When setting the date of the wedding, the woman’s menstrual cycle should be taken into consideration. This is done in order to ensure that she will be ritually pure on her wedding night. Nowadays, many brides take pills before the wedding to regulate menstruation, thus enabling the couple to choose any date that suits them. In this regard, it is advisable to consult with the bridal counselor.

There are specific days of the year on which weddings are not held:

Shabbat and festivals: It is prohibited to get married on Shabbat and festivals. It is halakhically permissible to get married on a Friday. However, this would need to be arranged carefully in order to avoid any violation of the Shabbat or festival.

Purim and Hanukkah are not considered festivals in this regard, and therefore it is permitted to get married on those days.

The intermediate festival days of Sukkot and Passover: It is prohibited to get married on the intermediate festival days. The exception to this rule is in the case of a divorced couple who wishes to remarry.

The omer: During the period between Passover and Shavuot, which is known as the time period of the omer (see p. 331), there are certain days on which weddings are not held. Sephardic practice is not to have weddings from Passover until the thirty-fourth day of the omer, while Ashkenazic custom is to allow weddings on the thirty-third day of the omer. However, some Ashkenazic communities have other customs. Therefore, if a couple is considering getting married during this time of year, the rabbi who will conduct the wedding ceremony should be consulted.

The Three Weeks: The three-week period between the Seventeenth of Tamuz and Tisha BeAv is a period of mourning for the destruction of the two Temples. Sephardim refrain from conducting weddings only during the nine days from the first day of Av through Tisha BeAv. By contrast, Ashkenazim do not marry throughout the Three Weeks.

The Israeli Chief Rabbinate has established regulations regarding the dates on which it is permissible to have a wedding in Israel, and these can be found on its website. Rabbis are prohibited from conducting weddings at other times. For example, the Rabbinate does not allow weddings to be held on Saturday night or on Friday afternoon, so as to prevent the possible desecration of Shabbat.

It should be noted that in order to be legally married in Israel, one must first open a marriage file in the office of the Chief Rabbinate. According to the regulations of the Rabbinate, this must be done no later than forty-five days before the date of the wedding. All relevant information can be found on the website of the Ministry of Religious Services.