Book Your Officiant Early!
In this post I will explain why it is so important to book your officiant early. This is a note I received from a bride last July:
“My fiance and I are looking for a last-minute officiant for our wedding. We’ve actually been wedding planning for over a year but kind of put off getting an officiant until this last minute. If you are available for this date please let me know!”
Well, I wasn’t available and I’m not sure if any of my trusted colleagues were either. Couples, if you are beginning the planning process, please book your officiant early. It has been my experience over the past nine years that based on the popular engagement dates below, January is the heaviest booking month in the industry. In fact, most of my high-season Saturdays (May-October) will be booked by early February. I would like to share a few facts with you regarding booking your officiant:
Although weddings take place year-round, 76% of weddings occur during the Summer and Fall months. In fact, 25 dates make up 50% of all weddings in 2015. (You guessed right, they are all on a Saturday!).
Most popular dates to get engaged:
Christmas Day, Valentine’s Day, Christmas Eve, New Years Day, December 20th (Saturday before Xmas), December 13th (2 Saturdays before Xmas, New Years Eve, December 19th (Friday before Xmas), December 23rd, and Independence Day.
Check out this easy rule of thumb:
Based on the average 13-month engagement, most couples search for the majority of their vendors 7-9 months prior to their wedding
In summary: Book your officiant early! I would hate to get your call in July for an August wedding like the bride above and have to say, “I’m sorry, I’m not available.”
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