With the holidays upon us, it seems like an appropriate time to tackle a heavily debated topic in the wedding industry - should you plan a holiday wedding? More specifically - should you plan a holiday wedding over major holidays (i.e. Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years)? There really is no right or wrong answer to this but it's definitely helpful to see both sides of reasonings when weighing the option to have a holiday wedding. Whether you love the idea or not, the following are 5 pros and 5 cons to help you consider whether or not this is the best decision for you as a couple.
Pros
1. Having a holiday wedding comes with certain benefits and one of those is the likelihood that more friends and family will be able to take that time off, whether you are having a home or destination wedding. This extra time will also provide people with more time to travel home. And, speaking of traveling home, three-day holiday weekends in particular can be especially beneficial for those having Sunday weddings.
2. Holiday weddings can be the perfect excuse for people to take some extra time off work - if they can - and turn attending your wedding into a vacation for themselves! Sounds like a win-win situation!
3. Not only can holiday weekends allow family and friends extra time off, but it also gives couples the opportunity to take more time off of work for their big day. This could really be important for those last minute details before the wedding or even giving yourself extra time for your honeymoon.
4. Decorating can be a breeze with a holiday wedding! It's possible that some venues will already have holiday themed decorations up which you could then utilize for your event. This is especially true if you are thinking about having the ceremony at a church as most will have plenty of decor up! Plus, it really is quite easy to incorporate a theme into your wedding during the holidays.
5. Chances are your family is already going to be together during the major holidays anyway, so why not celebrate when you know you'll be having everyone in town already? This can allow you to maximize your time with them and it'll feel like attending a pretty special holiday party for the guests! Plus, it would call for a whole weekend of fun festivities for everyone.
Cons
1. When it comes to the holidays, everyone has family that they want to see. If guests are attending your wedding, they could be missing out on seeing all of those family members they only get to see once a year. Not everyone will be appreciative of only spending time with your family during a holiday wedding.
2. More guests than the average will decline your invitations. The holidays often result in people who have made plans well in advanced - even quicker than you can get those RSVPs out! Keep in mind that guests won't always be able to change their holiday plans to celebrate with you.
3. December is the most expensive time of the year for people - something to keep in mind for a wedding during that time. Unfortunately, expenses may be too great for people to attend your wedding. Plus, both hotels and flights can be significantly more expensive during that time of the year making traveling extremely difficult.
4. Planning and coordinating with both families can really be chaotic during the holidays. You'll have to find a balance between the normal holiday activities and your wedding activities and there will be people who can't join you for everything.
5. You will always have to share your special day with that holiday - which, for some people, may make the anniversary feel not so special in the long run.
With all things considered, the decision is ultimately up to you. Regardless of when your wedding day is, there is always going to be something that someone might not agree with. Choose the day that you want and, at the end of the day, you'll feel great about that decision! If you do choose to have a holiday wedding, the following are 3 important things to remember:
Make sure to give plenty of notice to your guests and provide them with as much detail as possible.
Be prepared for the possibility of higher costs for vendors/venues.
Book everything well in advanced to further help with planning.