The Best Questions to Ask Yourself

What’s my favorite time of year?

“Is there a season you love most or a time during the year that you prefer? This can always help start the planning and get settled on a timeframe. For example, I just love Fall because of the beautiful colors it brings and its romantic vibe and coziness + my husband, and I met during fall for the first time, so it’s definitely a season that spoke to us a lot when we got married.” – Sarah Alouache, Creative Director, Designer & Founder of Sarah Alouache Bridal

What’s my dream location? 

“Is there a location, venue, or even better, a country in which you prefer getting married? This could help you settle into your wedding day style and help you decide, for example, on your dream wedding dress style.” – Sarah Alouache, Creative Director, Designer & Founder of Sarah Alouache Bridal

Do I envision myself in a custom wedding gown?

“Wedding dress shopping is fun, but brides tend to forget that a wedding dress can take anywhere from 4-8 months to create. Here at Sarah Alouache, we love making the most unique and romantic wedding pieces by using only the most luxurious and one-of-a-kind fabric. We take pride in handmaking our wedding gowns with a lot of love and passion. Once finally finished, our gowns are then sent to your local bridal boutique for your final fitting, where you will be able to finally try on your SA dream dress.” – Sarah Alouache, Creative Director, Designer & Founder of Sarah Alouache Bridal

Are my dream vendors available?

“Consider your favorite wedding vendors like the photographer you’ve been obsessing about for years and that you want to capture your big day. Ensure to inquire with them and ask their availability as they get booked very quickly and in advance.” – Sarah Alouache, Creative Director, Designer & Founder of Sarah Alouache Bridal

Photo by Rebecca Theresa Photography

Are there any major events happening in our ideal location on our preferred date?

“The first thing that comes to mind is for couples to cross-reference their desired date with the events calendar for the town/city they’re getting married. If there’s a big event like a marathon or wine festival that may affect room blocks and send prices skyrocketing for them and their guests.” – Maya Holihan, Founder & CEO, EWedded

Which day(s) of the week am I open to? 

“Weekend wedding dates are in high demand—meaning they’re more expensive and get booked out further in advance. So if you’re open to it, think beyond Saturday and Sunday! A Monday through Friday fête comes with many perks—including lower costs, more availability, and a seriously cool non-traditional factor. Opening yourself up to a midweek affair also ups the chance that you’ll get a really cool wedding date. For example, 2/2/22 falls on a Wednesday. We say snag that date up!” – Jenna Miller, Creative Director of Here Comes The Guide

Is my heart set on a particular venue? 

“If you’ve already fallen in love with your dream venue, then your wedding date needs to be flexible. Wedding venues tend to get booked up to a year in advance or more—so inquire with the venue about availability ASAP! Their calendar will be the deciding factor in setting your wedding date. This goes for priority vendors as well. For example, if you’ve fallen in love with a particular photographer’s style, you may decide that their availability is worth setting your wedding date around.” – Jenna Miller, Creative Director of Here Comes The Guide

Do I want an indoor or outdoor wedding?

“Picking your wedding date is one of the most crucial parts to curating your dream wedding. This will be the day that you and your partner will celebrate and remember for the rest of your lives. It can feel overwhelming sometimes but that’s why I’m here to help you feel more at ease with your final decision. The first two questions you’ll want to ask yourself are (1) if you want an indoor or outdoor wedding and (2) consider the season you would like to have your wedding in. If you want to have an outdoor December wedding in Alaska that might not be the best idea unless, of course, that’s what you want to do.” – Lisette Gatliff, Lisette OC Photography

Photos by (top to bottom; left to right): Anna Delores Photography, Simply Adri Photography, Chloe Moore Photography

Am I interested in a wedding on a holiday weekend? 

