National Wedding Planning Day is an annual holiday celebrated on March 1st. What is this day all about? Great question! And we have all your answers here. We sat down with Esther Lee, Senior Editor for The Knot who has covered events like the 2018 Royal Wedding and the premiere of Crazy Rich Asians, to fill us in. Listen to the podcast for the full interview with this wedding industry expert!
What is National Wedding Planning Day?
The Knot created National Wedding Planning Day to designate the beginning of wedding planning season, which is right after proposal season. Wait a minute: there’s a proposal season? We asked Esther to elaborate, and here are the numbers she gave us:
- 40% of marriage proposals happen over the holidays thus creating this proposal season from November through February.
- 60% of couples begin planning their wedding within a month of engagement
The goal of National Wedding Planning Day is to celebrate the start of the planning process. It’s a holiday that emerged as an inspirational benchmark to start planning your big day.
Wedding Planning Trends to Know
The Knot helps you kick start your wedding planning process on National Wedding Planning Day by providing advice, tips, and trends. They’re always a great place to start with your wedding planning journey. Esther assured us The Knot will have more tools for couples coming this year as the National Wedding Planning Day arrives!
Esther and The Knot editors are all well-informed on wedding trends and have a clear pulse on the wedding industry. In the podcast, we covered a ton of ground about budgeting and communication, so make sure to check out the interview to learn more to kickstart your planning process. Here is a preview of the interesting trend discussions.
Where to Start?
Esther listed 13 months as the average length of engagement. Setting a firm foundation is the important first step, and she suggests securing these things first:
- First month of engagement: set your budget, book your venue, and secure a wedding planner
- 8-12 months before wedding date: book photographer (most couples include in top priorities), set floral and décor, book music, and book catering
The key theme is to make the biggest decisions first. You’ll find many conversations throughout our podcasts that consistently recommend couples to be focusing first on their three to five main priorities, and Esther validated that thought.
Be Well and Party Well
Personal and mental wellness are societal trends, and Esther discussed both as wedding trends. She specifically mentioned personal and couples therapy during the engagement time. Communication is key to effectively planning a large event, and for a strong, stable marriage. It is always a good idea to improve yourself and your communication.
Esther’s had an interesting take around bachelor and bachelorette parties. Vegas is not being dethroned as a top bachelor or bachelorette party destination anytime soon. However, she is seeing a change in the activity list. The major trend is the decline of debauchery in favor of personal wellness events. This does not mean the events are dry, but maybe a yoga session proceeds the champagne brunch. Wellness destinations such as Tulum and Sedona are on the rise. Nonetheless, crazy partying and wild nights can still be had in places like Nashville.
Still in This Together
We are still not out of the Covid woods. It sucks, but it’s true. We even hate to bring up this topic that has become a huge hassle for wedding planners. COVID-19 is still affecting the planning process and is a factor to be cautious of. Dates and venues are still harder to secure due to the ripple effects of 2020 and will continue for a couple more years. Much of the world is opening more, but health and safety standards are still in the discussion.
Additionally, the honeymoon remains complicated. Make sure to hire a great travel agent to help navigate the travel restrictions and avoid extra stress getting to your destination and back home.
Weekday Weddings
To give you a head start in wedding planning, we’ll leave you with a wedding trend that you’ll want to add to your big day. Have you thought about having your wedding during the week? Weekday weddings are becoming more popular because of the money strain that the pandemic put on couples. It’s no secret that weekday weddings are less expensive because they are less popular. Opting for one can save you thousands of dollars with a venue depending on their location. The benefits outweigh the costs in this case because you still get all the things that come with the venue but, at a fraction of the price. A weekday wedding is a perfect choice for a budget-weary couple.
Wedding Planning Podcasts
Complete Weddings + Events is celebrating National Wedding Planning Day with planning advice for newly engaged couples. The podcast with Esther is the first of a month-long celebration leading up to March 1st.
Here are more podcasts to come for couples to listen to as you begin and enjoy the planning process:
- February 8: You’re Engaged! Now What? pt 1
- February 14: Celebrate Love – The Importance of Dating Your Spouse
- February 22: You’re Engaged! Now What? pt 2
- March 1: Complete’s National Wedding Planning Day Panel
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