Industry Experts' Advice on Planning a Memorial Day Wedding

Couples usually kick off wedding planning by choosing a date. This can be tricky as you look at personal and work schedules, family preferences and venue and vendor availability. For some, long weekend nuptials seem best, leading them to host a Memorial Day wedding.

If you're toying with this idea, we got the inside scoop from wedding planners Madison Hummel, owner of Madison Avenue Events based in Washington, DC, and Mary Andrews, owner of Mary Elizabeth Events based in Charlottesville, Virginia, to learn everything you should know before committing to a holiday weekend wedding. You can also head to The Knot Vendor Marketplace to find the perfect Memorial Day weekend wedding venue as you start checking boxes off of your wedding planning checklist.

In this article:

• Is a Memorial Day Weekend Wedding a Good Idea?
• Are Weddings More Expensive on Memorial Day Weekend?
• Pros of a Memorial Day Weekend Wedding
• Cons of a Memorial Day Weekend Wedding
• Memorial Day Wedding Ideas

Is a Memorial Day Weekend Wedding a Good Idea?

Hosting a Memorial Day weekend wedding is a good idea if you want guests to have extra time to travel to or recover from your party and you have room in your budget for potentially increased venue prices. Wedding planner Madison Hummel points out that a May wedding allows a couple to "lean into a fun, light color palette as spring turns to summer." That sounds like the makings of a great party to us!

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Are Weddings More Expensive on Memorial Day Weekend?

There are so many factors that influence the average cost of a wedding, from guest count and location to day of the week and the meal served. A Memorial Day weekend wedding cost will typically be higher as demand for vendors and venues is higher. After all, Memorial Day weekend is one of the more popular dates to get married.

Wedding planner Mary Andrews says that "venues in particular often charge an additional fee for holiday weekends, whether that's increasing the Saturday rate or raising their Sunday pricing to match Saturdays. Other vendors are not as likely to have price differences." To find the best wedding planner that will help create a budget that prioritizes your wedding dreams, check out the experts on The Knot Vendor Marketplace.

Pros of a Memorial Day Weekend Wedding

There's a lot to love about celebrating marriage on a long weekend. Guests will feel more free to let loose with an extra day away from work, and you might be able to save a bit of money on a venue if you plan a Sunday wedding on Memorial Day weekend, although that is not always the case. Here's a deeper dive into the advantages of getting hitched during this springtime holiday.

Many People Have More Time for Travel and Recovery

Many companies give their employees holidays like Memorial Day off, creating a three day weekend perfect for a destination wedding. If you host your wedding during this time, people will have more time to travel to and from your celebration as well as an extra day to recover from it if it goes late into the night.

Madison Hummel highlights how this takes away any potential "guilt of asking people to take time off of work to attend your wedding." The other advantage of this is that during the holiday weekend, people are usually in a "great mood from knowing they have an extra day off of work" which makes them ready for a good time.

Potential for a More Budget-Friendly Friday or Monday Wedding

While weddings are typically held on Saturdays, venues tend to be less expensive during the week or on Fridays and Sundays. A wedding on Memorial Day weekend could easily take place on Friday, although some guests may have trouble getting there on time. You can also consider hosting your event on Monday, still giving people plenty of time to travel, especially if you host a brunch reception. As these days tend to be less expensive, it could help you book a nicer venue on a non-peak day or save money in this area of your budget.

There's a chance a venue won't inflate their Sunday wedding price on a holiday weekend, and choosing such a day gives guests more time to travel before and after your event.

Wonderful Weather & Floral Options

Planner Mary Andrews notes that the weather for a late May wedding is usually "warm but not hot and muggy yet." If you are getting married in a spot that warms up fast in late spring, it will be worth some summer wedding planning tips to ensure your event goes off without a hitch. In addition, when choosing florals, Andrews shared the fact that there will be "a beautiful assortment of spring flowers to pick from for your day."

