Wedding Customs & Traditions Forum

Date Poll :

what is the best day to get married for thanksgiving weekend wedding. We want to plan that weekend since most people are already off Thursday and Friday. Our hall we love, love, LOVE lol is booked the Saturday of course. BUT its avail Friday and Sunday after thanksgiving.. hmm.. which day is better. I was thinking Fri, FI thinks we should book it for sunday so people wouldnt have to travel thanksgiving and miss it with their families

Re: Date Poll :

  • I'm biased, since we're getting married on a Sunday, but I like Sundays better.

    In the last three years, I have had TWO friends get married on the Friday after Thanksgiving -- using your same rationale. But a lot of families -- mine included -- have day-after Thanksgiving traditions that I don't want to (and in both of these cases, did not) miss for weddings. (I didn't go to either wedding).

    I agree with your FI -- book it for Sunday so people don't have to travel and miss Thanksgiving with their friends.

    Also, I know that FI's family and my family aren't the only ones who do this, but we do celebrations with one family (his) the day of Thanksgiving and the other (mine) the Friday/Saturday after Thanksgiving. 

    Since people have to share holidays, they often split the weekends rather than split the day itself.
    Anniversary

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    I'm gonna go with 'not my circus, not my monkeys.'
  • How much travel are we talking? A plane ride? Five hours in a car? Then I would pick a different weekend. 

    If it's withing 45 mins, either would be fine, but I would say late a late reception on Friday (think 6pm ceremony) and early on Sunday (3pm ceremony). 
  • I would definitely go for Sunday.
  • We are thinking early Sunday start time for ceremony like 3:30ish and dinner around 5pm.
  • How far of a drive will it be for most of your guests?

    Also, are you having a gap between your ceremony and reception? Starting at 3.30 and having a reception at 5 means a possible gap, unless you're having an hour-long ceremony and it's a half-hour drive to the reception venue. 

    Gaps are very inconvenient to the guests, and rude, so it's best to avoid them if you can.
    Anniversary

    image
    I'm gonna go with 'not my circus, not my monkeys.'
  • Usually, I prefer Fridays, but in this situation, Sunday would be better of the two.

    I second PPs questions about your OOT guests.  How many have a distance to travel?  How long of a distance is it?   How many of your local guests normally go OOT for Thanksgiving?

    If you're able to, I highly suggest considering another weekend.  Unless it was just down the street and I didn't already have plans with family, I wouldn't go to a wedding on Thanksgiving weekend.  But then again, that's a really important holiday for my family.  Yours may be different, I don't know.

  • edited August 2013
    I would expect people to have standing plans for Thanksgiving and the weekend following, either traveling themselves or having houseguests. Unless your family and friends just don't celebrate it at all, I think this would lead to a super high decline rate. If you must, I would choose Saturday evening or Sunday afternoon. No one wants to be out on Black Friday unless they're shopping.

    ETA: And how long is your ceremony? Unless it's an hour or more, your reception should be starting earlier than 5 for a 3:30 ceremony. Your guests need to be able to go directly from ceremony to reception venue and be able to at least have drinks and something to nibble on.
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  • Ceremony will be around 30-mins, no times are set in stone right now. We will have big cocktail hour with lots of food guest will love it lol
  • We dont have a lot of family & friends that celebrate thanksgiving. most people I know dont due to religious reasons.
  • Ceremony will be around 30-mins, no times are set in stone right now. We will have big cocktail hour with lots of food guest will love it lol
    As long as that cocktail hour starts when your ceremony ends, that's fine. If it doesn't, that's a gap, and is a problem. Your guests should be hosted the entire time with no gaps.
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  • I'm sorry I missed it if you said this already, but how much traveling are we talking about? Airports are a nightmare during this weekend and hotels are usually way more expensive. Driving on a Friday in my area is virtually impossible.
    I also live in the land of retail and malls (Long Island, NY) so the entire weekend is like a huge, long secular holiday lol.

    If I had to choose, though, definitely Sunday by far. Black Fridays in my area are srs bizness. Everyone I know works or has standing plans.


    Totally off-topic, what religion are we talking about? You don't have to answer, of course, I'm just a super curious person.
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  • I am Muslim and most of my family and friends are we don't celebrate thanksgiving.
  • Actually, Muslims and Jehovah's Witnesses don't celebrate Thanksgiving.  Anyways, Sunday might be better in this case for your FI side of the family.  
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  • I agree -- Thanksgiving has zero to do with any religion.
    It kinda does, though. Lincoln made it an official national holiday as a day to give "praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens."
    Not that people don't celebrate it as a secular holiday. I certainly do lol.


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  • TheVirginiansTheVirginians member
    5 Love Its First Comment Name Dropper First Anniversary
    edited August 2013

    Who do you think the pilgrims were thanking? The Native Americans?

     

    In the US, it's become a national government holiday on the fourth Thursday in November. Canada has its own Thanksgiving. I'm sorry I don't know when it is. I guess if you don't celebrate it, then maybe you aren't US?

     

    Anyway, I love a Friday night wedding on Thanksgiving weekend so I can travel on Friday.

  • Who do you think the pilgrims were thanking? The Native Americans?

     

    In the US, it's become a national government holiday on the fourth Thursday in November. Canada has its own Thanksgiving. I'm sorry I don't know when it is. I guess if you don't celebrate it, then maybe you aren't US?

     

    Anyway, I love a Friday night wedding on Thanksgiving weekend so I can travel on Friday.

    Not everybody in the US celebrates Thanksgiving. 



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