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I see nothing wrong with it, especially if a lot of people have to travel. It's not a big holiday like Thanksgiving or Christmas, and I think people will appreciate not having to go back to work on Monday after traveling all weekend.
i agree with you, our wedding will be over the easter break. no one needs to worry about fighting a hangover after enjoying your big party! plus if you give plenty of notice your wedding will become people's plans. I'm from ireland, sorry if this sounds ridiculous but what and when is memorial day?
We went to one this year. it was a bummer because we had to skip out on the yearly parties and events we typically do over the weekend.
Some people may enjoy it, some won't.
One thing to keep in mind is that airfare is more expensive over the holiday weekends (labor, president's, memorial weekends).
It may depend where you're from. In MN a lot of people utilize their 3-day weekends to head up north to their cabins...and often times anything that conflicts with a long/relaxing weekend "up north" is not looked upon very favorably.
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I think I remember a similar post about 4th of July or maybe Labor Day weekend.
The responses were pretty much split- with the 'it's great and allows more travel time' and the 'costs more to travel on holiday weekend and messes up my other plans for that time' camps being pretty well represented.
I'm in the- I like to do other stuff with my long weekends than battle holiday traffic on the highway or pay extra to fly someplace. Mostly because my family has a cabin where we traditionally spend those long weekends.
That said- I would not miss a once in a lifetime event (like your wedding) for an annual event I could enjoy next year (like fireworks on the 4th). I think most people would agree with me.
That said, do consider travel if your guests have to travel great distances or in popular vacation spots. If people have to fly, the prices could be significantly higher than a non-holiday weekend. If people have to drive they may face massive traffic jams trying to get to your wedding- best case scenario being they had to leave early or made it just in time, worst case scenario being they missed part of your wedding due to a traffic jam.
Good luck! I'm sure what ever weekend you choose people will be there and enjoy themselves.
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good point kenziegirl.. that's why we skipped Thanksgiving weekend. Our friends had their wedding the Saturday after Thanksgiving last year and (I know this could be very selfish) but it really irked me. We usually have loads of plans for Thanksgiving weekend that we do every year, and I don't necessarily think it's fair to ask people to travel on big holiday weekends. You make an extremely valid point about airfare--prices skyrocket for holiday weekends. That is asking a bit of out of town guests.
I am torn on the issue. I like having the extra travel day, but the extra cost of airfare kinda stinks. But I don't agree that Memorial Day is a big enough holiday to have to worry too much about guests missing normal plans.
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@ Soon2bMrsMcC: Memorial Day is a holiday to commemerate members of the US armed forces who have died in war. The official holiday is on May 30th, but it is observed as a day off of work for most people on the last Monday of May each year.
As people have suggested, some will like it, some will be annoyed. The best way to decide is to consider if most of your guests generally have plans that weekend, and then, second, if many people will be traveling far. (If yes to the second, it's generally nice to have a long weekend as long as the answer to the first question is no.)
In my opinion, it's fine. Frankly, I've gone to weddings over the 4th of July weekends, and am invited to one on Dec. 28 and having one over Memorial Day weekend is way better than those.
We decided against doing this although we wanted our wedding in late May. Since we have only 4 people who will have to travel more than 2 hours (and all 4 of those people are students who will be on summer break), it didn't seem necessary to use the holiday weekend to give people an extra day for traveling, etc. Most people I know like to have that weekend, not for extensive traveling, but for an extra day to get together with friends locally, have a picnic, etc., so it seemed a shame to ask them to take their relaxing weekend and spend half of it at my wedding. We ended up picking the weekend following memorial day weekend, which will give me extra time the week prior to do any last minute wedding details. Personally, I'd be bummed to have to attend a wedding for any holiday - that's my time off that I'd like to spend doing what I want. :)
Just to add: I think if you give them plenty of notice (I am sending out save the dates 10 1/2 months in advance for my Halloween weekend wedding because I know people make plans that weekend, and almost all of the guests are out of town) people will be able to plan far enough in advance to hopefully skirt some costs. Plane tickets could still be cheaper if they buy them within a couple months of the wedding notice.
