One of the most anticipated questions for the bride and groom to be, is what date the wedding ceremony will be. Many couples usually have an idea when their wedding should be, let it be a specific date or a season. A helpful tip is to ALWAYS have a few dates to choose from, in case the venue is not available or the administrations are booked. If you both have not decided on a best wedding dates, here are a few tips on which dates you should avoid or at least reconsider in 2019, 2020 & 2021.
1. Town Hall & Church
As for many weddings, most marriages have to be confirmed by law and this usually takes place at a town hall. The license you receive there confirms that you are now legally married. The day you go to the town hall in your dream wedding dress can be considered your wedding day. Many who want to have a further ceremony at a church/ synagogue/ temple/ mosque etc. can choose either the same date for their wedding or another. In most cases it will be difficult to have the town hall and religious ceremony on the same day. Often the religious ceremony has a longer waiting period as well and it is likely that only a few dates are available the following year.
2. Venue Know, You Know
You have set your wedding date and call the venue, worst case scenario, they have nothing available that day. If you want to host your wedding ceremony at a specific venue or a venue you know is very popular, it is best to confirm with them first what they have available. You might not be able to get the date you wanted but it might be very close to it.
3. Personal Schedule
Make sure to check your personal planner/ schedule or calendar for any significant dates, e.g. reunions, other weddings, anniversaries, festivals etc. These dates you can mark off from your wedding date list because you will already be occupied those days.
4. Long Weekends
As nice as long weekends can be, they certainly have their pros and cons! The pros are that you have an extra day for festivities or recovery. Some days might be less expensive to host a wedding ceremony. The cons are that travel and hotel costs may be higher, or that not everyone can make it to your wedding due to long-standing plans or traditions.
a. The wedding dates to avoid in 2019 – long weekends
| Festival | Specific Dates |
| Martin Luther King Jr. Day (always a Monday) | Weekend of January 19–21, 2019 |
| Presidents’ Day (always a Monday) | Weekend of February 16–18, 2019 |
| Mother’s Day (always a Sunday) | Weekend of May 11–12, 2019 |
| Memorial Day (always a Monday) | Weekend of May 25–27, 2019 |
| Father’s Day (always a Sunday) | Weekend of June 15–16, 2019 |
| Independence Day | Thursday, July 4, 2019 |
| Labor Day (always a Monday) | Weekend of August 31–September 2, 2019 |
| Columbus Day (always a Monday) | Weekend of October 12–14, 2019 |
| Halloween | Thursday, October 31, 2019 |
| Thanksgiving (always a Thursday) | November 28, 2019 |
| New Year’s Eve | Tuesday, December 31, 2019 |
b. The wedding dates to avoid in 2020 – long weekends
| Festival | Specific Dates |
| Martin Luther King Jr. Day (always a Monday) |
Weekend of January 18–20, 2020 |
| Presidents’ Day (always a Monday) | Weekend of February 15–17, 2020 |
| Mother’s Day (always a Sunday) | Weekend of May 9–10, 2020 |
| Memorial Day (always a Monday) | Weekend of May 23–25, 2020 |
| Father’s Day (always a Sunday) | Weekend of June 20–21, 2020 |
| Independence Day | Saturday, July 4, 2020 |
| Labor Day (always a Monday) | Weekend of September 5–7, 2020 |
| Columbus Day (always a Monday) | Weekend of October 10–12, 2020 |
| Halloween | Saturday, October 31, 2020 |
| Thanksgiving (always a Thursday) | November 26, 2020 |
| New Year’s Eve | Thursday, December 31, 2020 |
c. The wedding dates to avoid in 2021 – long weekends
| Festival | Specific Dates |
| Martin Luther King Jr. Day (always a Monday) |
Weekend of January 16–18, 2021 |
| Presidents’ Day (always a Monday) | Weekend of February 13–15, 2021 |
| Mother’s Day (always a Sunday) | Weekend of May 8–9, 2021 |
| Memorial Day (always a Monday) | Weekend of May 29–31, 2021 |
| Father’s Day (always a Sunday) | Weekend of June 19–20, 2021 |
| Independence Day | Sunday, July 4, 2021 |
| Labor Day (always a Monday) | Weekend of September 4–6, 2021 |
| Columbus Day (always a Monday) | Weekend of October 9–11, 2021 |
| Halloween | Sunday, October 31, 2021 |
| Thanksgiving (always a Thursday) | November 25, 2021 |
| New Year’s Eve | Friday, December 31, 2021 |
Style:＃LD5190, Image Credit: Colleen Photography
5. Religious and Cultural Holidays
Keep in mind that either you or your guests might be involved in religious fests or holidays. Make sure to clarify with them, if they will be able to make it to your wedding if your ceremony falls on any of those days.
