Getting married? 5 things to consider during the busiest year for weddings

Whether we are living in a global pandemic or not, planning a wedding can be quite overwhelming.

To add to the stress of it all, industry professionals say 2022 will be the busiest year for weddings since 1984.

Wedding expert Alison McGill joined Annette Hamm on Morning Live with five things you need to know if you are getting married this year.

2022 is Almost Fully Booked

Nearly 2.5 million weddings are projected to happen this year, according to the Wedding Report.

McGill said the reasons why are a backlog of cancelled weddings, second wedding celebrations and new wedding bookings. 

“If you want to get married this year, you’re really looking at having a later wedding,” McGill said. “The winter months can be risky but we’re also talking about fall.”

Book 2023 Weddings Now

If you are planning to get married in 2023, McGill recommended booking the venue and wedding planner now.

Once those two decisions are made, you can focus on key vendors such as florists, photographers and hair stylists.

Take One Step at a Time

Rather than thinking about everything at the same time, McGill advised couples to break things down into three pillars: design, production and coordination.

“You don’t need to activate the Pinterest boards right away and decide on the decor and all of those things,” she said. “The most important things are to get the venue, get the key vendors and get on the dress.”

Hire A Wedding Planner

The next step is to find a wedding planner to help guide you.

“I can’t stress enough how important it is to hire a professional to steer you through this day,” McGill said. “A wedding planner involved in your day alleviates all of the stress because in COVID, there is so much stress.”

Say Yes to the Dress

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, it could take up to eight months to customize a wedding dress.

But now it can take even longer due to supply chain issues.

“You need to be prepared and give yourself that bandwith to get that dress,” she said.