Once upon a time, there was a couple who had just changed their status to ENGAGED. This same couple then proceeded to choose a date, which just happened to be approximately a year from the date they first met. Calculations show this date being approximately a little over 9 months. They planned a 100 guest wedding without a hitch and lived happily ever after.
In the years, that I have been coordinating and planning weddings, I have seen both sides of the spectrum.
I have seen one couple plan their wedding in 4 months, between medical school and BOTH their residencies. Somehow they managed to fly down to Florida, graduate, fly back, get married, and move to Pennsylvania.
I have helped another couple plan their wedding in 6 months, finding a gorgeous venue in the city in September after looking for the right city feel at several locations, finding most of their vendors in October and November, commencing with Limos and Out of Town Guest Bags in January. They were married in February.
And I am currently working with another couple who were engaged in August 2012 and began planning their wedding immediately. The wedding date you ask? October 2014.
Yes, you heard it right. 2014. I said 2014.
Granted as always, changes have been made since the original October date was set. My bride's grandfather asked her, "Why wait so long? Move up the date."
She changed the date at the beginning of this year to January 2014. Although she had cut down her planning time, she had already booked a majority of her main vendors (including yours truly) and put down deposits.
She is not alone in this.
Many brides, many couples have gotten engaged and chosen a wedding date that is further away than anyone anticipates. It's not crazy to hear a date such as March 1, 2015. Here are some of the reasons why:
The economy seems to be back and its a wonderful thing. But we're still in recovery. So in essence, couples are saving as they go through the planning process. They want the best of the best and who wouldn't?
A wedding is a one time thing (and sometimes it's not). But it's meant to be a one shot deal. You want the best. You want something as close to what you vision for your wedding. When given a choice, you'd pick doing the wedding later, so you can try to get as close to your dream wedding as possible.
Another reason is what date you are thinking of. June is a wedding month and from my 2013 wedding schedule, October is probably going to bump up to the second best wedding month (which I wholeheartedly support, see our October Love blog) followed by September and May. These weekends are prime and couples want them. So if you wait to book your June or October 2015 wedding till next year..you may be out of luck. Especially if you are looking for a Saturday Evening.
This isn't just to say that it's only venues booking 18 months out. But the biggies, photographers, videography, music and entertainment, hair and makeup and heck, even day of coordination is booking earlier.
Which leads me to my final reason. Couples are booking earlier to lock in pricing. By locking in, they not only secure a price, BUT this allows them time to pay everything off as the time goes by. If there is one thing I have learned from my experience as a bride AND the planner, is that those last 6 months go by super fast. The last thing a couple wants to do is worry about how they will make their final payments.
This is not to say that a wedding can't be planned in 6 months. There are variables that need to be considered before doing so (date, time, guest amount and overall budget). While it is not for the faint at heart, I've seen it happen successfully and was proud to be apart of them.
Happy Planning!
xo
The Blissful Bride
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