Once that rock is sparkling on your finger, the next thing for you to do is to set a date for your wedding. Many couples love the idea of holding their wedding on a popular holiday, or at a significant time of the year to make it extra special, but there can be downsides to this as well as advantages. Here are some of the pros and cons of getting married on a significant date.
Why Getting Married on a Significant Date is Great
Planning your wedding around a special time of the year such as Christmas, New Year, or Valentines Day can add a touch of romance to your celebrations. You can take inspiration for your wedding theme, entertainment, catering and colours from these special occasions.
If you get married the weekend of a national holiday such as Labour Day or Australia Day, all of your guests will have the Monday off work so they will have plenty of time to recover. You could consider a two-day wedding, or hold your wedding on Sunday when venues tend to be less pricey.
You can tie your wedding in with another special occasion such as your birthday or a significant birthday of a close family member, the anniversary of your first date, or the anniversary of your engagement. Having your wedding on Mother’s Day or Father’s Day is the perfect way to honour your parents, and holding it on a day of Remembrance such as Anzac Day is wonderful as long as you take a minute to remember the Anzac soldiers and perhaps include a recitation of Laurence Binyon’s For the Fallen in one of your toasts.
If you get married on a memorable date such as 12/12/12 everybody will remember your anniversary (including your new spouse!). Most wedding venues were completely booked out for 08/08/08, partly because eight is considered a lucky number in many cultures and also because on its side the number eight is the same as the sign for infinity; a great motif for a wedding. 10/10/10 was a popular date, especially as it fell on a Sunday.
The Pitfalls of Getting Married on a Significant Date:
If you get married on a national holiday, you may be able to hold a cheaper Sunday wedding, but a hotel and travel costs for your guests may well be higher.
Holding your wedding on Valentines Day may send your flower bill through the roof, particularly if you feel you can’t hold a Valentine’s wedding without red roses.
Venues are likely to charge more for significant holidays such as Valentines Day, New Year’s Eve or Christmas, and they will be booked up way in advance.
If you get married on a popular holiday you may find that many of your guests are unable to make it. Some people have longstanding family arrangements for holiday weekends, while others may have incorporated those long weekends into their annual vacation. If you do want to get married on a holiday weekend, try to send out save the date cards as soon as you have the venue booked.
If you are the type of person that loves to celebrate anniversaries and birthdays, getting married on one of these days might not be the best idea. The celebration of one event may well get swallowed up in celebrating the other, so in the end you lose out on one significant day.
