I've always wanted to attend a New Year's Eve wedding. Probably because Ryan and I are those lame people who sit on the couch in our pjs and wait for the ball to drop. Then we kiss and go right to bed. BORING!
But as awesome as a New Year's Eve wedding sounds to me, planning a wedding on a holiday weekend can be a tricky situation. Many people have yearly traditions that surround each major holiday. So what happens when your cousin's wedding is scheduled on the same day you always go to Aunt Shirley's house to make Christmas cookies?
Even if brides and grooms plan a wedding close to a holiday, say the Saturday after Thanksgiving, some of the guests might be traveling halfway across the country for their Thanksgiving feast and won't be back in time for the big day.
While many guests might have to resolve family conflicts in order to attend the wedding, there are advantages to having a wedding on a holiday weekend. A three day weekend might mean that out of town guests won't have to take a day off of work to attend the wedding. If brides and grooms plan their wedding on 4th of July and pick the right location, they could treat their guests to some free fireworks! Holiday weddings can also make the theme and decor really easy. Christmas cookies and milk during the reception? Yes please! Vases filled with Christmas ornaments for centerpieces? Couldn't be easier!
In spite of how easy it would be to decorate, Christmas, Easter, and Thanksgiving are probably the three most inconvenient holidays for wedding guests. The "safer" holidays to choose are Memorial Day, Labor Day, July 4th, and Columbus Day, but many people have long-standing traditions for those holidays as well.
Brides and grooms who decide to move ahead with a holiday wedding should be understanding if some of their guests just can't make it. Also, they should be aware that hotel and travel expenses could be more expensive due to the holiday and remind guests to book early.
Want more wedding weekly?