a. The wedding dates to avoid in 2019 – Religious and Cultural Holidays
| Religious and Cultural Holidays | Specific Dates |
| Palm Sunday | April 14, 2019 |
| Easter Sunday | April 21, 2019 |
| Passover (begins at sunset) | Friday, April 19, 2019 |
| Tisha B’Av (begins at sunset) | Saturday, August 10, 2019 |
| Rosh Hashanah (begins at sunset) | Sunday, September 29, 2019 until nightfall on Tuesday, October 1, 2019 |
| Yom Kippur (begins at sunset) | Tuesday, October 8, 2019 until nightfall on Wednesday, October 9, 2019 |
| Hanukkah (begins at sunset) | Sunday, December 22, 2019 until nightfall on Monday, December 30, 2019 |
| Christmas | Wednesday, December 25, 2019 |
| Kwanzaa | Wednesday, December 26, 2018 until Tuesday, January 1, 2019 |
| Ramadan (dates may vary based on the lunar calendar) | Sunday, May 5 until Tuesday, June 4, 2019 |
| Eid al-Fitr (dates may vary based on the lunar calendar) | Tuesday, June 4 until Friday, June 7, 2019 |
| Eid al-Adha (dates may vary based on how each family observes; the holiday lasts for about four days) | Sunday, August 11, 2019 |
| Ram Navami | Sunday, April 14, 2019 |
| Krishna Janmashtami | Saturday, August 24, 2019 |
b. The wedding dates to avoid in 2020 – Religious and Cultural Holidays
| Religious and Cultural Holidays | Specific Dates |
| Palm Sunday | April 5, 2020 |
| Easter Sunday | April 12, 2020 |
| Passover (begins at sunset) | Wednesday, April 8, 2020 |
| Tisha B’Av (begins at sunset) | Wednesday, July 29, 2020 |
| Rosh Hashanah (begins at sunset) | Friday, September 18, 2020 until nightfall on Sunday, September 20, 2020 |
| Yom Kippur (begins at sunset) | Sunday, September 27, 2020 until nightfall on Monday, September 28, 2020 |
| Hanukkah (begins at sunset) | Thursday, December 10, 2020 until nightfall on Friday, December 18, 2020 |
| Christmas | Friday, December 25, 2020 |
| Kwanzaa | Thursday, December 26, 2019 until Wednesday, January 1, 2020 |
| Ramadan (dates may vary based on the lunar calendar) | Thursday, April 23 until Saturday, May 23, 2020 |
| Eid al-Fitr (dates may vary based on the lunar calendar) | Saturday, May 23 until Sunday, May 24, 2020 |
| Eid al-Adha (dates may vary based on how each family observes; the holiday lasts for about four days) | Thursday, July 30, 2020 |
| Ram Navami | Thursday, April 2, 2020 |
| Krishna Janmashtami | Tuesday, August 11, 2020 |
a. The wedding dates to avoid in 2021 – Religious and Cultural Holidays
| Religious and Cultural Holidays | Specific Dates |
| Palm Sunday | March 28, 2021 |
| Easter Sunday | April 4, 2021 |
| Passover (begins at sunset) | Saturday, March 27,2021 |
| Tisha B’Av (begins at sunset) | Saturday, July 17, 2021 |
| Rosh Hashanah (begins at sunset) | Monday, September 6, 2021 until nightfall on Wednesday, September 8, 2021 |
| Yom Kippur (begins at sunset) | Wednesday, September 15, 2021 until nightfall on Thursday, September 16, 2021 |
| Hanukkah (begins at sunset) | November 28, 2021 until nightfall on Friday, December 6, 2021 |
| Christmas | Saturday, December 25, 2021 |
| Kwanzaa | Saturday, December 26, 2020 until Friday, January 1, 2021 |
| Ramadan (dates may vary based on the lunar calendar) | Monday, April 12 until Tuesday, May 11, 2021 |
| Eid al-Fitr (dates may vary based on the lunar calendar) | Wednesday, May 12 until Thursday, May 13, 2021 |
| Eid al-Adha (dates may vary based on how each family observes; the holiday lasts for about four days) | Monday, July 19, 2021 |
| Ram Navami | Wednesday, April 21, 2021 |
| Krishna Janmashtami | Monday, August 30, 2021 |
Style:＃LD5830, Image Credit: Faces of You Photography
6. Days of Remembrance / Military Engagement
If you come from a big military family or have family or friends in the service, some days, e.g. Patriot Day, Memorial Day, National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day, might be off-limits. In addition, military members live by a day to day schedule and even if things are planned out, e.g. deployments, trainings etc. these things can quickly change. It is great to keep them in mind but it can be a challenge to stay as flexible as their schedules.