Is your wedding on Sunday then? If I was planning on coming anyway, I probably wouldn't mind, unless I had to take an extra day off on Friday to travel (if your wedding is on Saturday). If I was on the fence about coming, this would probably be the nail in the coffin.
I agree depends on where you live. In NJ most people go to the shore and that is their first weekend. I probably wouldn't mind as much if it was a Friday or Sunday wedding just so at least you can still some of the things you are used to.
Thanks everyone for your comments. As expected, the votes are pretty even for both sides. Here's the kicker, we want to get married in the spring, and the nicest venue in town that solves all problems is only available on May 23....does that make a difference to any of you who were against?
Yes that would definitely change my vote then! I mean if it would be your dream wedding you should just go for it then and just have family and friends convey that to people. You had your heart set on a spring wedding at this venue and this is all they had left. Wow Memorial Day is early next year. Good luck!
I'm still not a big fan of doing it, but considering the situation you're in, I say go for it. I'd send out save the dates early so people don't make plans before they know about your wedding, and I'd expect a few people to grumble a little because they can't plan a memorial weekend away. That being said, most of the people you invite will be delighted to come to your wedding and think it's a great getaway weekend for them if they're traveling. (And poo on those who can't get over their momentary disappointment to be excited for a wedding.) You can only go so far when it comes to doing everything with your guests in mind. If you plan accordingly though, give them plenty of notice, and maybe look around for extra things to do in your area for OOTers to make it an extra fun weekend, you'll seem like a great "hostess."
My good friend just booked her wedding for the Sunday of next Memorial Day and saved a ton of money. She immediately sent an email to all of her close friends and family letting them know that it was set for a holiday weekend and I think got a favorable response from most everyone. I have traditional stuff I do on Memorial Day every year but am thrilled to do something new this year and celebrating a good friend's marriage is always fun for me. :)
^^ I did the same thing.. let everyone know as soon as I booked that the wedding would be on Halloween so they had plenty of time to plan.. I didn't know what to expect but the response so far has been overwhelmingly positive.
I'm doing a May 24 wedding - so I clearly vote on the side of GO FOR IT!
Its your wedding - you should do it. People might appreciate the extra free time to explore your town or have a leisurely travel back home. Just get your save-the-dates out early and know that the people who truly matter will move heaven and earth to be there.
But you should take your dream wedding whenever possible. That's my 2 cents!
:x Broke-Ass Bride
I know some people can't stand holiday weekend weddings but really, do what's best for you, your future FH and your family. Holiday weekends work best for my family so that's probably what we'll end up with. I know my friends might not appreciate it but I have to put my family first.
If people want to come they will. Just remember you might have a higher number of "no's" than normal.
My brother got married on memorial day weekend and the turnout was great! I think people enjoyed it because it was a long weekend. My best friend got married over the 4th of July weekend and that was fine too.
Perhaps consider a less vacation-ey holiday! Tons of people have lots of plans for Memorial Day weekend, Fourth of July, Labor Day, Thanksgiving weekend, New Year's Day. How about another long weekend that people will still have off of work but not normally travel for? I'm having mine over Columbus Day weekend. I don't know of anyone who makes huge blowout plans for Columbus Day! Well, maybe except for the shopping ; )
You could also consider President's Day, Good Friday (if it won't conflict with religious beliefs), or Martin Luther King Day.
It is very kind to consider your guest's plans and feelings while planning your wedding. At the end of the day, though, you can never please all of the people all of the time, and if it is truly important to them to share this meaningful day with you, they will do so without complaint.
We are getting married the weekend after Memorial Day and THREE vendors have quoted us higher prices because they thought we were getting married over the holiday weekend. This includes the florist, DJ and officiant. So just know you may have to pay a bit more over a holiday.
Everything everyone has said is true. It will be more expensive for hotel and airfare (and no, bying early doesn't help. The airlines know when the holiday is going to be just as well as you do. The only way you get discounts on holidays is to buy last minute.) Hotels may fill up quickly. Vendors may be more in demand, or may want the weekend off themselves, and so may charge more. Guests may have a few extra days off (depending on their jobs) but may have traditional plans.
