Let’s get real, planning a wedding can be overwhelming! (The good kind, most of the time). It starts with inspiration from Pinterest/Instagram, but then you get 20 tabs deep into local vendors and your mind starts to melt a little. Add onto this that for most of us, it’s unfamiliar territory! Knowing how early to book your venue, photographer, flowers, dress can be a little overwhelming. What really sucks? Finding that perfect place or vendor and then not being able to book them because they were booked earlier by someone else.
Is there ever a time to be too early? Or too late?
Over at Bridal Guide, they get hundreds of requests for booking information, and have compiled an interesting blog statistically when a venue, celebrant and photographer are booked.
On average, couples start booking their photographer 9-10 months before their wedding. I’ve found this to be mostly true for me as well, although my fall schedule books up roughly a year in advance. But another cool fact from the blog? That there is a large percentage of couples who book a vendor a month before the wedding! So if you are more of a last-minute person, you are not alone!
Myself personally? I generally won’t take bookings more than 24 months out, or with less than 2-4 weeks notice. I’m more than happy to take last minute bookings, and get several bookings made with only 1-3 months from the wedding date. However, by this point the most in-demand dates are generally gone. This leaves the big question:
How do you tell if your wedding date is in-demand?
Here in Houston, a lot of the time it has everything to do with the weather. January and February are more temperate months, but it’s completely unpredictable. It rains a lot. But come March, April and May and BINGO it’s a bit warmer, it’s less rainy = wedding popularity! Then summer hits and honestly? It’s too hot. Like too effing hot!!! So wedding dates are less popular until September hits and then WOOOSH! It’s popular again! In fact in the latest trends blog by BRIDES, they say that fall is overtaking summer for the most popular time of year to get married. So for the spring and fall, I would advise booking vendors you love a year or more out from the date, if possible.
Sometimes other factors come into play with date popularity. Maybe it looked good written down, or sounded great rolling off the tongue, or maybe fate just decided that this particular date was a little bit special. I remember a few years ago it was super trendy to have dates like 11/11/2011. And for nerds, May 4th is a date they try to snag for their wedding {which I fully support!}.
Saturdays are still the most popular day to get married too, with Fridays becoming increasingly popular and Sundays following not too far behind. In fact this past fall I captured two Sunday weddings! If you have your heart set on get married on a Saturday, I recommend booking 10-14 months in advance (minimum). If you’re getting married on a Friday or Sunday, you can generally leave it a little longer. Or a Monday – Thursday? You can almost have your pick as little as 1-3 months in advance.
When is the Sweet Spot in Booking?
The best advice is always: just book em!! If you’ve found someone who makes your heart sing, who’s work makes you weak in the knees, and you just can’t imagine your wedding day without them, book them as soon as you can ! It would be disheartening to miss out and have to begin your search again. Also, if they are spoken for, ask if they have a waitlist. That way if the client for that date cancels, you can snag their spot.
Take all advice with a grain of salt. Every year the wedding industry changes and so what works one year might be out the window the next year!
Love my work? Want me to capture you and yours? Let’s talk!! It’s easy, my email address is Christine@swishnclick.com. Let’s have a heart-to-heart, get excited about the possibilities of your wedding or session and come up with a plan that is uniquely you! I want to hear from you!
