Holiday weekend weddings, yay or nay?

I'm personally not a fan of holiday weddings. We always have stuff planned for our 3 day weekends/holidays since they are so few and far in-between and unless we are close to you, there's a 99% chance you'll receive a card in the mail.

Our wedding is on July 7 (we originally tried for July 5 but our venue didn't have the date available), we actually started considering the week of 4th during our conversations on off-limit dates. We talked to everyone in our bridal party and lots of people in our families before decided to go with that weekend. Everyone loved it! Our wedding is in CO and lots of people are already planning family vacations to national parks before or after the wedding. We're hoping to do our rehearsal on the 4th so we can take advantage of all the firework displays during the rehearsal dinner (which will be a backyard BBQ in the spirit of the 4th). I think as long as you clear it with the important people and are ok with some people declining because of the holiday, its great.

I had a friend get married on Memorial weekend and as an out-of-state bridesmaid, I loved it because it meant I could come out earlier for pre-wedding events without having to take more time off from work.

Ours is Columbus Day weekend but on Friday so people still have a 3 day weekend if they want to use it for vacation, but a lot of people have said they're excited to take off the Friday for an extra long holiday weekend.

Ours is on Labor Day weekend because that’s the only time my family would be able to come. I like having the extra day so we don’t feel rushed to see everyone.
And I don’t know anyone that makes plans for Labor Day weekend a year in advance.

I purposely stayed away from holiday weekends as I don't want guests to have to decide between. Their own personal vacation and our wedding.

... I am biased... We are getting married the Sun before MLK, so far we have been informed of 1 Ski Trip (and we encouraged them to go on it!), but that being said .... I don't like to attend major holiday weddings (literally just went to one). We picked our date (since it is more convenient for the OOT bridal party), and in some ways we sort of hope that it/sunday wedding keeps our numbers down to people who actually want to be there.

We’re getting married Veterans Day weekend, some of our guests have thanked us for making it easier for them. To those saying the couple are “presuming” that you don’t have plans, it’s an invitation not a subpoena, if you have plans, decline. That said I don’t think I’d get married New Year’s Eve or Christmas/thanksgiving unless I was only expecting close family to attend.

Personally I’m not a fan because we usually plan our vacation trips around major holidays. We do them at least a year in advance. This year we stayed home for Labor Day since our wedding is 9/15 so were able to attend a 9/1 wedding for Labor Day weekend, but any other year we’d be camping.

Someone else made a great point that it would be more expensive for out of town guests too.

It really just depends on my current plans and schedule. Could go either way!

I vote no on them. When I get a holiday weekend I'm usually really burned out from work and am looking forward to a nice long weekend of not having plans lol. Granted I wouldn't not go to a wedding just because it was a holiday weekend. Although if it was too close to Christmas I probably wouldn't make it since I don't live near my family and I do so much traveling all around Christmas to see everyone.

I think its usually cheaper on Holiday weekends as well. I wouldn't have a problem with it but, it better have good food and an open bar! LOL

I must be a real heel, because we are having a destination wedding on a holiday (New Year's Day in Key Largo). LOL I thought it might limit attendees, but *everyone* is coming....like almost every one. Most are making a trip out of it. Some coming early (right after, or even ON Christmas) and some staying for the week afterwards. Can't wait!!!

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Not for us....everything is at a premium. We are paying both weekend rates with holiday markups, even though our New Year's Day wedding falls on a Tuesday.

I prefer not having that because the long weekends we like to do stuff on our own, but real loved ones will come anyway. My BFF is getting married Labor Day weekend on a Sunday so two things I'm not a huge fan of, but I love her and its what she wants, so it won't change my happiness for her wedding.

I think for a mostly out of town guest wedding it is great, with plenty of advance notice.

I think a LOT of guests assume that the couple thinks it’s easier for people to attend because “we’re free” or it’s a longer weekend...but I don’t think anyone ever thinks about why the couple picked that weekend in the first place. Maybe they want to keep the same anniversary, maybe that’s the weekend that works best for them overall, maybe the venue was drastically cheaper because no one wants to book during holidays (which this was the case for our venue.) it’s just weird that a lot of people will say to the bride “it’s your wedding, you should do whatever makes you happy and whatever works for you and your FH,” etc, but as soon as they book over the holidays, people sometimes consider it as rude, an inconvenience, or whatever. I don’t think that’s fair. My FH and I always have plans for the holidays, but if someone spends money to send me a STD, invite, and is planning to pay to have me there, then I will attend. Period.

We are having a wedding on Saint Patrick’s Day. It’s not as big of a holiday as some others, but we specifically picked that day because it truly meant something to us, AND the venue was $8,000 cheaper. It honestly had nothing to do with “everyone will most likely be free anyway” or “I know they’d rather be at the wedding than with their friends and family,” or anything like that. It works so much better for us overall. That’s just my take on it though! 😃

View Quoted Comment Well put! We picked the Saturday of Memorial day weekend because that's the date that worked for us! Who ever can make it is much appreciated and those who can't we understand. No matter what date someone picks, it's going to interrupt someone's plans. If the couple truly matter to you you will be there no matter what!

For me it's a Yes! I'm planning on getting married the Sunday before Labor Day, 2020. Now I understand that you may have plans that weekend, but I'm giving you a 2 year notice. And if it bugs you so much, then don't go, and go camping instead. If you truly loved who is inviting you (wonderful me!), then you would just go and skip camping. Or camp and come to my wedding anyway, it's in the Black Hills lol. I get off holidays and most of my invitees do too, so for us it works well. Can't say that about everyone else though.

FH and I are getting married the Saturday of Memorial Day weekend next year because we only have one weekend off a month and that worked best for us due to location, weather, etc. It works out because many people have the holiday to travel, and our friends are planning to visit nearby cities for the rest of the holiday weekend. We are fully prepared for declines but you’re never going to please everyone so no hard feelings.

Our wedding is planned for Labor day weekend next year and we honestly chose it kind of without thinking about the holiday but because it was almost exactly 2 years from our engagement date, late summer and I will be entering my senior semester of nursing school that September and I wanted it before school started obviously lol. But then we were thinking about it and it kind of sucks because our family is a big camping family but the good part is out of town guests will have the extra time to travel, we will be blocking hotels so price increase wont be of concern and flights are always expensive and I really don't think they increase on holidays like labor and memorial day. However if people have planned vacations and decline to intend I am 100% okay with that. I have told family my date of course with that in mind. And plan to send out our save the dates in a few weeks, in order to give plenty of notice for everyone.