Marry on Saturday - It's a Good Day for a Wedding

by Jennifer Cram - Brisbane Marriage Celebrant  ©  20 July 2019  | Days of the Week |
There is no question about it. Saturday is the most popular day for weddings in Australia by a long chalk. So, clearly, marrying couples are cheerfully ignoring that old rhyme
As well you should, because there is absolutely no evidence for such a belief.

Why we call it Saturday

If you look at older beliefs and traditions, and delve into the history of why we call the the first day of the weekend, Saturday,   there are many positive,  relevant, and interesting reasons for choosing to marry on a Saturday. (Until recently, most Australian wedding ceremonies took place around 3 pm on a Saturday, 75% of them, in fact. Latest figures have that down to 56%.)

The Babylonians knew of only five planets, so they named five days after them, and tagged the other two days after the Sun and the Moon. The Romans adopted the practice when they standardised on a seven day week (used to be 8 days in the Roman week, how confusing was that?)

Taking their lead from the Babylonians, they named what we call Saturday for the heavy-duty planet Saturn, and therefore after Saturnus, Roman god of fun and feasting, whose festival, Saturnalia, held between 17 and 23 of December, celebrated the harvest and sowing.  This festival have influenced some of the customs associated with later celebrations in western Europe occurring in midwinter, particularly traditions associated with Christmas. Planetary influences suggest that Saturday will be influenced by Saturn's stability and solidity, which makes it a great day for entering the contract of marriage and starting the process of building a strong foundation for your life together as well as a day marked by fun and feasting.

A fun reason for getting married on Saturday

The Vikings did not name the day after a Norse deity associated with Saturn, so what we call the day reflects the Roman name. For the Vikings, Saturday it was the day you do the washing (Vikings were very clean), so in Danish and Norwegian, Saturday is lørdag, in Sweden it is lördag, while in Icelandic it is laugardag - all meaning washday! So it's a great day for a clean start!

Benefits of having your wedding on a Saturday

Saturday is the most expensive day of the week on which to be married. Everything, particularly if your wedding is in the afternoon and evening, is going to be a premium price. Nonetheless, budget and availability of your dream venue and dream wedding service suppliers permitting, it is a great day to choose because

• It usually the most convenient day for you guests
  
• It is a very good day if travel is involved for your guests
  
• Fewer people will need to take annual leave, and those that do will be able to take less leave than if you were marrying on a weekday
  
• No-one will be keeping an eye on the clock because of having to go to work the next day, so you can party on late into the evening
• Fewer people will decline the invitation
• Couples with children will find it easier to find childcare

Thanks for reading!