For us, Memorial Day weekend is one we spend with the kids and the grandparents. So - sorry - not disappointing them by cancelling the annual family camping trip really is more important than your wedding, unless you're one of my very best friends. Particularly if the kids aren't invited, or if we simply can't afford plane tickets for everybody. We'll just send you an extra nice present, and hope that you don't take it personally. And that is the key, I think. People's holiday time, and how they spend it, is pretty important to them. If people have long-standing plans that they can't or won't change, you just have to not be offended. Starting out NOT believing that just providing a lot of notice will get everyone to fall in line is a good way to go.
May 24, 2009 bride here. i had the same initial feelings as well. We did it because we are getting a discount with our venue, and they lowered our minimum for food & beverage. Also, our venue is a hotel, so our guests get reduced rates for the weekend.
We were shooting for a guest list of 150-175, but right now it's at 261 (and quite possibly still growing). I'm hoping the holiday weekend may discourage some people from coming (i know...i feel kinda bad). We have already told all the people we really want to come about our wedding date, and no one had a problem with our hoilday wedding (or at least they didn't express it to us).
Good luck with whatever you decide.
Something else to consider-- guests will have more time to travel, but remember that SO many other people will be on the road that weekend too. Some areas will even have sobriety check points and there will be extra cops on the road in practically every state. If people need to come from too far away, traffic could be a nightmare. Of course, as a Californian, I traffic is my main concern. :-)
I hate to say it but I'm one of those people who complains about weddings over holiday weekends. I work a lot of hours and have had to come into the office on many weekends. So I'm just overworked and need that time off.
HOWEVER (notice the caps!!!), I have been a guest at a wedding that took place over one Memorial Day weekend, and no matter how much I complained prior to the event, I had a blast. And nothing was going to keep me from attending my friend's wedding, even if it means no mini-getaway for me. So what I'm trying to say is that although I was less than enthusiastic about the date, it was not enough to keep me from going. This was my friend's special day and NOTHING was going to keep me from going, not even a holiday weekend. Plus, I got over it quickly the minute I got there and I had a great time. I'm sure those less than happy guests will have the same change in attitude.
Your family and friends want what is best for you and will be there no matter what. So I say have it whenever you want!!!
it's ok, i've been to a wedding on that weekend for the last two years... it's too popular...
two couples i know got married on memorial day weekend and both couples liked it, because it meant their anniversaries were always near a holiday weekend so they could celebrate on the three day weekend. :)
for my family/friends, memorial day is a quiet affair - picnics, etc., but nothing far. so a wedding would be no big deal. :)
Hi, I haven't read through all the comments, so I don't know if anyone has mentioned this, but that is also a popular day for graduation parties. Plan well in advance and you shouldn't have any trouble. Good luck.
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We got married on the Sunday of Memorial Day weekend last year. We had 300 people in attendance, with only a handful that didn't attend due to other plans (for instance, my cousin's high school graduation was actually ON that day, so his family, his aunt, and his grandmother didn't attend). We blocked out 25 rooms at a hotel (24 were used) and we received the same discount rate as we would have any other time of year. My big reason for having it that weekend was so that people would have more time to travel and wouldn't have to take any time off of work. Several families with kids came in town on Saturday and made a weekend of it. It's true that some vendors may charge more for a holiday weekend but we actually didn't encounter this much. In our case, I honestly didn't hear any complaints from guests (nor did my family) so I don't think anybody really minded that it was a holiday weekend. And, since your situation involves when your venue is available, I definitely say go for it!
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I totally have to second kenziegirl that airfare is obsenely expensive over holiday weekends.
This past year I had to travel for Memorial Day weekend, across the country, to a friend's wedding. It was nuts how pricy stuff was. It may lead soem of your guests to not come, so that's definitely something to consider.
I was left in a similar predicament. So, I priced out airfare on various weekends to help decide whether to get married on Labor Day weekend or during a non-holiday time. I was rather shocked that airfare was actually less expensive for those coming to my wedding. I think the market the guests travelling to will be a factor. My gut tells me that the friends and family are paying less in travelling to my wedding in Pittsburgh than they would have had my wedding been in FL. My guests also have to take one fewer day off of work, and for some, they were glad to keep a vacation day.
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I am sure there will be conflicting thoughts. I think....sure! Why not, it gives people more time to travel without taking time off of work. My intended thinks it takes away from everyones plans. I would love thoughts.