One of the questions I ask couples, as we are preparing their ceremony script, is if there is any significance to the date of the wedding. In the modern world, the wedding dates are often driven by the availability of popular venues, work commitments or the schedules of far-flung friends and relatives, but there are sometimes sweet, sentimental reasons why couples select particular wedding dates. Holidays such as Valentine’s Day, Christmas Eve, or New Year’s Eve are popular times to marry. Likewise, special “number” days including 09-09-09 or 10-10-10 are highly prized because of their perceived association with good luck. But the mention of personal connections to a wedding date adds another subtle, customized moment in the wedding ceremony. For instance, I married an American bride and her Irish husband on St. Patrick’s day, which was not only a great day of American-Irish pride, but the birth date of the groom’s beloved grandfather. A couple that I will marry this weekend pay special attention to the date (June 12) that they first met. This is the date that the groom made a proposal of marriage and the date of their wedding at the Belvedere Castle in Central Park. I am marrying a Turkish couple who have situated their wedding day immediately after the bride’s birthday and the wedding anniversary of the groom’s parents. I mention this in the ceremony and make note that for this couple, the wedding celebration will last for days, given its proximity to these other special family holidays. The extended wedding celebration is a familiar tradition for Turkish couples! So remember, if there is something memorable about the date of your wedding, don’t forget to mention that to your wedding officiant.