“Secondly, if you’re choosing to get married on or near a holiday you’ll have to assess both the pros and the cons of it. If you do decide to have your wedding during that time, be prepared to take in consideration everyone’s holiday travel schedule. You’ll also have to consider whether or not you and your partner would like to have your anniversary during the holidays every year because it truly is the busiest time of the year. On another note, maybe your whole family is around for the holidays and you don’t mind having your anniversary fall around the holidays. It’s your day and the best part of all is that you get to decide when you want it to be! Don’t forget that planning your wedding shouldn’t be stressful. It should be exciting because you’re getting ready to begin your next chapter in life with the person that you love the most after all.” – Lisette Gatliff, Lisette OC Photography

How long do I want to be engaged?

“Do you want to have a long or short engagement? Having enough time to spend with each other as an engaged couple can be essential for many people.” – JP Events & Design

What about fire season?

“As a Southern California planner, my biggest concern isn’t rain but rather a fire. Our fire season is no joke – it can be detrimental to popular wedding venues and no one wants ash falling onto dining tables. I tell my clients to avoid canyon areas during fire season so as not to risk postponing the wedding.” – Melanie Levin from LuckEleven Events

Am I able to take time off & is everything I need available during this time?

“Would you be able to take time off for the wedding you’d wish to take? Or will your time off be limited because of work deliverables… If you’d like to have your wedding on a holiday weekend, is your budget flexible for an additional cost you may incur due to the holiday? Are the flowers and color palettes you wish to have in season?” – Weddings by Susan Dunne

Photos by (top to bottom; left to right): Ashley Cook Photography, Kristen Victoria Photography, Kayla Lilli Photo

How does the time of year impact my guests’ lives? 

“A few things to consider when thinking about a date is the time of year and thinking how that impacts people’s lives. A few questions to ask yourself: Is it more expensive to fly around your wedding date (holiday weekends or peak summer)? Is the weather going to be good or bad and will that affect travel plans for yourself and your guests? It’s important to keep those things in mind so your wedding doesn’t feel stressful to you or your guests.” – Kari Dirksen, CEO + Lead Planner, Feathered Arrow Events

What about my family’s personal celebrations throughout the year? 

“Keep in mind key dates on both sides of your family that need to be celebrated and don’t plan your wedding too close to those. Don’t want your future mother-in-law thinking you’re stealing her spotlight if your wedding falls on her birthday weekend!” – Melissa Wilmot, founder & CEO, WedBrilliant

Is our wedding date symbolic to us? 

“Getting married is a memory you want to remember for the rest of your life. You might want your date to have additional meaning; it could be your anniversary as a couple or the day you first met or any other special date for you both.” – JP Events & Design

How much is our budget? 

“Getting married during the wedding season can be costly compared to other months. If you’re on a budget, it is wise to avoid getting married from late spring to early fall as prices tend to be higher during these times.” – JP Events & Design

Photo by Miiel Photographe

What date works for our VIP guests?

“We know certain wedding dates may be important to couples due to the weather, time of year, and day of the week. We definitely recommend checking with VIP guests before locking in a date. Discuss the date with those guests that you feel very strongly about being there. From your parents and grandparents to your siblings and wedding party, be sure the date works for everyone!” – Jamie & Stephanie, Cape Cod Celebrations

How much will our guests spend for destination weddings? 

“For destination weddings, different seasons can significantly change the minimum night stay and nightly rates at the accommodations in the area. If you are hoping for guests to travel and stay, choosing a season with high rates and higher nightly minimums may be a challenge for all. Consider if your guests will be willing to spend a little extra to attend your wedding.” – Jamie & Stephanie, Cape Cod Celebrations

What are my fiancé’s priorities are for the day? 

“Sit down and have an honest heart-to-heart with your SO about what your priorities are for the day. Do you both see yourselves getting married outside? Do you have a favorite flower you’d like included in your arrangements? Catering-wise, do you have a favorite seasonal item that you’d like to have included in your wedding day menu? Answering questions like these will help you narrow down to a specific season/month. After these questions are answered, be sure to share them with your planning team so they can ensure they’re presenting you vendors within your aesthetic expectations!” – Ashley Lachney, Owner of Alston Mayger Events