Holiday Wedding Dates

How do you feel about holiday weddings as a bride/groom or as a guest? I know some couples feel that if the family is gathering for a 4th of July reunion or Christmas dinner, they may as well plan their wedding for the same day or weekend. Others, however, feel these holidays should be left to their own and want a day that’s special just for them. What’s your opinion?

Hate holiday weddings! It’s rude and annoying! Just because your wedding is your special day doesn’t mean it’s on the top of my list to drag my cranky husband and child to. New Year’s Eve is a terrible time to get married—I’d much rather be out having fun than suffering through a wedding. December weddings, even if they aren’t technically on a holiday, also annoy the crap out of me. Attending a wedding is expensive! When I’m already stressed about paying for Christmas for my family, wedding clothes, transportation, and wedding gifts aren’t too high on my priority list. You want me to come to your wedding and be happy? Have it in April or maybe September. (I got married in June, which I didn’t even realize at the time was kind of a bad idea as well—there were 4 other couples we knew who picked the same day and several people couldn’t come because of preplanned vacations.)

I think holiday wedding dates are fine if all you’re planning is an intimate celebration with family members and friends who would already be there, such as for a Thanksgiving weekend wedding or something similar. If you plan on inviting a large guest list, however, it can be annoying because you’re asking a lot of friends and distant relatives to give up their holiday plans for your event, when they may have their own traditions they’d like to keep.

I did have a December wedding (one week before Christmas), but as we eloped it wasn’t quite the same!

I also think it depends on the holiday - some holidays do hold more traditions than others and I agree it can be frustrating for guests to have to cram too much into a short time period. Other holidays can be fun for the guests, though. Take Halloween for example, this is a holiday that more and more couples are choosing (whether it is actually on Halloween or just near the date) and many guests enjoy the costume party atmosphere of the reception.

Another alternative for brides who want holiday themes is to plan them for at another time of year, like a Christmas in July wedding or an indoor tropical wedding theme in the cooler months.

I like my holidays to be my holidays. That means I get to do what I want—not plan a trip to a wedding when everyone else may be on the road, too. Traffic could be extra annoying (Elmo DVDs can only get you so far with a toddler!) and like someone else mentioned, sometimes you have your own traditions that you don’t want to skip. Also, from the couple’s perspective, who wants to share their special anniversary every year with a holiday? Why not create a new one instead?

Holiday weddings can be a lot of fun if you plan them in the spirit of that holiday. One of the best weddings I ever attended was a costumed wedding held in the midst of a rocking Halloween party—they celebrate their anniversary every year with this huge costume party. Now that they have kids, they double it up with a fun day for the kids and adult party.