Our ceremony site is only available on the 23rd of December! Should we look for a new ceremony site?

AmaCassidy

My FI and I have found a ceremony site that we both love, and that comfortably sits more people than is on our guest list but the only date it is available is the 23rd of December. For our immediate families, that isn't a problem, since his family is Jewish, and he, my family and I are all atheists, and due to work schedules have been known to celebrate christmas anywhere from the 21st to the 28th of December. But, we do have a few (about 8) non-practising Christians, and 1 very active Catholic on our guest list and I know it's the time of year that everyone wants to spend with their families.

Only my bridesman and my twin sister/MOH will be travelling far for the wedding, and both would be coming home for the holidays anyway, but do you think we should just look for a different venue instead of possibly inconveniencing poeple anyway? 

MyNameIsNot

Ask around to your VIPs about whether they'd be able to attend a wedding on that date.  Whether people are religious or not, many people celebrate Christmas or have obligations around that time.  In addition to the actual holiday, there are work parties, friend gatherings, extended family gatherings, etc that may have nothing to do with the religious aspect.  It's also a very expensive time to travel, whether people are travelling near or far.  

If your VIPs can make it, go for it and let the chips fall where they may.  

MairePoppy

You may get a low attendance rate. In addition to the busy holiday season-your date is in the middle of the week, which might interfere with work schedules.

CMGragain

This isn't Christmas Eve or Christmas Day, so I don't see a problem.

kmmssg

Stoopid double post

kmmssg

Many Christians celebrate other days than the 25th too.  TBH - I am crazy busy during that time and if I got an invitation to ANYONE's wedding for the 23rd of December it would be an instant decline.  

We have 5 kids, 6 grandkids,  and are a mixed family.  Each of my DDs deals with 2 sets of parents as well as their in laws.  On top of that, my grandchildren are subject to visitation schedules with their biodads so we have about 15 bazillion schedules to check on before we settle on a date.  It is rarely on the 25th, but it is almost always the weekend before or weekend after Christmas. 

And after all that - I just reread the thread and noticed that Maire Poppy mentioned it is in the middle of the week.  Christmas week is one of the most competitive weeks of the year to get vacation so that may not bode well either.

I honestly think that middle of the week/Christmas week is going to severely affect  your attendance rate.  You have to decide how important that is.

AmaCassidy

Thanks ladies, that was very helpful! The venue isn't really all that important to us, we'd rather have the people we love there, so we're going to find another venue. I also never really thought about it being in the middle of the week; I forget that not everybody has flexitime! Just as another question; when do you think is not too early in December to have the wedding?

MairePoppy

Looking at this year's calendar, the first two weeks, up to the 13th, would be fine for my family. That leaves your MOH and your bridesman travelling twice in one month. Is that going to work for them?

emmaaa

I am having mine AFTER Chirtsmas, December 27. By then, a lot of the celebrations have died down and our family and friends are still in town. We know some may not be able to make it because of it being near Christmas but all of VIPs said they could.

Marzipan13

AmaCassidy said:

Thanks ladies, that was very helpful! The venue isn't really all that important to us, we'd rather have the people we love there, so we're going to find another venue. I also never really thought about it being in the middle of the week; I forget that not everybody has flexitime! Just as another question; when do you think is not too early in December to have the wedding?

Good friends of mine got married on December 14th last year, it didn't cause any problems.  They had a lot of OOT family that came too, so it didn't feel like it was overlapping the Christmas holiday at all.  Like PPs have said though, I'd ask your VIPs first. 

southernbelle0915

Marzipan13 said:

AmaCassidy said:

Thanks ladies, that was very helpful! The venue isn't really all that important to us, we'd rather have the people we love there, so we're going to find another venue. I also never really thought about it being in the middle of the week; I forget that not everybody has flexitime! Just as another question; when do you think is not too early in December to have the wedding?

Good friends of mine got married on December 14th last year, it didn't cause any problems.  They had a lot of OOT family that came too, so it didn't feel like it was overlapping the Christmas holiday at all.  Like PPs have said though, I'd ask your VIPs first. 

I also attended a wedding on December 14th last year. We were OOT guests from the other side of the country. We went and said absolutely nothing to the B&G, but we did a TON of scheduling changes of holiday trips (we have family in multiple states and have a pretty regular system figured out) to make it happen. 

I think if people decide to get married in December, they just need to understand that there will be a higher decline rate. 

jules3964

If your guest list consists of people from out of town, who also commonly go out of town for the holidays, then they may decline a wedding on any day in December. I always travel for the holidays and with gifts and other events, traveling to a wedding that month just wouldn't work for my budget unless I was very close to you. 

Your VIPs might not mind and will make it work, but you may have a high decline rate for other guests.

AmaCassidy

Guys we've booked a venue for the 11th December 2015! Checked my my bridesman and sister/MOH and MOH says she's just not going to go back home and will just stay with family until after Christmas (oh the joys of having loads of time off) and bridesman say's he doesn't mind flying over twice in one month. And according to the FMIL Hanukkah is one of the best times to get married in the Jewish calendar, so it being during Hanukkah isn't a problem either.

jules3964

Congrats!

MairePoppy

That's great. I'm happy that everyone's happy.