Cons of a Memorial Day Weekend Wedding

Figuring out how to plan a wedding is tricky, which is why so many couples hire a wedding planner. These industry professionals have the inside scoop on potential downsides of a holiday weekend wedding, and here are a few of them.

Higher Travel and Accommodation Costs

It seems every upside has a matching downside. Memorial Day weekend's extra time for traveling means that many people will take to the roads and skies to travel to see friends or family over the long weekend. With this, airports, highways and hotels will be packed with more traffic, longer wait times and higher prices. This higher price tag may be off-putting to some guests. Madison emphasized that these increased prices will be felt more in vacation destinations and larger cities, increasing the potential for logistical issues to arise.

More Guests Declining Invitation

If the higher price tag to attend the wedding doesn't deter a guest, pre-planned travel may cause them to check the "no" box on their RSVP card. Memorial Day weekend is a popular time to take a short vacation, head home for a family reunion or simply stay home to avoid the crowds and barbeque. In the words of Mary Andrews, "some of your guests may also have annual Memorial Day traditions that they might prioritize."

Additionally, she noted that "your venue might also have multiple events on your wedding weekend, which could mean your rehearsal, decor drop-off or setup timeline might be limited." So, if you host a wedding on Memorial Day weekend, you're likely to receive quite a few "not attending" notices as people just can't make it work.

Memorial Day Wedding Ideas

Most Memorial Day weekend wedding ideas stay centered around whatever main spring or summer theme you've chosen to inspire your celebration. However, there are many ways to pay tribute to Memorial Day and all it symbolizes through small (or large) gestures, such as a candle tribute table, photos of loved ones who served in the military or sneaking a small American flag into the groom's back pocket during a few photos. Madison shared that it can be fun to incorporate fun Memorial Day tidbits on "fun fact" napkins or by choosing a venue with a rich US or military history.

Memorial Day Wedding Attire Considerations

When choosing your outfit for a wedding in late May, keep spring's fun colors and diverse weather at the forefront of your mind. While many locations get quite warm, the final days of spring still often have chilly nights, so dress in layers. If you would like to give a nod to the holiday, consider incorporating an American flag pin, pearls or similar small piece of jewelry into an outfit or bouquet.

As Memorial Day itself honors US soldiers who died while serving in the Armed Forces, let guests know on your website or invitation if those currently serving in the military are invited to wear their dress uniform.

Memorial Day Weekend Wedding Hashtag

Creating a wedding hashtag is no easy feat, as it demands equal parts creativity, social media savviness and, oftentimes, a touch of humor. If you're tying the knot on Memorial Day weekend, consider one of these hashtags:

• #wedwhiteandblue
• #amemorableday
• #starsandstripesandrings
• #memorialdaymarriage
• #marriedonmemorialday
• #apatrioticpromise

Memorial Day Wedding Colors

When brainstorming Memorial Day weekend wedding colors, think bright spring hues. DC-based Wedding Planner Madison Hummel cautions couples to "stay away from dark and moody palates." She suggests incorporating a cooler contrasting color if you want to, but overall, stick to lighter tones like pink, orange and yellow. Getting inspired by other summer weddings will help you in picking out your own color palette.

Memorial Day Weekend Wedding Themes

A popular theme for a Memorial Day wedding weekend is red, white and blue. While people usually think of the bold hues of the US flag, you can consider having more muted tones or incorporating stars and stripes as an accent to a different theme. Mary highlights that "as far as your design goes - the sky's the limit. Your personal style will be more important and meaningful to incorporate than a nod to the holiday. Memorial Day weekend is known to be lively, fun and joyful. Your wedding will be too!"

Other potential wedding themes for spring's long weekend could involve a rustic or garden theme, as many people are excited to spend lots of time outside after a winter mostly indoors. Many Memorial Day weddings take place near the beach or a port, allowing a couple to center their celebration around the location and lean into a nautical theme.