So you're getting married and deciding when to have your wedding. The "traditional" month of June is frequently a popular choice for a wedding but there may be other dates you may want to consider when choosing a wedding date. Although it may seem easy to just "pick a date" for getting married, you may want to take into consideration some special times and events that occur during the year before committing to a specific date.
Holidays
There are pros and cons with getting married on a holiday weekend. You have an extra day for celebrating (and/or recovery!) and getting married on a Sunday is usually less expensive than holding a Saturday wedding. However, you should take into consideration your guest list when getting married on a holiday weekend. Airfare, travel and hotel rates are usually higher on holiday weekends and flights may be very limited due to holiday traffic. Also, some families have standing plans or traditions on holiday weekends that they may not be willing to forego to attend a wedding.
Religious and Cultural Holidays
Be aware of religious and cultural holidays (yours and your guests) when deciding on a date for getting married. There may be restrictions imposed on you or your wedding guests as to whether you are allowed to get married during these times. You may also want to avoid getting married on holidays such as Valentine's Day (because floral prices tend to rise during this holiday) or New Year's Eve (when reception site prices rise due to the popularity of this holiday for parties). That is not to say you shouldn't get married on a holiday if you have your heart set on a specific date. With proper planning, you may be able to find good deals and affordable prices for a holiday wedding.
Other Notable Holidays and Events
Mother's Day - Make sure your mom(s) are okay with sharing your wedding on "their" day. Also, some of your guests may have a problem attending your wedding as they may have other family commitments for this day. But for the most part, you could use your wedding as an opportunity to honor your mother (as well as all other mothers) with a toast at your reception.
Father's Day - The same thing could be said about this day for fathers as mentioned above for mothers.
Super Bowl - This event has become an obsession with many football fans. If you are getting married on the Saturday before the Sunday of Super Bowl, then it shouldn't affect your guest list much (unless you live in Florida where the Super Bowl is held). But your diehard football fan guests may not be very happy about attending a wedding on Super Bowl Sunday. Avoid getting married on Super Bowl Sunday if you don't want to deal with this issue.
Final Four/March Madness - Similar to the problems with getting married on Super Bowl Sunday, getting married during these prime basketball events will cause issues with your guests who are avid sports fans.
These are just some of the factors to consider when choosing a wedding date. There are other cultural beliefs you may want to consider when getting married (such as the Chinese believe that the number "8" is especially lucky so choosing a date of 8/8 may be lucky for a wedding). Whatever date you choose, make sure it is significant for you and your mate as this will be a date you will remember forever!
