‘Something old, something new…’ Superstition and weddings go hand in hand and when it comes to booking weddings it seems many couples have decided to play it safe and avoid 2013, just in case. Great news for anyone planning to marry this year and a bumper year for anyone looking to wed in 2014.
Image courtesy of keepcalm-o-matic.co.uk.
At the start of this potentially ‘unlucky’ year, the BBC ran a news story on why wedding bookings were noticeably lower for 2013. Ten months on, it seems this year has indeed been as slow as predicted. For couples who are not superstitious, last-minute winter weddings for 2013 could still mean your pick of the best venues and suppliers and even, potentially, some deals.
The wedding suppliers
I spoke to wedding suppliers from all sectors of the wedding industry and many from the Confetti Wedding Directory and asked if they had seen a difference in bookings or heard any couples mention a 2013 hoodoo. Many reported that 2014 bookings were already substantially up on 2013, while one even spoke of, ‘the curse of 2013’!
Jules Childe at the memorably named venue and wedding stylists Chillie Breeze told me:
“2014 bookings are already 50% up on the previous year’s slow start. The popular dates are filling up fast.”
Cake maker, Louise Parker from Cakes From The Heart told me:
“We didn’t have many forward bookings for 2013 and as I’m not superstitious it didn’t occur to me that it could be the date that was the problem. Then at wedding fairs I noticed most brides were looking forward to 2014 and even 2015 which seemed a long way off. It wasn’t until I started chatting to other suppliers that I realised it was ‘the curse of 2013’! I am now seeing a marked increase in bookings for next year. Let’s hope we can all recoup the lost 2013 business and make 2014 a bumper year for bridal!”
Lucky for some
Less superstitious couples have enjoyed a more open selection of available wedding venues and suppliers this year with some great results.
Paul Mackie of Paul Mackie Photography based in Aberdeen, said:
“This year my couples have not worried about superstition and simply have realistic views on life and love. I have had a great year and have yielded some of my best work as a result. Thank you brides and grooms of 2013, may you all have a lifetime of carefree happiness.”
Interestingly, it seems some couples had actually sought out Friday 13th 2013 for their wedding date. Helene Cooke from Flourish, who specialise in silk wedding flowers, told me:
“2013 has been an unusual year with more couples booking for 2014 and even 2015 and this trend seems to be across all of the wedding industry. We did have one couple who got a great deal when they decided to buck the trend completely and got married in Friday 13th September 2013. Last minute weddings for the rest of the year could be a good idea, as next year looks like it could be very busy!”
Image courtesy of Chillie Breeze
Winter Weddings in 2013
Newly engaged bride-to-be, Vicky Camplin, 39 is currently planning a whirlwind winter wedding for 2013. She’s just one of the many brides on the bustling online community of the Confetti forum.
Vicky and her fiancé Tony were planning to marry next summer but have decided not to wait. They’re getting married because it feels like the right time for them now and they don’t feel the need to wait months to have a summer wedding. The good news for Vicky and Tony is by booking a wedding in 2013 they could still have first choice of the best venues and might even enjoy some discounts too, if suppliers can’t fill dates. She said:
“I am a little superstitious about some things but the number 13 is definitely not going to stop us getting married this year. We are very happy, deeply in love and don’t see any point in waiting. When it’s right, it’s right.”
I wish them every happiness and who knows, they might even enjoy some discounts if suppliers can’t fill dates. It seems this year is proving to be lucky-for-some as couples getting married in 2013 are enjoying the pick of the best wedding suppliers on the dates they want.
Book now while you still can
Next year is already looking busy with forward bookings for most wedding businesses already in the diaries. So if you can’t book your dream venue for next summer, you don’t mind the number 13 and you’re looking for a deal, a whirlwind winter wedding might be just the thing for you.
