After talking with many couples and other vendors, it looks like a lot of couples are holding out for those pretty 2020 wedding dates. Learn what this means for your planning, and how to make your 2020 wedding the wedding of your dreams!
Following a round of wedding shows in January and February, we sat down with some other industry professionals to talk about wedding trends for the year and discovered that most of the couples we spoke to are not planning their wedding for this year (as is usual) but for next. It turns out that a lot of couples are holding out for that pretty, easy to remember year: 2020.
Furthermore, we discovered that there are seven Saturdays in the year with repetitive month/day combinations, and many of us have already booked those dates, far in advance!
Memorable 2020 Saturday Wedding Dates
1-11-2020
2-22-2020
4-4-2020
6-6-2020
8-8-2020
10-10-2020
12-12-2020
Planning a 2020 Wedding: The Pros
An Easy to Remember Anniversary
I had a strong suspicion that many of you have already selected your wedding date for just such a reason! In addition to a fun date that rolls off the tongue and looks good on invitations, these dates are highly memorable. Not to mention the easy mental math that you’ll have for the rest of your life when answering the question of “How many years have you been married”. Chris and I generally both have to pause before answering that one as we calculate years from our 2003 wedding!
Lots of Time to Plan Your Wedding
Planning a wedding that is over a year away means that you’re not down to the wire with your planning deadlines yet. You have plenty of time to consider the details and vendors that will come together for your dream wedding. This extra time can help to alleviate a lot of the stress that comes with planning a wedding.
Lots of Time to Pay for Your Wedding
The simple math of it is that when you have more time to pay for things, you can spread the total out into smaller payments that are more manageable. This allows couples to select vendors based on quality and style, not just price.
Planning a 2020 Wedding: The Cons
Limited Availability for Vendors and Venues
Popular venues and vendors already book up well over a year in advance for Saturday wedding dates. On any given year, the best vendors book up fast. With more couples booking weddings during the same year, but the same number of venues and vendors available…if you wait too long you may find your options very limited. Don’t adhere to the usual timeline on booking your wedding vendors; book them as soon as you’ve chosen which ones you would like to work with on your wedding.
Changing Styles
The 24-hour news cycle doesn’t apply to just news. The internet has sped up the revolution of every cycle and trend available. The speed with which we are exposed, and then OVER exposed to new trends that means the hot new thing you love right now might feel like old news in 18 months. Carefully select details for you wedding that need to be planned in advance with a timeless style in mind. Select trendier details closer to your wedding date. You likely do not need to buy your dress or make decisions on what the bridal party will wear until much closer to your wedding date. This will allow you to select a current style that you love, and not have to worry about things like weight gain or loss.
The Snowball Effect and Overthinking
These are the two drawbacks that concern me the most, because they are the things that I know I would struggle with the most. Even when I’m on a deadline, I have a tendency to overthink everything. It’s a problem. Once I’ve made a decision, I have to constantly choose to NOT sit back down and change my mind again. If my restaurant server waits too long to come back to take my order, I will change my mind on what I want to eat until I start feeling actual stress over it. It’s ridiculous because there’s honestly no wrong choice: all the food will be good. I have to physically put the menu aside and start a conversation to distract myself. Over the one tiny decision on what to eat for dinner.
You’re going to need to do this with some of your wedding decisions too. The venue you selected and paid for WILL be perfect for your wedding (even if a new, fancy one opens up between now and your wedding date). The amazing photographer you hired will still be amazing (even if you see some other amazing images from other photographers between now and then). Don’t allow yourself to go into a negative thought spiral over these things.
You also need to use caution to not let your wedding snowball out of control. Extra time in planning and paying can snowball out of control when everything still needs to happen on the same day, and all of those final payments come due in the months before your wedding. Plan your perfect wedding, then stick to the plan! Don’t spend your extra months adding this or that.
Changing Relationships & Guest Fatigue
This one is hard, because we all want to think that your best friend will always be your best friend, that your family will always be here, and forget how quickly little ones grow up. Your sister will always be your sister, and that cousin you basically grew up with isn’t going anywhere. If you’re the kind of person who has had the same best friend since you were in kindergarten, despite going to college in different states, they are probably a safe bet too. If you are in your senior year of college and thinking that your bridal party should consist of 6 of your new best friends….you might hold off inviting them to be in your wedding party until you see what happens after you graduate. You never know what new niece or nephew may make an appearance and start toddling adorably around as well!
Your guests will also be invited to an increased number of weddings in 2020. Keep this in mind as you consider how much you’re asking from your guests and wedding party. One fabulous destination wedding each year is a fun adventure for your friends and family. Five can be a financial burden. We all also know that there are weddings we really want to attend (our best friend from college) and weddings that we need to attend (a sibling or close cousin). If one of your close friends needs to send regrets because they have another obligation that same weekend, don’t take it personally, and don’t give them grief over it.
Remember Your 2020 Wedding: Get the Video
Of course, if you’re going to spend all this time planning out the most memorable (and easy to remember) wedding ever, you want to capture it with a video. MotionWorks would love to talk to you about filming your wedding. Our 2020 dates are booking up quickly, so contact us today to learn more about securing the date for your wedding!
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Header/Featured image by Britani Edwards Photography