Hey friends. Important discussion happening today.
Engagement season is officially the span of time between Thanksgiving and Valentine’s Day. It’s when something like 45% of couples get engaged (don’t know official #s, but it’s around that). Why do so many people propose during this time of year? They’re with family, they are in a good spirit, they are feeling joyful, they are feeling the loooooooove. So they pop the question and they get engaged!!
Nate asked me to marry him on December 28th, 2011. Smack in the middle of engagement season. Here’s our blurry self-timed engagement photo. He surprised me right before the camera took the pic! 😉
For most of January, I had no idea where to even start with wedding planning. When we DID get the nerve to start planning, we didn’t have a venue or a date for almost 2 more months. I remember vividly the 2 times I cried because of stress, BEFORE we had even made any final plans. I remember feeling so overwhelmed at the thought of it, and whenever people found out I was engaged and asked me “OMG WHEN’S THE WEDDING?!” all I could say was “I have no idea, please get back to me after I’m married.”
Back then I knew the term ‘engagement season’ because I worked in the wedding industry. But now that social media is a huge deal, way more people have heard the term and wedding experts talk about ‘engagement season’ way more often. Many wedding vendors have deals running for the first couple weeks of January, with hopes that engaged couples will jump on it asap. “If your friend got engaged on Christmas, send them our name!” and “Here’s a wicked amazing Engagement Season deal, only good ’til February 1st” and “Did you propose last night? Email us now for this discount!”
I’ve written things like this and I accept that I’m part of the problem. But that was the past. The more I think about it, and especially in relation to how I felt while planning our wedding, I’m blowwwwn away. Like WHATT!!! How do we as wedding professionals, as people who KNOW how much goes into planning a wedding, expect couples to know their date, venue & style 8 days after they’re engaged?! It’s a little much!
So starting now, I’m ignoring engagement season (in terms of my business. It’s still a cool season and it’s exciting, and yay if you get engaged! I’m only ignoring it business-wise.)
Why?
As an active member of the ‘easily overwhelmed’ club, I empathize with newly engaged couples, and that when they see all the “get in touch asap”, jargon, they may feel a rise in their blood pressure. I have feeling a it makes them feel like they are already behind in their planning. I know I’m not the only bride who took over a month to even begin thinking about wedding plans. Sure, a few couples are on top of things and already have an idea of their dream wedding. But for most couples, they’ve never done this before! These humans should enjoy the feeling of being engaged and the excitement of telling their closest people, without instantly worrying about the plans whenever they log onto Instagram. I vow to give them time to dream about their wedding plans (or different plans!) instead of throwing saley words at them on socials.
I’m not saying I’m not going to market my business. I’m just not going to be all “act fast” or “tell your just-engaged friends about me right now” or “i want to you book me, but in order to get the best ever price you have to book me before 4 days from now, so WOW YOU DON’T HAVE MUCH TIME.”
Talk about and share about my business, yes! Giving the happiest two people on earth a deadline to inquire with me? Nah.
Wedding people, what do you think? Engaged people, what do you think? Thoughts, please and thanks <3
Stephanie
