Picking a wedding date isn’t easy. Not only do you have to take into account your own schedule, but you also have to think about when your guests can attend. Then there’s vendor and venue availability. Holidays are popular options for wedding dates, and a large number of people chose to get married on Valentine’s Day, Christmas Eve, and New Year’s Eve. Before you set your wedding date on holiday, here are a few things to consider.
Pros of a Holiday Wedding
Pro 1: Time Off Work
Everyone that works knows how precious vacation days are. While the couple getting married is probably more than happy to spend their days off planning and celebrating their wedding, guests may not be so happy. Having your wedding on a holiday means that most people will probably have the day off already!
Pro 2: Easy to Remember Anniversary Date
Your anniversary will be an important day throughout your marriage. It’s the day you honor and celebrate the day you and your significant other decided to commit to one another. But life goes by fast, and who hasn’t forgotten an important date like an anniversary before? The great thing about getting married on a holiday is that you and your SO are more likely to remember it!
Pro 3: Built-in Theme
Most weddings have some sort of theme that helps steer the overall design, such as color, venue, style etc. Picking a theme isn’t so easy though. Luckily holidays themselves have themes already built in, which makes it easy! Getting married on Valentine’s Day? Go for a romantic style with red and pink colors. Getting married on Christmas? Do a full winter wonderland with Christmas treats and red and green décor! Holiday themes are easy to plan for and enjoyed by most! Some of our wedding photographers favorite weddings to shoot have had holiday themes.
Pro 4: Everyone’s Together
Holidays are meant to be spent with those closest to you, whether that’s family or friends. Weddings are the same, which makes them easy to combine. Instead of gathering at the lake house to celebrate, people will gather at your wedding! Instead of eating at Grandma’s table, people will enjoy a feast at the reception!
Cons of a Holiday Wedding
Con 1: Guests Unavailable
People usually get off work for holidays, which could mean they’re free to attend your wedding or it could mean they already made plans. People like to travel or visit their own families during the holidays. This may mean that guests may not be able to attend. If you plan on a holiday wedding, it’s a good idea to send out invites early and give plenty of warning.
Con 2: It’s Expensive
Have you ever noticed how everything is more expensive during the holidays? That extends to weddings as well. People’s budgets are tighter around holidays, and the added expense of a wedding may be too much. Guests may not be able to afford more expensive flights or hotels. Bridesmaids may not be able to afford a new dress on top of holiday gifts. If you opt for a holiday wedding, give people time to budget and try to put down cheaper gift options on your registry.
Con 3: You’ll Be Sharing Your Special Day
If you want your wedding day to be special, a holiday wedding date may not be a great idea. You’ll forever be sharing the celebration of your anniversary with whatever holiday it lands on. This also means that people in your life will probably put your special day on the backburner as well. The day will always have a double meaning for you and your SO, and if you’re okay with sharing that then great!
Con 4: Everything Going to be Booked
Around the holidays’ everything gets busier. That includes venues and wedding vendors as well. Florists will be busy making holiday bouquets, venues will be booked for holiday parties, and the city will probably be more crowded with arriving visitors booking up hotels, flights, and cars. This can make planning a wedding more expensive, chaotic, and challenging, but it’s not impossible!
A wedding will be special no matter what day it falls on. There are pros and cons to having a holiday wedding, and as long as a couple considers them all, the day will turn out great!
