For Some Couples, Marrying on Super Bowl Weekend Is a Win

In weddings, as in football, the will to win may be nothing without the will to prepare. That’s why Laura Arvizu and Robert Marquez, of Paso Robles, Calif., started planning their wedding in Mexico 14 months ago.

“We wanted the destination wedding of our dreams,” said Ms. Arvizu, 28, a sales manager at a company that makes software for wineries. “But we also wanted our guests not to miss out on an American holiday.” That is, Super Bowl LVIII, taking place in Las Vegas on Feb. 11.

The couple found their way out of that conflict zone by choosing a resort with amenities to accommodate both events. On Friday, Feb. 9, she and Mr. Marquez, 31, a sales associate at a winery, married on the beach at Unico Riviera Maya. On Sunday, 65 wedding guests will join them for an outdoor viewing party at the same resort.

Most of their friends supported their idea of a joint celebration of the couple and the game. Normally, she said, she and her guests might be at a friend’s house eating Cheetos. This year, “we’ll have a waiter bringing us margaritas.” But not everyone could make it. “We did have a couple of people tell us, ‘I’m going to the Super Bowl and I’m so sorry,’” she said. Still, she added, “it worked out for us.”

That’s not always the case for couples who plan their nuptials for the same weekend as the biggest sporting event in the country. Some people on the internet flatly condemn same-day Super Bowl weddings, and those who have them often end up wringing their hands with worry. Leanne Bybee, a wedding planner based in the San Francisco Bay Area, advises her clients against combining both into one weekend.

“I tell people, ‘Do not do this,’” Ms. Bybee said, as it can lead to uncertain guest counts. “People could totally cancel at the last minute on you if their team makes it to the Super Bowl and they’re die-hard fans.” She added that the big game could be distracting and draw attention away from the couple’s big day. Once, early in her career, she hosted a wedding the day before the Super Bowl.