Let’s get one thing straight: You have to choose a wedding date that works for you as a couple—so if, for whatever reason, you select a single day that doesn’t work for one or more of your guests, the world will not fall apart. But that being said, it’s only smart to give certain dates, such as holidays, a second glance. And to get you started on your wedding date search, we’ve rounded up the dates you might want to steal for yourself and several you may want to avoid at all costs.
Some holidays are to be avoided at all costs—hello, Christmas!—but others such as Presidents' Day afford guests who must travel for your wedding an extra day off, while New Year’s Eve weddings up the celebratory factor of your wedding even more. Here, then, are a few dates you might want to take advantage of this year and next.
Presidents’ Day weekend: Feb 13-15, 2016, and Feb. 18-20, 2017
Memorial Day weekend: May 28-30, 2016, and May 27-29, 2017
Labor Day weekend: Sept. 3-5, 2016, and Sept. 2-4, 2017
New Year’s Eve: Dec. 31, 2016, and Dec. 31, 2017
Veterans Day weekend: Nov. 11-13, 2016, and Nov. 10-12, 2017
Regardless of your religious affiliation, it’s a good idea to consider all sacred holidays when selecting your wedding date. Here—from Christian to Jewish to Hindu and Muslim religions—are a few dates you might want to scratch off the calendar.
Lent: Feb. 10 through March 24 in 2016, and March 1 through April 13 in 2017
Palm Sunday: March 20, 2016, and April 9, 2017
Easter weekend: March 25-28, 2016, and April 14-16, 2017
Christmas weekend: Dec. 23-25, 2016, and Dec. 22-25, 2017
Purim: March 24, 2016, and March 12, 2017
Passover: April 22-30, 2016, and April 10-18, 2017
Rosh Hashanah: Oct. 3-4, 2016, and Sept. 21-22, 2017
Yom Kippur: Oct. 12, 2016, and Sept. 30, 2017
Holi: March 23, 2016, and March 13, 2017
Diwali: Oct. 30, 2016, and Oct. 19, 2017
Mahashivaratri: March 7, 2016, and Feb. 24, 2017
Day of Ashura: Oct. 11, 2016, and Oct. 1, 2017
Mourning of Muharram: Oct. 2, 2016, and Sept. 21, 2017
But even when you take religion off the table, there are still dates to avoid. Think Martin Luther King Day weekend is a good idea, for example? Think again. Many African American families use this holiday for family reunions. So setting religion aside, here are a few more dates to cross of the list this year and next.
Martin Luther King Day weekend: January 16-18, 2016, and January 14-16, 2017
Super Bowl: Feb. 5, 2017
Mother’s Day weekend: May 7-8, 2016, and May 13-14, 2017
College graduation weekends: Varies in May and December
Father’s Day weekend: June 18-19, 2016, and June 17-18, 2017
World Series weekend: Oct. 30 through Nov. 1, 2016
New York Marathon: Nov. 6, 2016, and Nov. 5, 2017
Thanksgiving weekend: Nov. 24-27, 2016, and Nov. 23-26, 2017
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