Have you picked the date yet? Selecting the wedding date can sometimes be tricky, especially if you’re planning to have a big wedding. If you want all of your guests to attend the wedding, it gets tougher when you invite more people, simply because they have their plans or obligations, and you want them all to attend your wedding.
On the other hand, you want your special date, or perhaps a day of marriage that matches your first kiss, or a first date. Another reason to be careful is the calendar of the year. Many dates aren’t suitable because they match various holidays, public or religious. After all, this is the date you’ll celebrate for the rest of your life, so be careful.
Today we’re going through the wedding dates you should avoid, regarding of ethnicity, public holidays, and tricky days you can forget while planning. You’ll be surprised how many dates are on the list.
via lizeventos.com
First of all, you need to check your own calendar and see what upcoming events you should avoid. Things like anniversaries, birthdays, conventions, festivals, or any event that you plan to attend. After analyzing the calendar, you will have an overview of the year, involving your friends and your agenda.
That will cross several dates of the year off, but you’ll avoid terrible mistakes like having a wedding during the big public holiday. Big sporting events are a big factor here as well – events like Super Bowl (February 7 and a period around this date) should be avoided.
Next, pay attention to public holidays and important days throughout the year. Here are some of them:
Thanksgiving and the period around it; November 23-26
People sometimes choose this period (Wednesday, or the weekend of the holiday) carried by the thought that everyone will be at home. This idea does sound smart and practical, but actually, it’s not.
During the 4-day recess, people usually have plans, and the idea to spend a day before Thanksgiving at the wedding might not sound as good to them as it might sound good to you. If this still doesn’t sound too inconvenient, imagine hosting a wedding during this period and not serving turkey – a complete failure.
Easter – Spring is the most popular time of the year to have a wedding, and Easter is one of the major holidays during the period. Low attendance rates are guaranteed for the whole Easter weekend, even if your guests are not celebrating by some chance. Next, the date of Easter changes every year, so you have to check the calendar and be sure you’re avoiding the whole weekend.
Christmas – Even if it might sound totally unbelievable, some people actually book their weddings on Christmas Eve. Packed malls, presents, church, kids… Not a good idea. Don’t get me wrong; it’s workable, but you can expect a low attendance.
You simply can’t expect people will attend your wedding on this date, it simply won’t happen.
9/11 – An apparent date to avoid. There is no need for an explanation, right? You don’t want a wedding anniversary matching the day where thousands of lives were lost. A huge number of families will be remembering their lost ones on this day, and won’t be in the mood.
If you’re outside NYC & Washington, the idea can be somewhat acceptable, but if you’re stationed in the areas, this date is out of the picture.
Religious holiday dates to avoid:
Next, let’s talk about religious dates that you should aim to avoid. All depends on your religion of choosing, and the faith of your guests because your wedding date might affect the attendance rate significantly if your guests are Hinduists, for example. I will try to simplify the things here by categorizing the holidays by religion.
Christian religious holiday dates to avoid:
Lent – February 17 to April 3 –many are restraining from foods to cleanse the body during this period, so if possible, try to avoid it entirely.
Easter – From Palm Sunday to the end of the Easter Weekend
Christmas Weekend: December 23 – 26
Hindi religious holiday dates to avoid:
Mahashivaratri – March 11
Holi – March 29
Diwali – November 04
If possible, avoid the birthdays of your Hindi guests.
Jewish religious holiday dates to avoid:
Purim – February 25-27
Pesach/Passover – March 27-April 4
Shavuot – May 16 – May 18
Tish’a B’Av – July 17 – July 18
Rosh Hashanah – September 06 – 08
Tishrei 4-8 (Days of Remembrance) – September 07 – 14
Yom Kippur – September 15
Sukkot – September 20 – 27
Shimni Atzeret – September 27
Simchat Torah – September 28
Muslim religious holiday dates to avoid:
Ramadan – April 12 – May 12 (even though many opt for the wedding during this period, as it is a time of celebration, but the catering must be served strictly abiding the rules)
Mourning of Muharram – August 19
Day of Ashura – August 18
Non-religious wedding dates to avoid:
Besides many religious holidays, there are cultural holidays that should be avoided if you want all of your guests to attend your wedding. Here are the dates you should cross off your list:
Martin Luther King Day – January 18
Super Bowl – February 7
Mother’s Day weekend – May 8-9
Memorial Day weekend – May 29-30
Father’s Day weekend – June 19-20
Fourth of July weekend – July 3-4
Columbus Day weekend – October 8-11
Bonus – Unlucky dates
Superstition plays a significant role in people’s beliefs in many cultures, and planning a wedding on a traditionally unlucky day is considered as a wrong choice to make. First of all is the famous Friday 13th – the unluckiest date in the whole human history. Friday 13th happens once this year – August 13. So if you or your spouse are superstitious, you should avoid this date for sure.
Have you picked your date yet?
Selecting the appropriate and most fitting date for your wedding might be somewhat tricky, but when you know what to avoid, your search will definitely be easier. It might sound like there are a ton of dates to avoid but remember, the year has 365 days. That’s plenty of time to have the absolutely perfect wedding.
Let us know which date you picked in the comments below, and share the article with your friends who are picking their wedding date!
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