Before you Set your Wedding Date

AZ Wedding Affair
Jan 15, 2018
6 min read

Now that you’re engaged, one of the first things on your mind is picking a date! And you’ll quickly find that some dates are better than others. This may be due to personal family plans, work commitments, the way the holidays fall or certain sporting or political events happening outside of your immediate world. Here’s our rundown of the worst (and best!) dates to get married in 2018. But remember: Someone else’s lemons can be your lemonade, so if you pick one of the so-called WORST dates, chances are you’ll have your pick of locations, top vendors and perhaps even reduced rates. Now that doesn’t seem so bad after all!!

January 2018

Weekend of January 12-15, 2018. This may be a BAD idea. Why?? It’s the weekend before Martin Luther King Day, and many people take advantage of this holiday to go away for the weekend. You may think that it’s the ideal weekend to plan a destination wedding in the Caribbean or Florida, but flights and hotels will be more expensive. Not only for you, but also for your guests.
Thursday, January 18, 2018, is a GOOD date if you’re into numbers since your date will be 1/18/18. Plus, we love Thursday weddings—reduced rates and your pick of the top vendors!
February 2018
Friday, February 2, 2018, is Groundhog Day. This shouldn’t affect your wedding plans at all, but leave it to one of your guests to make some sort of joke!
Sunday, February 4, 2018, is BAD since this is Super Bowl Sunday. If you’re like me and couldn’t care less about football, you may not see the problem with this date. But the chances of ALL of your guests being anti-football is slim. And they’ll either leave your wedding early to attend a Super Bowl party or will slink out to the lobby bar with the large-screen TV every five minutes to check on the score. Neither are a situation you want to experience on your big day. A brunch or lunch wedding this day will be fine, but a nighttime wedding will be tough.
Wednesday, February 14, 2018. We say this is a BAD option. Why?? While most brides will most likely not choose this as a potential wedding date, keep in mind that while it may seem romantic to get married on Valentine’s Day, your floral bill and rentals will be very expensive. Besides, some brides like to keep their anniversary and Valentine’s Day as two separate dates, to double the flowers and gifts from their love in future years. And February 14 is ALSO Ash Wednesday in 2018, so if you’re Catholic, this is the start of Lent (see below) and not an ideal day to get married.
February 14, 2018, through March 29, 2018, is Lent for Catholics. Although rules have changed and you can now get married during Lent, there may be restrictions, such as prohibiting flowers on the altar and “toning down” your wedding during this timeframe. Be sure to consult with your particular parish before deciding on your date. Weddings are not held on Good Friday or Holy Saturday.
Friday, February 16, 2018, is the start of the Chinese New Year—the year of the Dog—and it’s considered good luck to get married during this celebration, which lasts about 23 days.
Weekend of February 16-18, 2018, could also be considered BAD. Why?? It’s the weekend before Presidents’ Day, when most people have off due to the federal holiday. You may think that a long weekend is the ideal time for a wedding, but your guests, especially those with ski trips planned, may think otherwise. Plus, flights and hotels for out-of-town guests will be more expensive.

March 2018

Saturday, March 10, 2018, is when Daylight Savings Time starts at 2 am on Sunday, so be prepared to lose an hour of sleep if your wedding is on this day!
Saturday, March 17, 2018, is St. Patrick’s Day. This could either be GOOD or BAD—brilliant for the Murphys and Kellys of the world—but miserable if green beer and leprechauns are not your thing.
March 30-April 7, 2018, is BAD if you’re Jewish. Why??This is Passover, and weddings are not allowed
March 30-April 1, 2018, is BAD.Why?? It’s Easter weekend. If you’re Catholic, it’s not possible to choose Good Friday, Holy Saturday or Easter Sunday to get married—weddings are not held on these days. And even if you’re not Catholic or aren’t having a church wedding, this is a busy weekend for restaurants, hotels, reception venues, florists, bakeries and all of the vendors you’ll need to hire for your event. Plus, busy means everything will cost more.
Sunday, April 1 is also April Fool’s Day and is BAD if you’re superstitious and have prankster guests.

