Photo: Alicia Swedenborg
Have you ever been a wedding guest on a major holiday? If you have, you might think twice before planning your own nuptials over Thanksgiving or Christmas. Although there are a lot of reasons that brides and grooms choose the holiday season to plan their weddings, there are just as many reasons not to pick that kind of date. Before you book your wedding venue for sometime between Thanksgiving and the week after New Year's, consider the following pluses and minus:
The Pros:
1. More of your friends and family are probably able to take off work to travel to your wedding (whether it's at home or destination).
2. The bride and groom have more vacation time around the holidays and can steal extra days for wedding prep or the honeymoon.
3. There are so many fun way to work a theme into a wedding during the holidays.
4. People can just take the entire week and turn your wedding in their vacation.
5. For the guests who live in the town where the wedding is being held, it's like attending another more fantastic holiday party.
See more: How to Handle Long-Distance Wedding Planning
The Cons:
1. Everyone has family they want to spend time with on the holidays. Scheduling your wedding on a major holiday prevents them from seeing some relatives they only see once a year.
2. Some people take their family vacations during the holidays so they can visit family and have a break at the same time.
3. Not everyone takes off extra days around the holidays. In fact, many professions require extra shifts and provide overtime during that time of the year for those who are willing to work. Don't assume that your friends have vacation days available around the holidays.
4. More of your guests will decline the invitation than the average RSVP rate. They have fixed annual plans or simply can't pull off Christmas with the family and travel to attend your wedding. Other holiday obligations such as company parties may also create conflicts.
5. December is the most expensive time of the year for most people, with end of year expenses and gift-giving on their mind. Attending a wedding and purchasing a gift may be a stretch for some. And for those who have to travel, it may be financially impossible. Airfares are steep around the holidays.
Owner of Weddings in Vieques, a destination-wedding planning company off the coast of Puerto Rico, Sandy Malone has helped countless couples plan their big day since 2007.