Weddings911-Should you Have a Holiday Weekend Wedding?

 It sounds like a great idea; your family will all be together anyway right? And, most of them have to travel to the gathering spot regardless.So, why not? Well, as with most things there are pros and cons. I think once you know what they are; you will be able to make a good decision as to whether a holiday wedding will work for you. Let's look at the pros first. Decorating for a holiday wedding can be relatively easy and inexpensive, especially if your venue is already lavishly decorated. Just go with the colors and theme and you are set. You might need to coordinate with the florist working at the venue to get on the same page, but this is fairly easy. Since your friends and family love getting together during the holidays — it's the perfect time for a wedding-based family reunion. You might have a family member plan for activities or meals that are not wedding related. This can give everyone time to connect before or after the wedding with a holiday brunch, spa day, beach bonfire, or even Movie Night. Since many holidays fall on weekdays you might be able to save more $$ by having your wedding on a Friday or Monday. Many venues will offer a discount for choosing a low volume day. This sounds promising so far, but we still have the list of cons to talk through. If you have a lot of invited guests that will need to fly, this can be a major setback. Holiday travel is always more expensive and if you are thinking of a winter wedding, air travel can have serious weather delays and cancellations. Your last-minute wedding preparations might end up taking a backseat to your friends' and family's holiday parties and planning. For the rest of your life, you'll face scheduling conflicts on every anniversary, such as holiday parties, kids' activities, work related events and so on.A wedding on a major holiday may make your guests have to choose between your wedding and celebrating the holidays with other family members. Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, and Christmas are non-negotiable in many families. Another problem with a December wedding is that you are choosing a time of year when people are already spending lots of cash; they may be hesitant to spend more for a wedding gift or pay for travel expenses. With a summer holiday wedding: Memorial Day, 4th of July, or Labor Day, the roads and airports are busy. Resorts are crowded, restaurants have long waits, and generally things are busier than normal. Depending on which month you get married, you may have to cut short or postpone your honeymoon in order to not miss a special holiday with your family. This is by no means a complete list, but will give you some food for thought. Just keep in mind that the location can make or break the event just as much as the date can. Choosing a beach wedding on 4th of July could be a disaster. But, a 4th of July wedding in a secluded mountain resort could be amazing. The best advice to is plan well, and anticipate the pros and cons of each holiday and location, as nothing is worse than a wedding gone wrong. HAVE A WEDDING QUESTION? Send questions to weddings911@ idoidoweddingplanning.com Alene Gamel is a Master Bridal Consultant and owns Alabama-based I Do, I Do! Wedding Planning