SIKESTON — Get engaged over the holiday season? Well, professionals say now is the time to start planning.
According to Condé Nast Bridal Media’s American Wedding Study, this is one of the most popular times of year for proposals. Twenty-five percent of brides get engaged between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day.
Janet Mills, wedding coordinator and planner of Storybook Weddings and Special Occasions LLC in Sikeston, said the first thing engaged couples should do is set a budget and decide what is most important to them.
“The budget, to me, is saying, ‘This is what we want,’” Mills said. “Then take the budget amount and contact a wedding planner or start planning on your own.”
From a photographer to flowers to whether or not to have a small, medium or large wedding, what’s most important is different for every couple, Mills said.
Couples should then decide what month and set the site they want to get married at and have that booked, Mills said.
Even those planning destination weddings need to plan soon. Pick a day and get the tickets, said Mills, who also plans receptions for couples after they return home from their destination weddings.
Photographers are hard to find so it’s best to book them very early, Mills said. And then there’s the wedding gown.
Joy Gooch, owner of Joy’s Bridal and Formal Wear in Sikeston, said most brides-to-be have the preliminary work done before even setting foot in her store.
“The key to planning is to do your research. Find the gown you’re looking for,” Gooch said.
A lot of vendors’ Web sites have a bridal shops directory so brides can find the nearest retailer, Gooch pointed out.
“Web sites have changed the industry so much,” Gooch said. “Many brides shop online but don’t buy online.”
The time frame of purchasing a wedding dress depends on different variables, Gooch said. If a woman buys a couture gown, such as one from designer Vera Wang, it can take eight months to arrive in the store, she said.
“Most of the gowns we carry are mid-range and need about six months; however, if you don’t have that much time, there are rush cuts and we may have the gown in stock,” Gooch said.
Bridesmaid dresses take 10 to 12 weeks to order, Gooch said. Allow at least a month or two before the wedding for alterations, and the final fitting should be no sooner than two weeks before the wedding, she said.
Gooch noted most wedding dress shops offer full-services — from, shoes and jewelry to invitations, mother’s dresses and tuxedos.
“A lot of people prefer to do it all in one place,” Gooch said.
Brides-to-be shouldn’t tackle all the decision-making on their own — they should bring someone with them to help.
Both Gooch and Mills said rarely do they see a lone bride.
“Most of the time, the first meeting is with the bride and her mother. Then on the second visit, when it’s less overwhelming, the groom will usually come,” Mills said.
Gooch said in addition to the Internet, there’s tons of wedding ideas in bridal magazines.
“They buy the bridal magazines,” Gooch said about brides-to-be. “Most know what they’re looking for or have an idea in minds.”
Mills said she has clients who bring in pictures they’ve torn out in magazines. “It helps us to have a picture of what the girls what. We also have albums the girls can look through,” Mills said.
Bridal shows are another great resource for engaged couples, Mills said. “There are a few shows in the spring,” Mills said. “Right now there are not any in Sikeston; there are a few people trying to get one in the works.”
Currently, the closest bridal shows are in Cape Girardeau, St. Louis and Memphis, Tenn., Mills said.
Mills, who has worked in the wedding planning/coordinating business for 25 years, said even if the wedding is two years away, it’s always good to start planning now.
Meanwhile, get started as quickly as possible, especially if the wedding is within the next six months, Mills said.
“If you have a year, don’t push yourself quite as hard,” Mills said. “But the last six months is the hardest time to get everything done.”
