A "9/11" Wedding?

September 11 falls on a Saturday this year, 2010. That's the second time since the September 11, 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon that "9/11" has fallen on a Saturday. The first time was 2004. Nobody in 2004 wanted to get married on 9/11 -- the horrific memories of 2001 were too raw.

Now, it is nine years later. It will be interesting to see if "9/11" is still a date wedding couples avoid. My guess is that most wedding couples still prefer that their anniversary not coincide with a date associated with tragedy. I myself am nearly sold out for Saturdays in September and October 2010, but have had only one inquiry for September 11 so far.

One could argue that it'd be a good thing for Americans to reclaim that date for more positive celebrations. After all, both before and after 2001, there have been and continue to be babies born every year on September 11. WIthin the US population of 300 million, approximately 800,000 people celebrate their birthday on 9/11. And people get married on other "days of infamy" such as Pearl Harbor Day (December 6) or the JFK assasination (November 22).

For wedding couples considering a Saturday wedding in the very popular wedding month of September, September 11 offers you an opportunity to save money. Most wedding vendors charge a premium for the most popular wedding dates -- and Saturdays in September and October are among the highest-demand wedding dates, right up there with Saturdays in May and June. But because of weaker demand,many vendors may offer their services at off-peak rates for Saturday, September 11.

A caveat: If any of your guests had family or friends directly impacted by 9/11/01 (i.e., they or any loved ones were working at the Pentagon or in downtown Manhattan that day), that might mitigate against a 9/11 wedding for you. Otherwise, consider it. You'll find greater venue and vendor availability on that date than on any other Saturday in late summer or early fall, and possibly at a discount.