Having a Wedding on a Holiday Weekend

       Imagine this: you get a lovely wedding invitation in the mail and open it only to realize that the party falls on a holiday weekend.You cringe.Gone are your weekend plans of lounging by the pool or having the family over for a BBQ. You imagine your weekend spent in holiday traffic and you tsk-tsk over the inconvenience, convinced the Bride & Groom got a special rate and that's probably why they are holding their wedding on that date.

       Before you go down as the most miserable party guest imaginable, consider the following:

• It is an honor to be invited to a wedding; if someone didn't want you to share in the biggest day of their life, they wouldn't have invited you. Be courteous and understanding. Sometimes your character is your biggest asset in life!

• Whether or not the bride & groom got a discounted rate for having their wedding on a holiday weekend is not really your business. If you make it a habit to count other peoples' money, expect a lot less party invitations in general.

• Be prepared: leave early to avoid the traffic & avoid being late, wear comfortable driving shoes & change into your designer shoes later on, and bring a snack and drink for the car ride so you don't end up famished by the time you get to the cocktail hour.

And as the HOST of the event, the Bride & Groom should consider the following:

• Send save the date cards and invitations as early as possible: many people book vacations up to a year in advance, so letting people know about your nuptial plans early allows them to be present at your wedding and still plan their trips.

• Start your cocktail hour an hour late: if your party is on a Friday, then your cocktail hour should start no earlier than 7pm to allow guests enough time to get to your reception area. If you can have your cocktail hour from 7:30pm to 8:30 pm, even better! Ask your vendors to work with you.

• Keep if fun! Having a Fourth of July wedding? Give guests sparklers and ask them to send you off with a great photo op. Having your wedding over Columbus weekend or on Black Friday weekend? Give guests an itinerary of fun things to do in the area for the day after the wedding. For example, parents bringing their kids will love information on where they can go pumpkin picking; single guests can take a trip to the nearest shopping mall or outlet center. Having a New Year's Eve wedding? Make sure you have a live stream of the Times Square Ball Drop and you will end up with an unforgettable New Year experience with 200 of your closest friends & family!

Ultimately, guest & host alike should consider each others' sacrifices when a party in held on a holiday weekend. The best part? You get to spend it with all the people you love!