April 2018

Sunday, April 8, 2018, is the final round of the Masters in Augusta. This isn’t GOOD or BAD, just something to keep in mind if you have golfers on your guest list since this tournament is the most popular golfing event all year in the U.S.

May 2018

Saturday, May 5, 2018, is both Cinco de Mayo and the Kentucky Derby—just something to keep in mind since many guests may want access to a TV around race time. And be sure to serve mint juleps—with a mariachi band, perhaps??
Sunday, May 13, 2018, is BAD. Why?? It’s Mother’s Day. And while your mother may actually enjoy being an honoree on your big day, ALL of the other mothers in attendance will most likely not feel the same way.
May 25-28, 2018, is BAD. Why?? It’s Memorial Day weekend. While this may seem like the ideal time to have a wedding, your guests—especially the ones with houses down the Shore—will not be happy to forego the annual kick-off to summer. Some may not even attend.
May 15-June 14, 2018, is BAD if you’re Muslim. Why?? It’s Ramadan, and weddings typically are not held during this month of fasting.

June 2018

June 17, 2018, is BAD. Why?? It’s Father’s Day. Similar to the rationale about NOT hosting your wedding on Mother’s Day, even if your dad is OK with a party on his special day (because, really, what father wouldn’t be OK with this??), it’s the other fathers in attendance who may be not so thrilled.
June 22-23, 2018, is GOOD if you’re planning an outdoor wedding. Why?? With the summer solstice, the longest day of the year on June 21, this weekend won’t see the sun set until around 8:30 at night, which creates a wonderful environment for your outdoor, beach, tent or barn event.

July 2018

July 4, 2018, is BAD, but since it falls on a Wednesday in 2018, it won’t really affect any weekend wedding dates.

August 2018

Saturday, August 18, 2018, is GOOD if you’re into numbers since your date will be 8/18/18.

September 2018

September 1-3, 2018, is BAD. Why? It’s Labor Day weekend. And similar to Memorial Day weekend, your guests may want to enjoy their last long weekend of the summer. Assess who’s on your guest list and whether this date will really work for you.
September 10-11, 2018, is BAD if you’re Jewish. Why?? This is Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, and weddings are not held on this day. Weddings typically don’t take place between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur as well.
September 19, 2018, is BAD if you’re Jewish. Why?? This is Yom Kippur, the holiest day on the Jewish calendar. Weddings are not held on this holiday.
September 24-30, 2018, is BAD if you’re Jewish. Why?? Weddings are not held during Sukkot.

October 2018

October 5-8, 2018, is BAD. Why?? It’s Columbus Day weekend. While this weekend isn’t nearly as controversial as Memorial Day and Labor Day weekends, it still may not be popular with your guests who were planning a Fall getaway.
Wednesday, October 31, 2018, is BAD for most brides. But for those who love a true dress-up party, a Halloween wedding couldn’t be any more fun.

November 2018

Sunday, November 11, 2018, is Veteran’s Day. While it’s not disrespectful to have a wedding on this day, if you have veterans in your family, add a few lines to your ceremony honoring those in attendance.
November 22-25, 2018, is Thanksgiving weekend. This is typically considered to be a BAD weekend to get married, since this is such a family holiday. However, if you’re having a small wedding that’s mostly family anyway, the Friday or Saturday after Thanksgiving could be the perfect opportunity and a GOOD decision since everyone will be home and in town.

December 2018

December 2-10, 2018, is Hanukkah, which is GOOD. This holiday of light is considered an auspicious time to get married. If you’re planning a Hanukkah wedding, be sure to have a kindled menorah on prominent display and consider serving traditional Hanukkah cuisine, such as latkes or doughnuts.
December 2-25, 2018, is Advent season for Christians, which mean you can’t get married in the Catholic church during this time frame.
Monday, December 31, 2018, is New Year’s Eve and is GOOD! This is a party your guests will love—and you’ll get to celebrate your anniversary in style every year. The theme is easy—black tie, noise makers, party hats and fireworks!