Is getting married on a holiday a good idea?

Considering the idea of getting married on a holiday? Many people might find the idea strange. Or they may be concerned about the extra complications that a holiday might add, such as finding a venue and caterer. There are several benefits to getting married on a holiday that outweigh the complications and make for an especially fun event.

Let's get into the benefits of getting married on a holiday

Tons of Offbeat Wed readers have opted for getting married on a holiday! Here's why they work so well, plus a few ideas for holiday wedding themes!

1) Everyone's already in a festive mood

Holidays are already celebratory and your guests plan to be full of cheer around that time of year anyway. Getting married on a holiday means double the cheer for you and your guests

2) Ease of attendance

Having your wedding on a holiday weekend means most of your guests will already have the day off (and usually an extra day off at that). That means an extra day for travel for your guests and another extra day for post-wedding recovery, depending on how rowdy of a reception you have.

3) Choosing a wedding theme is easy

If you're getting married on a holiday, you can use the holiday as your theme. Most holidays have pre-determined color palettes and associated traditions that can be incorporated into a ceremony or celebration. 

4) There's hardly any wedding competition

While your event might compete with other holiday-related events when it comes to finding vendors, it is unlikely to conflict with other weddings. Therefore, you are less likely to run into a common problem during wedding season (which occurs during fall and spring)— forcing your guests to choose between your wedding and someone else's. 

5) It's like an easy built-in anniversary

If you're getting married on a holiday, it will make your anniversary significantly easier to remember. Bonus: your anniversary will likely always come with built-in days off of work. This makes carving out time to make sure you honor your relationship a bit easier.  

Digging the idea of getting married on a holiday?

If the idea of getting married on a holiday is becoming more appealing to you, you might now be thinking about which holiday is the right one for you and how you pull it off. To get you started, consider some of these ideas:

New Year's Eve or New Year's Day wedding

New Year weddings come with a fun and classy color palette. Black, white, and gold is a great place to start your planning process. New Year’s celebrates the promise and possibility that a new year brings, which is something you can definitely incorporate into your ceremony and vows. The sparkle and light associated with the holiday can be great options for adding a little pizazz to traditional wedding decorations.

Memorial Day wedding

Memorial Day is often celebrated with parades. This could be something interesting to incorporate into a wedding. Memorial Day is also often considered the unofficial start to summer, so having a summer-themed wedding is also an idea for a Memorial Day wedding. Due to the start of the warm weather, consider having your Memorial Day wedding outside. 

4th of July wedding

A 4th of July wedding will not fail to be a huge celebration. Red, white, and blue is a beautiful color palette and there are many elements of a traditional 4th of July celebration that can be incorporated into a wedding bash. Consider BBQ food or upscale BBQ depending on the formality of your event. You can incorporate sparklers and possibly fireworks into your ceremony or reception. 

Labor Day wedding

Labor Day is another parade holiday. However, Labor Day is also often celebrated with picnics. If you are considering a more casual wedding, a Labor Day picnic wedding with a large spread of picnic food and yard games could be a fun and special event. You could even consider a potluck wedding where everyone brings their favorite dish. The possibilities are endless.

Thanksgiving wedding

If you are considering a Thanksgiving wedding, consider fall colors. Incorporate fall leaves into the floral decor. Go all out on catering! A Thanksgiving wedding needs an appropriate Thanksgiving feast to kick off the celebration. Thanksgiving is all about giving thanks and the concept of thankfulness is a theme that will tie in well to your wedding ceremony. 

Christmas Day or Christmas Eve wedding

A Christmas Day or Christmas Eve wedding will be very easy to decorate. Use decorations you have at home already or borrow decorations from friends and family. Use the traditional Christmas reds and greens, or you go with a more winter wonderland feeling with white and silver. Christmas is a time when people prioritize family, which is something to keep in mind as you plan this magical family event.

Not into these holidays?

If none of those holidays appeal to you, there are many other celebrations to consider if you're set on getting married on a holiday. These holidays won’t come with the benefit of the extra days off from work, but they still have easy themes that would be just as fun. Consider a pink and white Valentine’s wedding! Or perhaps a spooky Halloween wedding. Cultural and religious holidays might be good times for weddings as they are already a gathering time for your community. Make sure to check with your community leaders to make sure getting married on a holiday would be considered respectful. 

Getting married on a holiday is unforgettable fun!

If you are considering getting married on a holiday, you will have a great time planning it and creatively combining holiday traditions with wedding traditions. Remember that with a holiday wedding, you'll need to book venues and caterers very early to avoid holiday-related vendor competition. Make sure to tell traveling guests early that you're getting married on a holiday so that they can plan to travel at what might be a busy time. After this, let your easy theme guide your holiday wedding planning process, and have fun!

Ready to get married on a holiday? Hit up the Offbeat Wed Vendor Guide to find local vendors who're down to help you make this happen!