Having a long and happy marriage has nothing to do with luck. Marrying on a particular date won't guarantee that your marriage will be a roaring success, nor will it scupper your marriage. Any day on which you marry the love of your life is a very good day to choose for your wedding.

That said, Valentine's Day, February 14th, has been tagged the Official Day of Love, the most romantic day of the year, and the hype around how romantic it is just ramps up year after year. Nonetheless, there is definitely a wide divide around whether it is an unbelievably romantic day to get married, or way too cheesy to contemplate.

The haters will tell you every reason why its a bad idea to choose Valentine's Day for your wedding. The romantics will ooh and ah. And the practical people, like me, will say go for it if that's your bag, but be aware of some of the issues you will have to deal with and work round them.

If you decide not to get married on Valentine's Day, you can still make the day part of your wedding story.

Good reasons to get married on Valentine's Day

• You'll never forget your anniversary
  Not only is Valentine's Day one of the most memorable dates, the retail sector, the media, and everyone you know will keep reminding you that the date is coming up
  
• It makes Valentine's Day more personal
  You'll be celebrating your officially forever love while the world is celebrating generic love
  
• Its easy to pick a theme for your wedding
  Selecting from the Valentine's Day palette of colours, everything from blush pink to passionate red, with touches of gold, presents you with multiple variations. Add candlelight to up the romantic vibe.
  
• You can find pretty, and inexpensive, items to decorate your ceremony space and your reception tables
• Heart-shaped choccies make inexpensive and easy to source favours for your guests
• The whole flower industry works hard to grow and sell roses
• Venues and vendors may offer Valentine's Day specials
  
• Valentine's Day tends to heighten emotions
  Which means your guests are likely to be high on love and in a great mood for a romantic wedding
• A simple "just making it official" wedding becomes a lot more romantic
  So if you are just doing the legals now with the intention of scheduling a big bash later when COVID-19 restrictions allow freer travel and gathering, marrying on Valentine's Day can make the day feel more special.
  

Good reasons to avoid getting married on Valentine's Day

• It's a bit cliché
• You want to have a surprise wedding
  Whatever reason you give guests to entice them to come, unless one of you actually does have a birthday on that day, your friends and family will not be fooled
  
• Competition for venues and wedding vendors is greater on popular days
• You'll need to book far ahead
  Particularly if you want to get married at a popular wedding venue
• Friends and family might have other plans for their Valentine's Day celebrations
  
• It might be hard to get reservations for your anniversary celebrations
  Every year you'll be competing with dating couples, proposals, and other couples celebrating their Valentine's Day anniversary
• Restaurants, venues, and wedding vendors might add a premium to their prices
  
• Flowers will be more expensive

While I don't believe that the date on which you marry has any influence on the future success of your marriage, research by University of Melbourne suggests that almost one in two couples who marry on Valentine's Day (45%) won't still be together three years down the track. That's not to say that getting married on Valentine's Day will cause a marriage to break up. But it does invite some theorising about why.

Make Valentine's Day part of your wedding story without getting married

• Sign and lodge your Notice of Intended Marriage on Valentine's Day
  You have to give notice a minimum of one calendar month before your wedding day, but you can do so up to 18 months before. It might be a government form, but it is one of the most romantic pieces of paper you'll ever complete and submit. Don't forget to bring your selfie stick.
  
• Schedule your cake tasting
  Bring a someone with you to take candid photos
  
• Schedule wine tasting and choose the drinks for your reception
  Bring a someone with you to take candid photos
• Work on your vows together
• Work on your music choices

Related information

• Romantic Dates for Weddings

Thanks for reading!