(NEXSTAR) — If you have a lot of weddings to attend this year, odds are there’s a certain time of year you can expect to be really busy. Wedding resource The Knot recently released its 2023 Real Weddings Study, finding that October will be the most wedding-filled month in 2024.
In addition to finding how much more, on average, weddings are costing these days ($5,000 more in 2023 than in 2022), the Knot also found the specific days many are choosing to walk the aisle this year.
These are 2024’s most popular wedding dates, according to the Knot:
- Saturday, Sept. 21
- Saturday, Sept. 14
- Saturday, June 22
- Saturday, May 18
- Saturday, Oct. 12
The Knot says the average length of engagements is around 15 months — which is smart, because having at least a year to plan is recommended. Despite having this time buffer, the outlet says picking a date is a crucial early step for everything else to fall into place.
A few factors that should go into choosing a wedding date include understanding how much more (or less) your wedding will cost on certain dates; checking with the people who must be there that specific dates work for them; and knowing if any major events are happening in the area that same day that would affect hotel capacity and traffic of your ceremony.
In addition to these dates, the Knot found some other interesting data on 2024 weddings. While traditional wedding colors like white and gold are still being used, experts say 61% of planning couples say they’re incorporating green into their big days. And just in case you’re thinking of a tasteful mint or regal jade, think again. Late last year, the Knot found that even lime green is among the 2024 wedding season’s top colors.
Hot dates
If you’re wondering just what goes into picking a wedding date, Brides broke down a few other criteria going into date-picking in 2024. Here are a few standouts from Brides’ experts and why.
- August 24 — Couples who are into numerology may gravitate towards this date because of its repeating numbers (8/24/24). Feb. 24 was also a date to look out for, since repeating numbers are considered lucky. Though there are lots of repeating dates, Brides explains that the August date is a Saturday, and thus, more likely to be chosen for the party
- May 23 and Sept. 2 — These dates are especially in-demand because they fall on three-day weekends due to Memorial and Labor days, respectively. A built-in day off gives your guests (and you) plenty of time to recover from the big day. Additionally, a three-day weekend gives you the option to get married on a Sunday without guests having to skip out early for work in the morning
- June 21 — Thank astrology for this one. According to Brides, June 21 begins the summer solstice and “the sun will be in Cancer, which is a romantic sign” — not to mention several other planetary bonuses. Another hot astrology date will be June 6, when a new moon begins
