July 4th Wedding- Cool or not cool??

Knottie80366837 · January 2015

My fiancé & I have been contemplating the idea of a 4th of July wedding. It' s on a Saturday & this year Friday is the observed day off work so we thought it would be cool for everyone that it's a 3 day weekend. Almost everyone is coming from out of state. However, a little concerned about a good turn out being on a holiday. Opinions please!!

Thanks!

Angi

mikenberger · January 2015

Knottie80366837 said:

My fiancé & I have been contemplating the idea of a 4th of July wedding. It' s on a Saturday & this year Friday is the observed day off work so we thought it would be cool for everyone that it's a 3 day weekend. Almost everyone is coming from out of state. However, a little concerned about a good turn out being on a holiday. Opinions please!!

Thanks!
Angi

The idea of a wedding on a 3 day holiday weekend is SO alluring isn't it? Most everybody has the Fourth off, what better time to travel?

Wrong.

If your people are flying in, flights are more expensive as are car/hotel rentals. A lot of people, myself included, have traditions for the holiday. They don't include your wedding. Or I'm super excited for a 3 day weekend! Hooray! No wait, I've gotta pack up my stuff, get out my nice clothes, drive X amount of hours, go to a wedding/reception, drive home... I've spent my entire holiday weekend doing stuff. That's no fun. A lot of people just like to relax and do their own thing on a holiday weekend.

I would guess you'd have a higher rate of declines with the holiday. I'd find another date. But quickly if you're getting married this summer. I know around here, you can't find a venue. They've all been booked for a year or more. Good luck!

NYCMercedes · January 2015

It works for my family. Check with your VIPs to see if it works with yours.

Knottie62225317 · January 2015

I personally wouldn't do it no matter how much cheaper it is to us.

Viczaesar · January 2015

Not cool.

southernbelle0915 · January 2015

Holiday weddings where everyone has to travel generally have a very high decline rate. Make sure you check with your VIPs.

Personally, I always roll my eyes at weddings on or around a holiday. The 3-day weekend does not make it more convenient. It actually means I usually have other plans I made a long time ago. And now I have to choose between those plans/traditions and your wedding. Plus, on a holiday weekend, flights, hotels, car rentals are always more expensive. Tally me in the "not cool" category.

kvruns · January 2015

I'd vote no, I look forward to 3 day holiday weekends as a time to relax a bit or do something fun. Going to a wedding would be a damper for me. Not to mention if people have to travel in for it.

Ours is the last weekend in May, which is typically Memorial day weekend but this year memorial day weekend is the weekend before. I keep having to assure people the wedding is not over the long weekend

classicalandedgy · January 2015

I'm getting married on the 5th myself. We actually wanted to do the 4th but couldn't get the date. It is not the most convenient time granted, but we are doing it to honor my fiance's father who passed and he was married on that date. We are having a small wedding and our family is good with it. But with less than six months to go and if you are just planning now, you may have a high decline rate.

climbingsingle · January 2015

If I had to travel, I probably wouldn't go. Flights and hotels are always super expensive that weekend. Also, not everyone is guaranteed to have off that Friday. There's a good chance my company won't be closed the day before.

If it was local to me, and I didn't have to travel far, I wouldn't mind.

lovegood90 · January 2015

Also in the no category if I had to travel as flights/hotels/etc are more expensive. Even if it was local I probably already made other plans in advance.

KatWAG · January 2015

We have standing plans every year for the 4th of July, so I wouldnt be going unless you were family or my very best friend.

bb2016 · January 2015

I agree with all of the above. Most likely people will have plans or traditions already and not everyone will have off. I think not only will you have to pay expensive holiday prices for certain things, but your guests will too.

ohannabelle · January 2015

This is really something that depends on knowing your crowd. If it's a smaller family wedding, and my relatives were planning on traveling and celebrating with us anyway, I'd be fine.

Anything that requires people to travel during peak travel seasons (this can actually double travel costs) is just not considerate. And yes, you will definitely get a higher decline rate at a holiday.

Example guest point of view:

If I sit down and add up a modest travel budget- airfare to a nearby state, only stay one night, transportation and miscellaneous- I'm still looking at 500. That's choosing a relatively low cost route (SEA/LAX) a modest but decent hotel (Raddison ) and paying overnight parking at my airport, shuttle from LAX to Long Beach, food. Add in the wedding present, and I might need a new dress or shoes. (Somehow, I inevitably do.) I gave my imaginary hostess the benefit of assuming I'm getting a blocked room rate, and that she's providing event transportation. I'd rather rent a car, but I'm going frugal budget example.

