A Holiday Wedding?

Dear Engaged Couple—Now that Christmas is almost upon us and New Year’s Eve is not far behind, this seems like an appropriate time to discuss those weddings that are planned around a major holiday.  A relative of mine recently complained-“I’ve had enough of going to weddings on the 4^th of July or during one of the other major holidays!  No one wants to attend a wedding during a traditional a family time! To me that bride and groom are just thinking of themselves!”  I understand.  It can put potential guests in an awkward position.  “Gee, so do we tell Grandma we can’t come to her house for her traditional Christmas dinner, because we’ll be in another state celebrating my best friend’s marriage?”   You see the difficulty?  I also know, though,  that people don’t necessarily want to take a day off from work to attend a wedding.   If your wedding will be when folks are enjoying time off from work anyway, seems that is a good thing, right?  So which is better?

You don’t really expect me to take sides, do you?  Last year, I officiated at a New Year’s Eve wedding, and I will do the same this year.  And, through the years I have officiated at quite a few weddings during the Christmas season, ‘though not on Christmas Eve or Day.  I have heard nary a complaint, but then again, I AM just the officiant.  If someone is going to complain, it probably is not going to be to me. 

Besides taking advantage of your guests’ and your own vacation time from work, there is another major plus to having a holiday wedding.  That is, you, the bride and/or groom,  have a ready theme and decor for your service. You can get away with minimal decorating costs, depending on where you intend to do the deed.  Hotels, for example, have already decorated for Christmas. Add a few chairs, some music (a string quartet or a solo violinist), me, your officiant,  and voila!    Well, it’s a little more complicated,  time consuming and costly than that, but not a whole lot.  A few years ago, for example, I officiated at a wedding at the Boars Head Inn in Charlottesville.  And last year I officiated at a wedding at the Jefferson Hotel in Richmond, VA.   My, oh my, were the decorations over the top!    So, give a holiday wedding some thought.  You just may convince yourself that it’s the right thing to do.

Happy Wedding Planning!