Post # 1
Member
4 posts
Wannabee
Hello! I am planning a wedding for December of 2017 and am looking for some opinions on the date. I want to have it before Christmas and I am unable to have it on or before December 16 (Saturday). My choices are Friday December 22 and Saturday December 23. I am leaning towards Friday because I do not want to force out of town guests to travel on Christmas Eve (Sunday). I also thought people may be more willing/able to take off during the holidays. However, my fiance and several friends and family members think it will be even more inconvenient for people to have to take an extra day off work and they think a Friday wedding is a bad idea. Does anyone have any opinions or personal experiences they would share to help us make our decision?
Post # 2
Member
1309 posts
Bumble bee
Honestly unless you were immediate family and we all lived in the same area, I would decline to attend at either of hose dates.
Post # 3
Member
1697 posts
Bumble bee
Both of those are really tough dates. Do you have an idea of how many of your guests would realistically be able to attend?
Post # 4
Member
10451 posts
Sugar Beekeeper
My brother is getting married a week before Christmas this year and people are pretty annoyed. It’s hard to get time off that time of year for a lot of people and travel is way more expensive and even dangerous depending on where you live. People also tend to already have a lot going on around then. I would pick an entirely different month if you can’t do it any earlier in December.
Post # 5
Member
881 posts
Busy bee
Could you plan it for after Christmas? I think more people would be able/willing to attend on Sat Dec 30 compared to Sat Dec 23. Or could you pick any date in January?
Post # 6
Member
4810 posts
Honey bee
brownleebride1127 : This may not be helpful, but unless you were an immediate family member, I’d decline either date.
Post # 7
Member
5152 posts
Bee Keeper
brownleebride1127 : I would decline either of those dates if it required any travel whatsoever. Christmas is so busy and often people are traveling ON those dates or they have family coming. I’d suggest choosing dates during another time.
Post # 8
Member
564 posts
Busy bee
I think if most of your family/friends are local then either date isn’t going to make much difference, if they are around they will come if not they won’t, but for anyone travelling I think it may be tough. I wouldn’t be able to travel for either of the dates above but if it was in my city I could make either work.
Post # 9
Member
11517 posts
Sugar Beekeeper
Unless you were immediate family OR lived in my hometown where I’d be visiting family I probably wouldn’t travel for a wedding that close to Christmas (I also generally don’t like travelling around Christmas)
I would prefer Friday night to saturday the 23rd though
Post # 10
Member
36 posts
Newbee
I think you should choose what is best for you and your immediate families (parents, brothers and sisters). The thing is, if someone wants to be there for you they will be there no matter if they have to take days off or travel.
Post # 11
Member
1309 posts
Bumble bee
mrsparis : That is just not true. Some people (think retail) are blacked out from taking off any time from work in the lead up to Christmas.
Post # 12
Member
1292 posts
Bumble bee
boy…. those are some tough dates, bee. I am saying this as a bee with a bday of Dec 24th. Even planning a birthday party in December is difficult, let alone a wedding.
I would seriously wait until after Xmas. I did go to a wedding on New Years Eve one year which was highly fun. I don’t know if that’s an option for you, but some food for thought. Others may feel differently, though…
Post # 13
Member
10451 posts
Sugar Beekeeper
mrsparis : That is not true at all. There are people who cannot take off time around the holidays. There are people who other commitments around that time. And people have budgets. Loving someone and wanting to be there for them does not magically get rid of the obstacles preventing someone from doing something they might very much want to do but can’t.
Post # 14
Member
1887 posts
Buzzing bee
Is it possible for you to find a different venue with better availability in December of next year? I would be really bummed if you were a close friend with either of those dates, as it would be really hard for me to be there for your wedding. In some cases it would mean choosing between attending your wedding and seeing my family for Christmas.
Post # 15
Member
7570 posts
Bumble Beekeeper
mrsparis : “The thing is, if someone wants to be there for you they will be there no matter if they have to take days off or travel.”
not true, and a very dangerous assumption to make. Airfare around the holidays is prohibitively expensive for many, and, as others have noted, some employers have blackout restrictions for leave time. No matter what time of year, it’s foolish and unfair to assume that a guest who cannot attend doesn’t want to be there for you.