CWD WedBlog

Choosing the "right" date for your wedding can be a daunting task. Not only do the two of you need to coordinate your own schedules, but your parents' and other key people you wish to involve in your wedding may also have one or two dates that are simply out of the question for them. Add to that a variety of "holiday" dates that will keep many of your wedding guests away, or at the best, only begrudgingly present at your special event, and you're going to need a pencil with a big eraser to choose that date!

We can't coordinate the schedules of your families and friends, but we can offer a quick look at some of 2007's best and worst dates to marry to get you started.

• Sunday, February 4th: Superbowl Sunday. Need we say more?


• Wednesday, February 14th: Although a week day, you'll probably pay through the nose for wedding vendors and wedding night accommodations on Valentine's Day, long considered to be the most romantic day of the year.


• Saturday, March 31 & Monday, April 2nd: Will the Florida Gators repeat as NCAA champions? Or will Duke, Memphis, Connecticut or Villanova take the prize? Not sure? Neither are we! But we do know that unless you want half the men at your wedding reception (and your new husband) looking for the nearest bar with a TV, this weekend, host to the 3rd most important sporting event of the year, is definitely out.


• Saturday, July 7th: This one's your call. Where June 6, 2006 was considered bad luck (the dreaded 666), July 7, 2007 is considered a "good luck" date for marrying couples. As such, it is in high demand and even if you manage to book an officiant and hall for July 7th, you might need to use up all the rest of that good luck just finding a DJ, photographer, baker, etc... who isn't already booked. Might be a good idea, certainly less stressful, to avoid this date altogether and put your faith in the love you have for one another to fuel a good marriage, rather than luck!


• Sunday, May 13th: Mother's Day. Your guests will probably come, but not many mother's will be thrilled with this choice of date.


• Saturday, May 26th & Sunday May 27th: Memorial Day weekend. Many families will want to vacation during this typical school break/spring break time, so a few of your guests will probably decline for this reason, but other out-of-town family and friends may enjoy having such a wonderful occasion as an excuse to get away.


• Sunday, June 17th: Father's Day. No less important than Mother's Day.


• Wednesday, July 4th: Independence Day. Would you really want your yearly anniversary so closely intertwined with the 4th of July? Might sound like fun having all those fireworks go off during your wedding reception, but do you really want to share your wedding anniversary every year with what is arguably this country's most important holiday? If you're simply dying to have your wedding on a Wednesday, there are 51 others to choose from.


• Saturday, September 1st - Monday, September 3rd: Labor Day weekend. Apart from the obvious long weekend holiday, this is also "back-to-school" for many... back-to-school shopping, packing up college kids and getting them off to school, getting younger kids back into the school-year routine, and for many, one last opportunity for a family get-away before the school year begins.


• Thursday, November 22nd - Sunday, November 25th: Thanksgiving weekend. As one of the biggest travel weekends of the year, many of your guests will already have alternate plans.


• Saturday, December 22nd - Monday, December 25th: Unless your heart is set on a Christmas wedding and your guest list is limited to just a few family members and friends, better to let your guests enjoy the holiday without the added stress of another holiday engagement.


• Saturday, December 29th - Tuesday, January 1st: Hmm... which to choose... New Year's Eve drunkenness or New Year's Day hang overs and Bowl Game competition. How about neither! Better to let your guests ring in the new year without you.

With that said, other dates to consider taboo include your own and your betrothed's birthdays. Your wedding anniversary will become more and more special with each passing year and should be the focus of that special day. Your parents' birthdays and even your closest friends' birthdays should also be avoided, if possible. Even though your best friend might say she doesn't mind, her birthday will be just a bit less significant to you, her best friend, if your wedding anniversary takes precedent. Avoid years of hurt feelings and simply find another date that works well for all of you.