In a Recession, Who Needs a June Wedding?

The promise of warm weather, blossoming flowers and robust attendance make summer the peak season for weddings. But there are other perks for couples who marry in the winter – namely huge savings.

Peak wedding season falls between May and October in most of the U.S., says Richard Markel, the president of the Association for Wedding Professionals International, a trade group of wedding professionals. During that time, most wedding vendors – including caterers, photographers and limousine companies – charge the most because their services are in such high demand. But in the winter, business comes to a standstill – especially in the northern regions hit with particularly harsh weather – and engaged couples have more room to negotiate for lower prices.

During the winter, the number of weddings throughout the country declines by 40% to 50% below that of peak season, Markel says. And of the roughly 2.2 million weddings that take place in the U.S. each year, only 5% occur in January, he says. That winter dip in demand means that couples marrying during the cooler months will be competing against fewer weddings for vendors.

Now, couples who are considering a January, February or March wedding still have time to book vendors, Markel says. “Couples have a major opportunity because the number of weddings that occurred in 2009 has been down by about 5%, and bookings for early 2010 are down as well,” he says.

Here are the four wedding vendors with whom you’ll see some of the biggest winter savings.

The largest wedding-related expense is the banquet reception, which can cost upwards of $10,000, depending on the number of guests, location and menu, Markel says.

Typically, banquet facilities charge a fixed price per person. But between January and March, the total cost often drops between 20% and 50%, Markel says. (The savings will be lower in states that have warm weather throughout the year, like parts of Florida and California.) Couples who get married in the Meeting House Grand Ballroom, a banquet facility in Plymouth, Mich., will see big price differences between the seasons. For weddings between January and March, couples will pay Friday prices for a Saturday wedding, says Randy Lorenz, the owner and general manager. For a party of 200 adults, that’s a discount of $2,000; the banquet facility also waives its $300 ceremony fee.

However, not all wedding venues are cheaper during the winter than during the spring, summer or fall. Weddings at ski resorts are priciest in the winter, the venues’ peak season, says Elise Enloe, a master bridal consultant and the director of education for the Association of Bridal Consultants, a trade group of wedding professionals. Also, facilities that are popular with corporate holiday parties or conventions tend to be at their busiest during the winter, says LeLani Mandac, a senior catering manager at the Hilton Anaheim.

To save with a winter wedding at the Hilton Anaheim, couples will have to reserve the space no more than six months in advance, she says. Couples who choose an available weekend between conventions could receive an upgraded package at no extra cost, like a $70 per person plated dinner (the facility’s priciest package) at a cost of $65 per person, or an additional hour to their wedding celebration, which usually costs $250, for free.
In New York, winter is typically slow for caterers and other wedding vendors, says Andrea Correale, the president of Elegant Affairs, an off-premise catering and event design company. As a result, couples marrying there have more leverage to negotiate meal prices during the cooler months. A caterers’ price difference between a winter and summer wedding in New York is $50 on average per person, Correale says.