A lot of the time wedding dates are chosen for such practical reasons as climate, location, budget, and availability. However, cultures throughout the world from the Chinese to the Jewish, Hindus, and Japanese rely on age-old traditions for choosing auspicious wedding dates.
For many years in the Chinese culture, the Tung Shing was consulted by Chinese fortune tellers to help choose these lucky days to get married as well as determine if a couple was the perfect match for each other.
The Tung Shing is an astrological calendar that predicts signs of adversity or fortune at specific times in the year. Using the Tung Shing and the birth dates of the couple, they can determine which are their auspicious dates and which dates to avoid.
In these modern times, couples can download the free Tung Shing app on their phone, or purchase its most current version.
In Japan, the Koyomi astrological calendar was consulted in ancient times to determine lucky dates to get married. While many modern couples have ditched the tradition, there is still a number of people who consult the Koyomi to decide on such important dates.
The most popular seasons for a wedding are spring and autumn, and couples prefer national holidays or a Sunday as days for their wedding. Couples lookout for Tomobiki and Taian dates to get married, and these are easy to calculate.
Sensho, is also a lucky day but only until noon. Senbu holds a Goodluck afternoon, and Butsemetsu, which is the day that Buddha died is the most unlucky day and Shakko has favorable hours only between 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. These are all dates for couples to look out for when making their decision.
It can be a bit difficult to find lucky wedding dates in the Jewish culture, however, spring and summertime are both favored for weddings. Weddings cannot take place during Shabbat, which is a day of rest that stretches from Friday night to Saturday night.
Simple occasions before sundown on Friday are however permitted. Tuesday, which is believed to bless the marriage with prosperity and happiness is a good day to get married, as well as Sunday.
The months of December and February are also favorable, as well as getting married under the waxing moon, which is available in the first fifteen days of each month.
The four days following Yom Kippur are also auspicious days. Weddings are restricted during major Jewish holidays or shortly before; they are also forbidden during fasts and in the three weeks before Tisha B’Av.
Hindu parents are known for taking couples to Jyotish astrologers who use the Hindu astrological calendar, Panchangam to determine the best days for a wedding. Periods to avoid include Chaturmas, the sacred rainy season months and the festivals of the Yoga Nidra.