Planning a wedding involves a number of big decisions, and choosing your wedding date will be at the top of the list! We’ve recently shared the most popular times of year to get married – but what about the wedding dates to steer clear of?
From holiday weekends to major sporting events, certain dates can make it more challenging to host your special day. If you’re currently planning your upcoming nuptials, read on as we share some of the key wedding dates to avoid in 2024, 2025, and 2026.
Significant Personal Dates
First, take some time to consider any personal dates or events on your calendar that you don’t want to clash with your wedding. For example: family birthdays, vacations or the weddings of your close friends and relatives. The last thing you want to deal with is unwanted scheduling conflicts, so make sure you block these dates out in advance!
Valentine’s Day
Sure, Valentine’s Day might seem like a romantic day to tie the knot, but it also brings its own set of challenges. With such a high demand for flowers (particularly roses) on this date, you may find it difficult to find an available florist – and the prices for flowers are typically higher during this time, too.
Dates to avoid:
- Wednesday, 14 February 2024
- Friday, 14 February 2025
- Saturday, 14 February 2026
Major Sporting Events
The downside of planning your wedding on the same day as a major sporting event? Die-hard fans will be sneaking glances at their phones and tracking scores all night long!
With this in mind, consider scratching these dates off your list to ensure your guests are truly present.
Superbowl:
- Sunday, 11 February 2024
- Sunday, 9 February 2025
- Sunday, 8 February 2026
Olympics:
- Friday, 26 July until Sunday, August 11, 2024
- Friday, 6 February until Sunday, 26 February, 2026
Masters Tournament:
- Monday, 8 April to Sunday, 14 April, 2024
- Monday, 7 April to Sunday, 13 April, 2025
- Monday, 6 April to Sunday, 12 April, 2026
US Open:
- Monday, 26 August to Sunday, 8 September, 2024
- Monday, 25 August to Sunday, 7 September, 2025
- Monday, 24 August to Sunday, 6 September, 2026
Cultural and Religious Holidays
Cultural and religious holidays are also worth considering when choosing your wedding date in 2024, 2025 and 2026. The majority of your guests will likely have their own plans and traditions on these dates, so it’s best to steer clear of them altogether!
Christmas:
- Wednesday, 25 December, 2024
- Thursday, 25 December, 2025
- Friday, 25 December, 2026
Easter Sunday:
- Sunday, March 31, 2024
- Sunday, April 20, 2025
- Sunday, April 5, 2026
Ramadan:
- Saturday, 10th March – Tuesday, 9th April 2024 (approximate)
- Friday, 28 February – Saturday, 29th March 2025 (approximate)
- Tuesday, 17th February – Wednesday, 18th March 2026 (approximate)
Hanukkah:
- Wednesday, 25 December – Thursday, 2 January, 2024
- Sunday, 14 December – Monday, 22 December, 2025
- Friday, 4 December – Saturday, 12 December, 2026
Holiday Weekends/Public Holidays
Hosting your wedding on a public holiday or holiday weekend can have both pros and cons. On the one hand, your friends and family members are likely to have time off work, which is helpful if traveling is required. But on the other hand, you’ll find prices for most things (including accommodation, venue and vendor fees) are more expensive due to the high demand – and tend to book up much faster!
Of course, these dates will vary depending on the location of your wedding. For couples in the US, be cautious about hosting your celebration on the following dates:
Martin Luther King Jr Day
- Monday, 15th January 2024
- Monday, 20th January 2025
- Monday, 19th January 2026
Juneteenth
- Wednesday, 19th June 2024
- Thursday, 19th June 2025
- Friday, 19th June 2026
Labor Day
- Monday, 2nd September 2024
- Monday, 1st September 2025
- Monday, 7th September 2026
Independence Day
- Thursday, 4th July 2024
- Friday, 4th July 2025
- Saturday, 4th July 2026
Thanksgiving
- Thursday, 28th November 2024
- Thursday, 27th November 2025
- Thursday, 26th November 2026
New Year’s Eve + New Year’s Day
- Tuesday, 31st December – Wednesday, 1st January 2024
- Wednesday, 31st December – Thursday, 1st January 2025
- Thursday, 31st December – Friday, 1st January 2026
Days of Remembrance
When planning your wedding, it’s also considerate to avoid any significant national events that may carry historical or emotional weight.
These include:
Memorial Day
- Monday, 27th May 2024
- Monday, 26th May 2025
- Monday, 25th May 2026
Patriot Day
- Thursday, 11th September 2024
- Friday, 11th September 2025
- Saturday, 11th September 2026
Holocaust Remembrance Day
- Saturday, 27th January 2024
- Monday, 27th January 2025
- Tuesday, 27th January 2026
Unlucky Wedding Dates
Finally, if you’re superstitious, you may want to steer clear of Friday the 13th altogether!
Dates to avoid:
- Friday, 13th September 2024
- Friday, 13th December 2024
- Friday, 13th March 2025
- Friday, 13th November 2025
- Friday, 13th May 2026
- Friday, 13th February 2027
Choosing the Perfect Wedding Date
While the above guidelines can be helpful to consider when choosing your wedding date, there really are no rules! The perfect date for your wedding will come down to your specific budget, preferences and wedding planning timeline.
Read our ultimate guide to choosing your wedding date here, or learn more about wedding season in the Northern and Southern Hemisphere.