You have reached that point. The point where you are happily engaged to the love of your life, excited about starting your journey together, pumped about wedding planning, and even more excited about shopping for your dream dress. But do not forget one thing that is pretty important and should be taken care of first before anything else.
You need to set a wedding date.
Yes, this needs to be taken care of before the spectacular wedding dress, before you test taste hundreds of different cake flavors, and before you send out your save the dates (well, duh!). As hard and annoying as it is to set a date that will suit everyone you love, it needs to happen!
But there are a few dates that you should most definitely ignore. While you have the freedom to pick and choose your dream date in the end, ignoring specific holidays and seasons during the year are helpful for your guests and for your venue availability. So when the time comes to sit down with your honey and family, keep this list in mind when you are scanning through available dates!
1. Christmas (Any dates from the 21-25)
It is basic and simple common knowledge. If you actually want guests at your wedding, you will not make your wedding on Christmas day. Baby Jesus is a little more important than your wedding, hate to break it to you.
2. Easter Weekend
Hey now, stop it. Stop trying to share the spotlight with Jesus. If have a religious family background or know a lot of people that would not attend church on Easter Sunday or the Monday after, then do not plan your big day on these dates!
3. Martin Luther King Day (Third Monday in January)
Every year, kids get excited in school in January because on the third Monday of that month, they do not have to go to school! It is a day to celebrate someone special (sorry, not you again), someone who served our country and gave us the freedom we have as Americans today. Martin Luther King Jr. is a big deal for some people, and making it on this specific Monday in January is just a little awkward. So respect your fellow Americans and be sure to ignore this date!
4. Super Bowl Sunday (Either last Sunday in January or first Sunday in February)
Unless you want to have a flat screen TV tuned in to the Super Bowl during your reception, you will have a lot of frustrated men and dads in your crowd, one being your spouse most likely. Unless you want to slowly kill the souls of men in the United States and hear grumbling all throughout your day, your best off ignoring this “holiday” as well.
5. Fourth of July (Ahem. Always on July 4th) and Fourth of July Weekend
This can be a creative idea if you want to incorporate American flags into your decor or want to walk out to blasting fireworks, but keep in mind that many families plan vacations around this date. So once again, if you want people to actually show up to your special day, refrain from this holiday week(day) and weekend.
6. New Year’s Eve
What better way to ring in the New Year than with your new hubby? While this is a romantic and awesome idea, it is once again around Christmas break, and it gets sticky and complicated when you try to have a wedding during this holiday celebration. But if you truly love the idea, then go for it! Just remember the problems that might follow!
7. Thanksgiving Day (Always a Thursday in November)
I am thankful that you are thankful for the life long partner you are about spend the rest of your life with! But I hope that you do not pick the Day of Thankfulness to fulfill this lifelong commitment. Not only is it a day for family to travel and visit together, and take off of work for, but other traditions that follow (whether it be the big football game, Black Friday shopping, or carving the turkey), it is hard for guests go give up this special day full of traditions.
8. Father’s Day and/or Mother’s Day (Father’s Day: Third Sunday in June; Mother’s Day: Second Sunday in May)
Take this day to celebrate your parents. If you want to honor them at your wedding, then by all means, go ahead and do so! But other family and guests will most likely have plans and traditions that they do on these dates as well, so keep in mind and make that a mental note.
Here is a list of dates to avoid!