80% of the atmosphere work for €50 worth of IKEA candles.

One more thing from behind the camera: in December the sun sets just after four, so a winter wedding needs its portraits planned around the light. We've written about how to plan a winter day around the sunset.

4. Handling the "a Thursday?!" guest pushback

If you book a Thursday wedding, someone's uncle will inevitably grumble about taking two days of annual leave. Here is how to handle it like a pro:

• Send save-the-dates early, 10 to 12 months out. Give teachers, healthcare workers and shift workers plenty of notice to book their leave before the January roster rush.
• Expect a slightly higher decline rate, and embrace it. On a Saturday, roughly 10% to 15% of invited guests decline. On a Thursday, expect 15% to 20%, mostly evening-only acquaintances and distant work colleagues. Your core circle will walk over hot coals to be there on a Tuesday in November, and the polite declines from the edges of the list will save you about €260 a head.
• Keep Day Two optional and local. Since many Thursday guests will have taken Thursday and Friday off work, a Friday Day Two turns into a brilliant long weekend, with Saturday and Sunday still to recover before Monday morning.

Whatever day you choose, the hidden costs still apply, so put them in the budget from the start.