How widespread is YOUR marriage ceremony day? Use our interactive chart to search out out

September 1 is the most common day to get married, analysis shows.

Number-crunching by MailOnline found an average of 1,501 couples tie the knot on that date each year.

Famous faces to have wed on this day include Stevie Wonder, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Seth Meyers and Whoopi Goldberg.  

By contrast, Christmas Day is the least popular (5). 

All 366 days of the year – including February 29 – are plotted on a heatmap, allowing you to see how your anniversary compares according to data collected by the Office for National Statistics. 

Figures represent the total number of weddings registered every day in England and Wales between 1999 and 2020, as well as the yearly average. 

They include same-sex marriages from March 2014, when the Same Sex Couples Act came into effect.

The most popular days (with over 1,000 weddings on average) appear red, while the least popular days (less than 100) are coloured dark blue. 

Rounding out the top five after September 1, the most popular days to get hitched were August 25 (1,486), August 18 (1,423), July 28 (1,422) and August 4 (1,421). 

British behavioural scientist Patrick Fagan, a Sunday Times best-selling author, said that generally the most popular days for weddings are late summer. 

‘I imagine it’s mostly people wanting to have their wedding when the weather is nice and warm but not too hot,’ Mr Fagan told MailOnline.  

‘I’m not sure why August 11 and 18 don’t fit the pattern as much – although I can see they’re still quite popular so that could just be noise in the data.’ 

Mr Fagan himself got married on September 4 – a fairly popular day with just under 1,270 marriages – because it had special significance to him and his wife. 

Ivo Vlaev, a professor of behavioural science at the University of Warwick, agreed that weather and seasonality play a part. 

‘August and September are popular due to favourable weather, making outdoor ceremonies and receptions more pleasant,’ Professor Vlaev told MailOnline. 

US comedian Seth Meyers married human rights attorney Alexi Ashe (pictured) on September 1, 2013

‘Couples prefer dates with less weather uncertainty (summer) to avoid the potential “loss” of a rainy wedding day, which can be a significant emotional and financial setback. 

‘Late July and August also coincide with school holidays, allowing families with children to attend more easily.’ 

Unsurprisingly, the data shows that Christmas Day is the least popular day to get married, with just five couples on average getting hitched on December 25.

Second-least popular is Boxing Day (23 weddings), followed by New Year’s Day (37 weddings) – presumably because engaged couples know loved ones will be celebrating or still recovering from festive indulgences.

‘It’s no surprises Christmas is least popular likely due to high travel costs, family commitments, and cold weather,’ said Professor Vlaev, who is engaged but yet to pick his wedding date. 

Other unpopular choices are January 13 (135 marriages) and February 29 (183). 

February is also generally avoided, although there is one notable outlier that month that won’t be a shock. 

Musician Stevie Wonder married fashion designer Kai Millard on September 1, 2001 – but filed for divorce 11 years later

US actress Whoopi Goldberg and Dutch cinematographer David Claessen (pictured) got married on September 1, 1986

‘It’s fun to see Valentine’s Day breaking the trend and being popular in winter, but not really surprising why,’ said Mr Fagan. 

Aside from practical reasons, choosing personally significant dates – such as the same day a couple first met – may be important. 

Memorable numbers (e.g. the first of the month) may also help prevent husbands or wives forgetting their wedding anniversary in the years to come. 

‘Some dates may have cultural or personal significance, contributing to their popularity,’ Professor Vlaev added.  

What’s more, couples may even choose dates that are popular within their social circles – as seeing friends or family getting married during these months can influence their decision.