Valentine’s Day, Christmas Eve, New Year’s Eve, and even the Fourth of July are all popular holidays that many people choose to get married on. While we understand why getting married on a holiday can be appealing to a lot of couples, there are some things you might want to think about first.
The Pros of Getting Married on a Holiday
You’ll Always Remember Your Anniversary Date
It can be pretty hurtful when your significant other forgets your anniversary date, or worse, you forget your anniversary date! A lot of couples assume they’ll never forget such a memorable day, but as the years go on and life gets busy, it can become more difficult to remember. So, unfortunately, many couples forget their anniversary dates all the time.
One pro of getting married on a holiday is that it’s a lot easier to remember your anniversary date. After all, every store and social media profile will be advertising the holidays at least two months in advance, giving you plenty of reminders.
Your Family is Already Together
Some families live far apart or don’t have much time for each other (it happens!), but they will often still make the time and travel the distance to be together over the holidays. This makes having a wedding on a holiday a definite pro because your family is already getting together anyway.
Instead of having to wrangle everyone up for your wedding you can be comforted by the idea that they will already be available to spend time with their family since they were coming into town anyway.
People Get Time Off Work
A lot of companies offer very few vacation days. Even though booking time off work for your own wedding is an obvious good use of vacation days, not everyone wants to spend precious time off at a distant relative’s or co-worker’s wedding when they could save it for a trip to the beach (unless you have a beach wedding?).
Booking your special day on a holiday will ensure everyone has that day off already. This is especially good for Fourth of July weddings when people are usually down to party on their extra days off work.
It Is a Built-in Fun Theme
Getting married on a holiday can be a ton of fun when it comes to planning your theme! Getting married on Valentine’s Day? Select shades of pink and red, grab heart-shaped decorations and little cupids. Getting married on Christmas? Choose a red, green, and white color palette with candy canes and snowmen as centerpiece decor trinkets.
Holiday themes are easy to plan, fun to put together, and enjoyed by many.
Two Holidays Will Blend into One
Another plus is the fact that instead of having to celebrate two separate holidays – your anniversary and the chosen holiday – you can jam them into one! That means one day to remember, one day to plan for, and one present to buy. Then again, this can be either a pro or a con, depending on how many holidays and gifts you like. This can be a definite pro for people who don’t care to double up gifts every year over the holidays and like the idea of blending the occasions into one.
The Cons of Getting Married on a Holiday
Guests May Be Unavailable
OK, so maybe they won’t have to book any time off of work, but chances are they already have plans for the holidays. Your immediate family would most likely be available to watch the two of you get hitched, but would your co-workers and friends give up their holiday plans with their own families to attend your wedding? I’m going to guess: probably not.
If you’re hoping to have a big wedding with friends, co-workers, and even acquaintances, you might want to ditch the holiday wedding date and choose something with more open availability.
It’s an Expensive Time of Year
No doubt the holidays are an expensive time of year in many ways. Flights are most expensive, and people are financially drained from buying gifts, decorations, and food for their own events and families. Do you really want to add extra expenses when you already have so much to buy?
Plus, think of your wedding party and guests. Can your bridesmaids really afford to buy their fancy dresses at the same time of year they have to pay for holiday expenses? And can your guests really get you items from your registry, and pay for the trip down to the wedding during one of the busiest times of the year?
It Might Be Too Chaotic
Planning a wedding is a lengthy process, one that is filled with stress, anxiety, and constant work. Even the simplest wedding can feel like it has a never-ending to do list attached to it. Deciding to plan and have a wedding the same day as a major holiday might be too stressful and too chaotic for some people.
You Have to Share Your Special Day
Some people want their weddings and their future anniversaries to be their own special dates. Do you really want to share that special date with everyone who celebrates whichever holiday you think you might want your wedding on? If you choose to have your wedding on Christmas Eve, it isn’t just your day; it’s everyone who celebrates Christmas Eve’s day. And that goes for any other holiday. So, no matter what holiday you choose, your wedding and future anniversaries will always take the backseat for other people.
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