Choosing a wedding date is one of the first and most important steps of planning a wedding. Before you can move forward with booking vendors, selecting appropriate themes, and proposing to your bridal party, you must first set the date!
And it’s a lot easier said then done. You cannot just flip through the calendar and randomly select a date. Not only do you have the personal schedules of you and your man to consider, but you must also think of the schedules of the friends and family you want to invite to your big day. Not to mention national, federal, and religious holidays!
While you will have to consult your personal calendar for reunions, weddings, anniversaries or other big events, we have compiled some of the more general dates that you should probably avoid for your big day.
Religious Holidays
You should be at least partially aware of the cultural and religious beliefs of those you are inviting to your wedding. Take those beliefs — and the corresponding holidays — into consideration when you are selecting a date. The following are some of the most popular holidays for the religions of Christianity, Judaism, Hinduism, and Islam.
April 5, 2017: Ram Navami — Hinduism
April 9, 2017: Palm Sunday — Christianity
April 10, 2017: Passover (begins at sunset) — Judaism
April 16, 2017: Easter Sunday — Christianity
June 24-25, 2017: Eid al-Fitr (dates may vary) — Islam
July 31, 2017: Tisha B’Av (begins at sunset) — Judaism
August 15, 2017: Krishna Janmashtami — Hinduism
September 1, 2017: Eid al-Adha (dates may vary) — Islam
September 20, 2017 (sunset) – September 22 (nightfall): Rosh Hashanah — Judaism
September 29, 2017 (sunset) – September 30 (nightfall): Yom Kippur —Judaism
December 12, 2017 (sunset) – December 20 (sunset): Hanukkah — Judaism
December 25, 2017: Christmas — Christianity
Other Holidays
While staying away from religious holidays is an act of respect, avoiding other holidays is an act of tradition. Many families, including those of your guests, have annual traditions that take place on these dates. Don’t make them choose between their age-old family trip to the Bahamas and your wedding!
January 14-16, 2017: Martin Luther King Jr. Day (Monday)
February 18-20, 2017: Presidents’ Day (Monday)
May 13-14, 2017: Mother’s Day (Sunday)
May 27-29, 2017: Memorial Day (Monday)
June 17-18, 2017: Father’s Day (Sunday)
Tuesday, July 4, 2017: Independence Day
September 2-4, 2017: Labor Day (Monday)
October 7-9, 2017: Columbus Day (Monday)
Tuesday, October 31, 2017: Halloween
November 23, 2017: Thanksgiving (Thursday)
December 26, 2017 – January 1, 2018: Kwanzaa
December 31, 2017: New Year’s Eve
Note for both religious and general holidays: You may want to avoid not only the actual dates of the holidays, but some of their surrounding days. People usually have off from work on the days immediately preceding or following big holidays — which could be a positive because your wedding could take place on an unusual day of the week and save you money, or a negative because your guests will be away on vacation.
Sporting Events
Sports can become a religion of its own for some people. If they were forced to choose, they may not be willing to skip the big game even for your big day. There are many other wedding dates for you to choose from, so it would be best for you to avoid the days of some of the more major sporting events.
February 5, 2017: Super Bowl
April 1, 2017 and April 3, 2017: Final Four during March Madness
Also consider the first day of hunting seasons, the FIFA World Cup (September-October), Stanley Cup Finals (April-June), NBA Finals (April), and others when choosing a date.
In the end, you have complete freedom to select whatever date you desire for your wedding. Just be aware that if you purposefully choose to hold your wedding on one of the above dates, you risk scheduling conflicts and your loved ones may not be able to attend. Choose wisely!
