Holiday Weddings

Are weddings on Holiday Weekends a Good Idea? Pros and Considerations

Is it a good idea to have your wedding over a holiday weekend? This is a question couples wrestle with as they choose a date after getting engaged. There are a lot of considerations to look at when making this decision. 

Pros:

Your guests might be able to take advantage of extra days off around holidays. This gives everyone more time for travel or leisure time, or just time to recover!

Family may already be planning to be in town for holiday celebrations and won’t have to take extra time off.

Your anniversary will be easy to remember and might come with built in time to celebrate for years to come. 

For me, from a wedding vendor perspective, this is where the pros end, honestly. Many couples are surprised to find out that there are often extra costs or constraints to consider when planning a wedding around the holidays.

Cons:

Competition. Because many don’t know the challenges that come with planning a wedding around the holidays, there are often LOTS of couples vying for venues and vendors. Also, you might be in competition with the holiday itself or holiday-related parties. More demand can also mean higher pricing. 

Along the lines of vendor availability, some vendors do not work on certain holidays. As a florist, we no longer take large weddings on Mother’s Day weekend, for example. Our team is busy fulfilling and delivering retail orders that weekend. Some vendors also block off certain holidays to protect their own family time. Remember, if you are getting married on a holiday, you are asking your vendors and their teams to sacrifice their time with friends and family that weekend as well!

Very often, holiday weddings will come with a higher price tag because vendor teams are sacrificing their holidays. So, they will charge more to make it worthwhile. 

It is also important to consider some vendors (such as florists!) work just-in-time for the week leading up to your wedding. If you plan to get married the Saturday after Thanksgiving, for example, your floral team might have to work ON Thanksgiving. For that reason, some vendors may not be available or may charge a premium. 

Another consideration is the supply and demand of certain products around your wedding date. As a florist, I am referring specifically to Mother’s Day and Valentine’s Day. Because of the high demand for flowers for these holidays, flower costs can be increased as much as 30% or more. These costs must be passed on to you, the client. 

Of course, as a couple, you must decide what benefits might outweigh the negatives. If you’ve always dreamed of a big New Year’s Eve bash for your wedding, or love the idea of an intimate Christmas wedding, or perhaps want to extend the party with your friends and family for a long Labor Day weekend, it might be worth your while to seek out the date and pay a little more! Just start planning early and seek out vendors as soon as you can!

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Photo Credits

New Year’s Eve wedding: Planning: Soiree by Souleret | Venue: The Pennsylvanian | Photography: Lauren Renee | Floral Design: The Blue Daisy Floral Designs

Valentine’s Day wedding: Photography: Leeann Marie | Venue: The White Barn | Floral Design: The Blue Daisy Floral Designs