Is it too late to plan a wedding in 2022?

Rumors are flying (mostly on instagram) that all your dream vendors are already booked for next year. Wondering if it’s too late to plan your wedding for 2022? We’re here to help you decide.

First of all, congratulations on your engagement!! As a newlywed myself, I encourage you to relish this time in your lives and avoid rushing into any decision. I can speak from personal experience that your priorities for your wedding evolve over time: sometimes it’s helpful to just let this joyous feeling sink in and pause.

I’ve been seeing a lot of content online recently pressuring couples to book! book! book! before it’s too late. In my opinion, the decision most likely to lead to regret is rushing to place a (non-refundable) deposit with a vendor before you have aligned your priorities and budget for your wedding day.

That being said, 2022 is undoubtedly filling up fast. There are only so many summer Saturdays on the calendar. We’re still seeing the wave of reschedules, postponements, and pandemic engagements impact a “normal” wedding planning cycle. But what is normal now, anyway?

Part of my role as a wedding planner is setting couples up for success by demystifying the process and having #realtalks about their budget and expectations. Here’s some information to help you decide if having a wedding in 2022 is right for you.

Can i plan a 2022 wedding? here are four factors to consider:

1. Timing

I’ll go out on a limb and say that it’s too late to start planning a wedding for a Saturday in May, June, or July 2022. That’s just the reality for many couples having a traditional wedding. Intimate ceremonies, elopements, and non-traditional celebrations are a different story.

If you’re willing to get married on a Friday or Sunday, or in the “off season” of fall, winter, and spring, then it’s likely 2022 is still an option!

2. Vendor Availability

If you’ve been lusting after a venue, photographer, florist, etc. on instagram, go ahead and start by inquiring with them about availability. Central Oregon has a lot of talent, but some vendors get booked up faster than you think. For example, hair and makeup artists are getting booked more than a year in advance, so you might need to pay for travel fees to bring someone in from Portland if you’re having trouble getting all the puzzle pieces to line up with local vendors.

Sometimes when we see beautiful galleries online, we naturally try to emulate creative, beautiful, and affordable ideas. So if you want to get married at Skyliner Lodge with wood farmhouse tables and El Sancho tacos, you best start planning for 2023.

3. Budget and Guest Count

These are the two most limiting factors in wedding planning. Obviously, the more guests the more expensive it is. But you should also have an awareness that at least one of these two things needs to be flexible if you want to get married in 2022. There are a lot of couples trying to plan a wedding for 150 people for $40-60k. That niche gets filled quickly, i.e. venues that can accomodate the headcount, vendors who fit into the budget, etc. If you cut your guest list or increase your budget, you will have more options. If neither is flexible, start planning for 2023.

4. Priorities

When and how to have a wedding is a very personal decision. I recommend sitting down as a couple to get on the same page about which factors are the most important to you. My husband and I wanted to get married on the same date as my grandparents and parents, so we knew it would be August 16 no matter the year. Some couples plan their date around their dream photographer’s availability. Some couples don’t mind a long engagement, and want to have plenty of options or not feel rushed. Others are ready to get married and understand it might come with some flexibility, adaptability, and compromise to make it happen.