So, if I'm frugal, I can fly to an out of state wedding for 500-600ish. Peak travel, we're looking at $1000 if I'm lucky. Plus present. And I need a pet sitter. And I only had one imaginary Bloody Mary on the plane. In coach. So, I'm not having a lot of fun.

I just don't love very many people that much. That sounds mean, but to just drop a thousand dollars to see someone get married? That's asking a lot of your guests. Something I would only do for my sisters, or a very very best friend. And, TBH, there might be times that I couldn't do that for my sister or best friend.

Now I want to go someplace warm. I want palm trees and happy hour next to a pool.

[Deleted User] · January 2015

I get planning a wedding on a 3 day weekend when people have to travel. People have mentioned pricing and they have a valid point. For the fun of it go online & pick out the location where one of your VIPS lives and see what it would cost them to travel that weekend compared to a different weekend in the summer, and check with hotel also. But more importantly check on the following since it does fall on what would be an extended weekend

Check on availability of your hair dresser/make up person & will they charge extra rate due to it being on a holiday
If you are planning to rent a limo, check on if they will work on that day
Check with florist to make sure they would be available
Check with cake maker if they would still deliver
Check with your DJ about the date

Basically check with all your different vendors to make sure they are willing to work and if their rates are different since it would fall on a holiday. Granted many of them would only be affected in the morning & still be able to go to picnics & fire work displays, but vendors like the DJ & a limo company may charge more because of that. Are you allowing guests to bring their kids? Reason I'm asking is that for any local guests (and possibly out of town guests) it might be hard for them to tell their kids, sorry you can't see any fireworks this year because mommy & daddy are going to Dick & Jane's wedding so they may decline, or leave very early to spend the evening with their kids.

Cookie Pusher · January 2015

I got married July 5th this year and had a 40% decline rate. We were okay with this as our date was convenient for our VIPs (who had to travel further, therefore wanted the extra day). Most of our out-of-state guests declined except for a few who were home to see family. We booked everything about 18 months out so we were able to get all the vendors we wanted. I know of a couple who had their wedding on the 4th who had all kinds of issues getting vendors and pricing. They had such a high decline rate for their wedding that they were well below half the minimum so had to scramble to add and upgrade things.

lovesclimbing · January 2015

My cousin had his wedding on the Fourth. I have no idea how high their decline rate was, but I do know they had a lot of family and friends there, probably 80-100 people or so. It all comes down to whether it works for you VIPs or not.

atlastmrsg · January 2015

I always used to do kind of like a mini family reunion that weekend, or go to the lake with FI. I'd have to think long and hard about how much I love you to miss that. If you're a friend, I'd probably pass. If you're family, I'd consider going begrudgingly.

Not to mention, if FI's family didn't have a huge boat, it would be all but impossible to find a hotel/cabin where he's from. Those are booked forever in advance.

I'd re-think. I originally planned a Memorial Day weekend wedding, and when I polled my VIPs, they were mortified. I pushed the date back one weekend, and everyone was much happier. Lesson learned.

cakemurderer · January 2015

While I would make the effort to attend a loved one's 4th of July wedding, I'd be miserable and cranky as hell by the time I get there after fighting holiday weekend traffic/paying higher travel rates to get there. I avoid traveling during any holiday weekend because the extra hours and stress on the road are not worth it. I'm sure I'm not the only person who feels this way after reading some of the responses here, so I'd avoid it if I were you.

vmj23 · January 2015

I had mine on Memorial Day weekend, although not on the actual holiday. I had a small wedding, only a couple people traveling and knew everyone i wanted to be there could be there. Things to consider - if you have people traveling, prices for flights/hotels. Finding vendors (photographer, dj) that want to work that day, and not charge additional for it. The only thing I would have had issues with having it a holiday weekend was hotel rooms - there were very limited options nearby to my venue and they were all booked. I had my wedding at an Inn and i reserved a block there, but they were expensive. Since my couple out of town guests were all originally from the area, they had no issues with places to stay, but it could have potentially been an issue.

My brother had his wedding 4th of July weekend, but again not on the actual holiday. He had it the day after, which worked out fine in my opinion. Again, he didn't have out of town guests so travel wasn't an issue.

kipper88 · January 2015

It makes it more convenient for you, but not everyone else. My 3-day weekends are few and far between. I don't want to spend them at your wedding. It's your big day. Not mine.

aliwis000 · January 2015

I think it is up to you and your VIPs. If I was invited to a wedding on July 4th it would not be an automatic yes or no but a combination of factors. I would think about if/how far I need to travel, who the person is, exactly when it is and what I already have planned. It is true I usually have standing family plans but if I am super close to you, or you have invited a lot of my family and we are all going together I would probably come.

