Consider this another win for January fans: Not only does the first month bring less traffic on the roads, cheaper flights, easier to secure restaurant reservations, and a resulting sense of calm, but it's also part of the slow season in the wedding industry. , along with its neighbors December, February and March. In Clark County, Nevada, where marriage statistics are publicly available, these are the months when marriages occur the least.
That's exactly why couples who choose to get married in these months can reap benefits, like greater availability of vendors and venues, not to mention that guests often have lower expectations and greater excitement. When Ali Angco and Ian Chua, both 29, got married on Jan. 6 in Vancouver, many of their guests were excited to have a social gathering of any kind. “Nobody parties the week after New Year’s,” Angco said.
Sofia Krokos, a New York wedding planner, said her clients were more likely to score hot spots — places like Manhatta, 620 Loft and Garden, Cipriani and Chelsea Square — in the winter months. Some vendors and venues also have lower rates during the off-season.
“January tends to be a month with lower demand, and requests increase in February and March as we approach the busy spring season,” said Tracey L. Brown, director of catering and events for Cipriani South Street. “January typically offers more flexibility in terms of available dates and prices,” she added.
Molly Hunt, 38, and Harry Rimalower, 36, had previously married in September: Dr Hunt, a psychologist, in 2015; Rimalower, a lawyer, in 2018, when the search for available providers and locations was arduous and long waits for availability were the norm. When they got married on January 6 at AOC, a restaurant in Los Angeles, they had only booked the venue two weeks before the wedding date.
“I was a little surprised at how well it went,” Dr. Hunt said of the wedding, adding that January was a good time for a last-minute wedding (the couple only spent two months planning it) and that there was less pressure.
Ms. Angco and Mr. Chua's photographers, Silas and Danaea Godard, who are from Vancouver, said they had no other weddings booked until April. But from June to September, they typically film about six weddings a month.
Another plus: Clients who get married early in the year get their photos back in about a month, Godard said. Her clients who get married in the summer wait up to three or four months to receive their photographs.
And while January is cold and gray in many places, including Vancouver, the Godards appreciate photographing winter weddings.
“They are cozy and we like the architecture and the light in winter,” Ms. Godard said. “It's actually quite nice and soft.”
It's also just plain fun. “It's always wonderful to receive an invitation in January and February,” said Chenai Bukutu, founder of ByChenai Events, a London-based wedding planning company. “It's something we look forward to in the darker months.”
