NEW YORK – September may be the new June, at least when it comes to weddings.
Historically, June has been the top pick for nuptials – after all, it’s the start of summer. But it is still officially summer until Sept 22, and the day before is shaping up to be an especially busy day for getting married.
Sept 21 is a favorite date because of the enduringly popular Earth, Wind & Fire song September, wedding planning sites, event planners and hotels that host receptions say. The catchy ballad opens with the lyrics, “Do you remember the 21st night of September? Love was changin’ the minds of pretenders, while chasin’ the clouds away”.
According to the wedding platform Zola, nearly 13,000 couples signed up for its site indicating that they were getting married on Saturday, Sept 21, 2024, a 33 per cent increase from the same date in 2019, also a Saturday.
Ms Allison Cullman, Zola’s vice president for brand marketing and strategy, attributed the jump, at least in part, to the song September.
“This song is a go-to for celebrations, so it could be giving couples a little nudge to pick this date for their big day,” she said. “Pop culture can influence wedding dates.”
Ms Cullman noted that Sept 28, also a Saturday, is another popular day for weddings because of Taylor Swift. The singer released an iteration of September in 2018, but changed the date to the 28th. Swift’s fans say it was most likely a reference to her relationship with actor Joe Alwyn, which started Sept 28.
The wedding planning site the Knot has also seen a rise in Sept 21 weddings in 2024: Nearly 30,000 registered couples said they planned to marry on that date.
The Knot’s deputy editor Esther Lee said that the 21st fell on a Thursday in 2023, and weddings were not as popular, with just 1,400 couples marrying that day.
“This year, the number spikes because it’s a Saturday,” she said.
Ms Jilian Becker, the owner of the wedding planning company We Do Events, which is based in Hastings-on-Hudson, New York, has three weddings Sept 21. “The weekend closest to Sept 21 is always my busiest weekend of the year,” she said, “and that’s because of the Earth, Wind & Fire song”.
Ms Becker’s clients in Philadelphia, Ms Jennifer Cullen, 30, a freelance marketing consultant, and Mr Carter Merenstein, 30, who is earning a PhD in biology at the University of Pennsylvania, chose Sept 21 for their wedding in 2024 partially because of the song.
The couple is hosting a wedding for 130 guests at Lacawac Sanctuary in Lake Ariel, Pennsylvania.
“Given the song and that the 21st is on a Saturday, we had to get married then,” Ms Cullen said. “It’s also the day before the fall equinox and a time for transition and change.”
The specific date aside, they were set on a September wedding, she said, because, in their opinion, the month offers prime weather. “We hate the heat, and September is not too hot or cold,” Ms Cullen said.
Zola reports that September weddings for couples using its site have increased by 29 per cent in 2024, compared with 2019.
Ms Erica Vanco, an owner with Ms Bianca Hall of Chicago-based event planning company Estera Events, said September is becoming “as big” as June and even surpassing it because of climate change.
“June used to be mild weather-wise, but the temperatures are becoming hotter and hotter every year,” Ms Vanco said.
“Five years ago, September was considered a time of slowing down, but no more,” Ms Hall added.
The duo planned the Sept 30, 2023, nuptials for Ms Megan Rose, 32, who works in advertising, and Mr Zach Rose, 32, who works in the finance industry. The couple, residents of Chicago, wed before 150 guests at Southall Farm & Inn in Franklin, Tennessee, just outside of Nashville.
“It was important to us to have an outdoor wedding, and we thought June would be too warm,” Ms Rose said. “Fall was just beginning in Nashville, and the sun was shining all weekend. It was perfect, and I’m glad we did it when we did.”
Ms Becker also has her hands full in September because of the higher likelihood of better weather.
She said: “It’s my busiest month by far and twice as busy as any other month, which has been the case for the last three years.
“I plan a lot of outdoor weddings, and June is becoming too warm and humid.”
The opportunity to have a wedding in September, on a Saturday, and on the 21st was too good to pass up for Ms Shauna Sullivan, 30, and Mr Chris Harvey, 35, accountants from Newton, Massachusetts. The two will exchange vows in front of 100 guests at Brookside Golf Club in Bourne, Massachusetts.
“I think that September is the best month in the area because of the mild weather, sunny days and hint of fall,” Ms Sullivan said. “I always wanted to get married in September, and the 21st is a weekend.”
She said she also “couldn’t help but remember” the catchy Earth, Wind & Fire song. NY TIMES
Do you remember the 21st night of September? These couples will