I would not be offended for being invited and if I could not attend for whatever reason I would decline the invite. I would just assume that for some reason this date was important to you, or that it was the only one that worked out with your VIPs and move on with my life.

As others have said be prepared for more declines due to the reasons above but if this works for you and those most important to you I say go for it.

lovesclimbing · January 2015

My cousin had a Fourth wedding. I personally didn't mind. If I hadn't had the wedding, I would have been working that day. Granted his wedding was in the town I lived in so I didn't have to worry about higher flight/hotel costs.

My extended family generally does have Fourth of July plans (although I was unable to go that year, regardless of the wedding), but my family just left the day after the Fourth instead and still went where we usually go.

ohiobride78 · January 2015

My FH and I are getting married on July 4th. We sent out save the dates. Most of our people are traveling from both out of state and within the state just not in the city. A lot of our people said they can't wait for the wedding. The actually were very shocked that we picked the 4th. We were not trying to have it on the 4th, but the site we wanted that was the only date they had left. So I say go for it. Good luck with your planning!

badbnagdway · January 2015

I've had some family members get married July 4th weekend - one on a Saturday when the Monday was the holiday, and one on the Saturday after the Thursday holiday. I would have attended these weddings regardless because they were family. It did make it slightly easier for me from a work perspective and I wouldn't decline an invite based on it being on July 4th.

Ultimately, it is an individual thing. You may have a higher decline rate and yes, travel and hotel may be more expensive. Where do you live? Some cities have very big firework displays (DC and Boston come to mind) that make getting around a complete nightmare on the 4th itself. If you live in such a city, I would recommend avoiding the added congestion. Certainly send out save-the-dates at least 6 months in advance.

mbellem · January 2015

Our wedding is on Canada Day, which for most people here is a holiday. Other than a few of our friends (who all said they would be happy to fly down for the wedding) everyone lives around here and would only be driving, not flying. We're having the ceremony and reception at my aunt and uncles country home, and they have lots of room for tents and trailers for anyone who wants to stay overnight, so no need for them to pay for a hotel. Everyone we talked to said it was a good day and they couldn't wait, and no one batted an eye when we said the could bring a trailer or pitch a tent and stay over. I served in the military and FI was in the coast guard, so we have friends all over the place and of course we will understand if they can't fly down. But everyone we have told so far says they are in.

I think it comes down to knowing your crowd and where the location is. Lots of people want to use their holiday to relax and not go to a wedding and there is nothing wrong with that. But if like in our case everyone is fine with it than I say go for it.

wrigleyville · January 2015

We rarely do anything for Fourth of July since the beaches are crowded and traffic is a nightmare.

That said, that's one of the reasons why we'd probably decline a Fourth of July wedding if it were out of town and not within driving distance. Flights are ridiculous around the holiday, and hotels are expensive too, depending on the location.

jacobsmawedding15 · January 2015

The people who are most important to you will be there-but it will be more expensive and they may be missing out on traditions they normally have on July 4th. But everyone is soooo right about the travel cost. Also-for the rest of your life, your anniversary will be on July 4th. That means travel plans for you to celebrate anniversaries will be more expensive and you will have a hard time booking rooms and flights. I would suggest waiting until the 11th (free slurpees at 7/11 on your wedding day!). It'll be cheaper and more fun for you guests and cheaper and more fun for you in the years to come

dvdplayer · January 2015

What it comes down to is - would you be okay with doing that yourself for someone else's wedding? If you don't usually have plans on the 4th - think about a holiday in which you do.

Also, are you okay with a large decline of invitations? This may be a good idea if you are trying to keep your numbers low.

sarahbeths4 · February 2015

I went to one last year! I think it's great because people have the day off work, can travel, and it's not such an "important" holiday that you're asking them to give up new years or thanksgiving with their immediate family. I think the only thing is you have a little more pressure for it to be "nice" and "festive" - basically make sure they are eating and drinking better than they would at the average 4th bbq

photokitty · February 2015

I didn't see you mention a view for the fireworks. I'm not going to wedding not e 4th that doesn't offer good fireworks

That said, I had my wedding on July 3rd, to coincide with the HUGE fireworks display and had a venue with the best view of them in the city. All our VIPs were on board. We have an above average decline rate bc of the holiday.

July 4th Wedding- Cool or not cool??

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