Cocomelody Mag

The Wedding Dates to Avoid in 2019, 2020 & 2021

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.

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