a. The wedding dates to avoid in 2019 – Days of Remembrance/Military Engagement
| Remembrance/Military Engagement Day | Specific Date |
| Patriot Day | Wednesday, September 11, 2019 |
| National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day | Saturday, December 7, 2019 |
| Memorial Day | Monday, May 27, 2019 |
b. The wedding dates to avoid in 2020 – Days of Remembrance/Military Engagement
| Remembrance/Military Engagement Day | Specific Date |
| Patriot Day | Friday, September 11, 2020 |
| National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day | Monday, December 7, 2020 |
| Memorial Day | Monday, May 25, 2020 |
c. The wedding dates to avoid in 2021 – Days of Remembrance/Military Engagement
| Remembrance/Military Engagement Day | Specific Date |
| Patriot Day | Saturday, September 11, 2021 |
| National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day | Tuesday, December 7, 2021 |
| Memorial Day | Monday, May 31, 2021 |
Style: #LD4981, Image Credit: Taylor Kaderly Photography
7. Game On
Further dates you want to avoid or incorporate differently are sporting events. If you are a die-hard sports fan you can certainly incorporate that into your wedding theme, if you are not and you think that your guests might have a hard time deciding between your wedding or a big game, then it might be best to avoid popular sporting event dates.
a. The wedding dates to avoid in 2019 – Sporting Events
| Sporting Event | Specific Dates |
| Super Bowl Sunday | February 3, 2019, in Atlanta, GA |
| Final Four During March Madness | Saturday, April 6, 2019, and Monday, April 8, 2019, in Minneapolis, MN |
b. The wedding dates to avoid in 2020 – Sporting Events
| Sporting Event | Specific Dates |
| Super Bowl Sunday | February 2, 2020, in Miami, FL |
| Final Four During March Madness | Saturday, April 4, 2020, and Monday, April 6, 2020, in Atlanta, GA |
c. The wedding dates to avoid in 2021 – Sporting Events
| Sporting Event | Specific Dates |
| Super Bowl Sunday | February 7, 2021, in Tampa, Florida |
| Final Four During March Madness | Saturday, April 3, 2021 and Monday, April 5, 2021 in Indianapolis, IN |
Style: #LD4534, Image Credit: Christy C. Photography
8. Luck or No Luck
If you are superstitious, you will already know which dates you want to avoid, e.g. Friday the 13th or Leap years are common dates to be avoided.
a. The wedding dates to avoid in 2019 – Common Unlucky Dates
| Common Unlucky Dates | Specific Dates |
| The Ides of March | Friday, March 15, 2019 |
| Friday the 13th | September 13, 2019 December 13, 2019 |
b. The wedding dates to avoid in 2020 – Common Unlucky Dates
| Common Unlucky Dates | Specific Dates |
| The Ides of March | Sunday, March 15, 2020 |
| Friday the 13th | March 13, 2020 November 13, 2020 |
| Leap Years | Saturday, February 29, 2020 |
c. The wedding dates to avoid in 2021 – Common Unlucky Dates
| Common Unlucky Dates | Specific Dates |
| The Ides of March | Monday, March 15, 2021 |
| Friday the 13th | August 13, 2021 |
Style: #LD3932, Image Credit: Red Tent Photography and Film
9. Repdigit
This one has been around for as long as I can remember. It is one of those dates, that are great for people who tend to forget special days. Repdigit is a multidigit number with all digits identical, at least for the most part. Days would be 09/19/2019 or 02/20/2020 for example.
At long last, the most important thing is that you and your future spouse are happy with the date you both choose. Although you will try to make the date fit for everyone, it will be a difficult proposition and it will be hard to please everyone. That is why it is best to stick to what you think is best.