It’s probably not too much of an exaggeration to say that wedding planning these days feels a little like climbing Mount Everest. It’s an uphill, exhausting climb all the way to the elusive top. This is particularly true now in 2022 because of the impact that COVID-19 had on the wedding industry.
It takes longer to plan destination weddings in Alabama now because just about EVERYBODY wants to get married. Yesterday. They also want to connect with their friends and loved ones like never before. Blame it on the effects of the pandemic. It put everything at a standstill, including group events like southern destination weddings.
All of this affects 2023 wedding trends and activities, and your wedding planning should reflect this. In this post, we’ll talk about a few of the most prominent 2023 wedding trends we’re seeing right now. We’ll also give you tips on planning your wedding so that you can work with the 2023 wedding trends instead of against them.
Luxury Weddings in Alabama: Important 2023 Wedding Trends
1. Long Lead Times for Wedding Planning
Couples are making up for lost time now. Those who didn’t bite the bullet and have a micro wedding in 2020 and 2021 now have big plans for grand destination weddings. Some experts in the industry say that couples will continue to hold small gatherings. Others don’t share that opinion.
However, what everyone agrees on is that everything is going to take a lot longer. It’ll take you longer to book your venue. Blame this trend on the backup caused by the pandemic. The same goes for booking a caterer and wedding entertainment.
Everything will take a long time, and there will be a lot of competition for things you want.
Pro Destination Wedding Planning Tip:
Set your budget and book your venue at least 12 to 15 months out. This does a couple of things for you.
First, it allows you to put away some extra money for those unexpected expenses that may arise. Due to supply and demand, you may pay more for your venue or the caterer than you would for a different year.
Second, booking this far out allows you to shop around for venues. If you have your heart set on a southern destination wedding, but your first choice isn’t available, you can look for a different location or wait until your favorite location opens up. Booking far in advance means you won’t be under a time crunch and will make better decisions.
2. Hire a Pro to Organize a Luxury Wedding and Wedding Activities
Wedding planning in any year is sometimes a recipe for crazy-making, but it seems this is true right now. There are so many factors to coordinate, and there’s so much competition for caterers, DJs, venues, and the works.
Pro Destination Wedding Planning Tip:
A wedding coordinator has contacts in the wedding industry, and this wedding pro can often pull some strings that you can’t pull yourself. In particular, if you’re interested in luxury destination weddings, you may need someone with insider knowledge to help you plan your dream wedding.
3. Get an All-in-One Venue
A lot is happening with weddings this year, most of which are byproducts of the pandemic. People have embraced epic food experiences, whether a farm-to-table catered event or a funky food truck for the rehearsal dinner.
Couples also want the opportunity to socialize and connect deeply with people they haven’t seen in a couple of years. This means small intimate gatherings long on chat and short on stress.
These days, luxury weddings also include various events to make wedding guests feel welcomed by the couple. For example, some resort-style southern weddings include wedding activities like golf with the groomsmen or family horseback riding outings.
Aside from all of this, there are some practical matters to attend to. You need a large enough space to accommodate you and your wedding party, plus all of your guests. For example, you need enough space to dress for the wedding and the reception. There’s also the matter of parking and finding space for your booked entertainment to set up.
Pro Destination Wedding Planning Tip:
All the matters mentioned here just represent the tip of the iceberg. Fortunately, there is a relatively simple solution to all of these issues: book an all-in-one venue.
Booking a single destination offers you a couple of advantages. First, the venue likely offers discounts for bigger parties. The more people you bring to your southern destination wedding, the less it may cost you per person.
Second, if you book a venue that offers destination weddings, you already know where your guests and the wedding party will stay. They’ll stay together on-site.
Parking issues, challenges with getting the entertainment set up, and finding a place to dress on the day of the wedding become non-issues. Everything you need is all in one place on the big day.
Third, many of these venues also offer a variety of on-site wedding activities. If you’re looking for fun things to do at your wedding and on the following days, it helps to book a place that offers amenities like pro-level golf or morning yoga. You have built-in entertainment options that won’t make your guests feel boxed in.
If your guests want to participate in these planned wedding activities, they can. If they don’t, they can hang out with other guests and drink sweet tea on the front porch of their cabin. Easy peasy.
Finally, sites specializing in luxury destination weddings employ seasoned pros who take the guesswork out of planning your event. You won’t forget anything important because you’ve hired someone to remember all the crucial elements of your wedding.
The venue books the caterer and helps to prepare your farm-to-table gourmet reception dinner. The venue ensures that your rainbow-colored balloon bouquets make it to the dining hall. The venue sees that the entertainment and waitstaff get paid, and everyone has a place to park.
On the other hand, you just get to relax and enjoy eating great food and connecting with friends and family who have come from afar. And that’s what you should be doing on your wedding day: enjoying the celebration of your lifetime!
Would you like to learn more about luxury weddings in the South? Then contact us for a proposal.
