Holiday Weekends

Holiday weekend weddings have pros and cons. You’ve got an extra day for the festivities (and recovery!); plus, it’s easier to host the affair on Sunday, which is often less expensive than a Saturday event would be. However, costs of travel and hotels may be higher. Also, having your wedding on a holiday weekend might adversely affect your guest list. Some families have standing holiday weekend plans or traditions that they’d prefer not to have disrupted.

Martin Luther King Jr. Day (always a Monday)
January 19, 2009
January 18, 2010

President’s Day (always a Monday)
February 16, 2009
February 15, 2010

Memorial Day (always a Monday)
May 25, 2009
May 31, 2010

Independence Day
Saturday, July 4, 2009
Sunday, July 4, 2010

Labor Day (always a Monday)
September 7, 2009
September 6, 2010

Columbus Day (always a Monday)
October 12, 2009
October 11, 2010

Thanksgiving (always a Thursday)
November 26, 2009
November 25, 2010

New Year’s Eve
Thursday, December 31, 2009
Friday, December 31, 2010

Religious and Cultural Holidays

Be mindful of religious and cultural holidays (your own and those of your guests) when planning your wedding. There may even be restrictions at your house of worship as to whether you’re allowed to marry at these times.

Palm Sunday
April 5, 2009
March 28, 2010

Easter Sunday
April 12, 2009
April 4, 2010

Passover (begins at sunset the night before)
Thursday, April 9, 2009
Tuesday, March 30, 2010

Tisha B’Av (begins at sunset the night before)
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Tuesday, July 20, 2010

Rosh Hashanah
In 2009: begins at sunset on Friday, September 18, and lasts until nightfall on Sunday, September 20
In 2010: begins at sunset on Wednesday, September 8, and last until nightfall on Friday, September 10

Yom Kippur (begins at sunset the night before)
Monday, September 28, 2009
Saturday, September 18, 2010

Hanukkah (begins at sunset the night before)
Saturday, December 12, 2009
Thursday, December 2, 2010

Christmas
Friday, December 25, 2009
Saturday, December 25, 2010

Kwanzaa
Begins Saturday, December 26, 2009 through Friday, January 1, 2010
Begins Sunday, December 26, 2009 through Saturday, January 1, 2011

Costly Holidays

If you’re looking to marry around Valentine’s Day, be wary of your floral bill, especially if you’ve got your heart set on red roses — they’re likely to be more costly than at any other time of the year. Likewise, reception sites often charge a higher fee for a New Year’s Eve wedding.

Notable Holidays

April Fool’s Day
If you and your fiance are jokesters at heart, this could be the perfect wedding day for you. If not, choose another day.
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
Thursday, April 1, 2010

Mother’s Day (always a Sunday)
Make sure your mom is okay with sharing this weekend with your wedding — but it could be the perfect opportunity to honor her. If you do choose it, make a toast to all the mothers in the room at your postwedding brunch.
May 10, 2009
May 9, 2010

Father’s Day (always a Sunday)
Ditto for Dad.
June 21, 2009
June 20, 2010

Halloween
Avoid it if you’re terrified that someone might actually show up in costume.
Saturday, October 31, 2009
Sunday, October 31, 2010

Days of Remembrance

Historically significant days may cause a conflict of interest for some guests.
September 11: It falls on a Friday in 2009 and a Saturday in 2010.
December 7, Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day: In 2009, it’s on a Monday, and falls on a Tuesday in 2010.

Super Bowl
If you don’t live in Florida and are marrying on the Saturday rather than the Sunday of Super Bowl weekend, then the big game shouldn’t affect your wedding too much — unless you and your husband are diehard pigskin fans and can’t bear to miss the big game instead of leaving on your honeymoon. If in doubt, steer clear of these dates:
Sunday, February 1, 2009, Tampa, FL
Sunday, February 7, 2010, Miami, FL

Final Four/March Madness
Everyone loves the excitement of college b-ball (and betting on it!). Keep your sports fans at bay by avoiding these dates:
Saturday, April 4, 2009, and Monday, April 6, 2009, Detroit, MI
Saturday, April 3, 2010, and Monday, April 5, 2010, Indianapolis, IN

Quirky Dates
03/06/09 falls on a Friday
09/09/09 falls on a Wednesday
10/10/10 falls on a Sunday

Other Dates to Avoid

College reunions and/or homecoming, big conventions in your city (call your local chamber of commerce), and any annual charity events that involve your family or close friends.

Editors Note: Some Jewish holidays are missing from this list. If you have Jewish friends who observe all the holidays, you should get ahold of a Jewish calendar before picking a date! Remember, all Jewish holidays begin the evening before, at dusk.

Men, in my opinion, are always harder to shop for than girls. So I was excited to find a website dedicated solely to men’s gifts- MyGroomsmenGifts. They have a wonderful selection of gifts for your groomsmen, the best man, attendants, ushers and dads! (Groom, too!)

It’s customary to give gifts to thank the members of your wedding party for being a part of your special day. Whether your groomsmen are young and hip, or conservative, seasoned renaissance men, MyGroomsmenGifts has a great selection! There are sporty gifts, elegant gifts, useful gifts, luxurious gifts… all those manly things you’ll find on any guy’s secret wish list.

If you’re watching your budget, you can even “Shop by Price.”

Make your gift more unique and personal by having it engraved or embroidered with your groomsmen’s name or initials. Personalized gifts include travel bags, baseball bats, hip flasks, cufflinks, shaving kits and portable cooler bag chairs, all of which can be engraved or embroidered with your groomsmen’s name or initials.

Is your guy a sports fan? There are lots of sporty gifts including themed cuff links, personalized beer mugs, team watches, and more!

Is he more of the executive type? Give him something elegant and useful, like The Thinker pen holder, marble book ends, or personalized desk clock!

Does your groomsman like to party? There’s quite an array of flask and barware for even the most enthusiastic social drinker!

Those are just a few ideas! There are hundreds of gifts to choose from, and you are sure to find something awesome, even for the guy who has everything!  Note: MyGroomsmenGifts is also the perfect destination for other special occasions–birthdays, Father’s Day, Bosses’ Day, anniversaries, retirements and graduations.