Weddings the Island Way

Thinking of exchanging your vows on a designated holiday? There are advantages and disadvantages for marrying on holidays.

Advantages:

- You’ll be more likely to remember your anniversary each year
- If it’s a holiday where your families usually come together (i.e. Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter), all of your families will likely attend your ceremony when they come for the traditional holiday
- You’ll have the day off from work every year for the holiday and your anniversary (if you marry on a nationally recognized day)
- Everyone is generally festive in the holiday mood, adding to the gala of your wedding

Disadvantages:

- You’ll need to make reservations 6 months-1 year earlier than other dates, as places will fill up much more quickly on holidays
- Courts will charge an extra $150 on 12 holidays & won’t open at all for 9 holidays + a lot of times vendors charge additional fees for holidays such as New Years, Memorial, Independence, Labor, Thanksgiving & Christmas.
- People are in the mood for the holiday, and maybe not so much for your wedding
- If a destination wedding, flights are often more expensive during holiday times
- Your anniversary may be overshadowed by the traditions of the holiday
-  Everyone is generally festive in the holiday mood, adding to the gala of your wedding (see above)…or more stressed due to the holiday hustle & bustle.
- If doing a beach wedding the beaches are a lot more crowded (just like weekends).

Holiday Ideas

New Year’s Day Wedding
Start a fresh year with your new life together! Consider marrying at midnight as the year turns over. Often New Year’s weddings are more formal in dress, with lots of confetti throwing, sequins, cocktail dresses, sparklers, fireworks and noise blowers

Christmas Wedding
Exchange vows with a beautifully decorated Christmas tree behind you, decorated in the colors of your wedding. Wedding gifts can be wrapped like Christmas gifts. The bouquets can be poinsettas, with warm cider, cookies and eggnog served afterward.

Valentine’s Day Wedding
By far the most popular wedding holiday. Send wedding invitations on Valentine’s Day cards; decorate with heart-shaped doilies. Use candy hearts with traditional messages on them to decorate the table(s). Have small heart-shaped boxes of chocolates instead of cake for your guests.