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Newbie June 2022 Ontario

Feeling disheartened already...

Amanda, on May 19, 2021 at 11:53 Posted in Plan a wedding 0 11
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Hi everyone, I am new to the community. Got engaged March 2021.. right now I’m feeling very stressed and discouraged but I’m also aware and mindful of the fact I am engaged in a very weird time and many others are struggling the same way, and some have been postponing their weddings and going through all that stress even before me. But I feel alone in the sense that I’m finding it a struggle to find available venues for next May/June, because we are new interested clients we are not a priority which I totally get. So what happened was a date at a venue we had on hold but just had to wait to view after lockdown was given to a couple that postponed. I understand why they had to do it but we were thrown back into the pool. I’ve made several phone calls to other venues I liked the looks of but they are not able to do a physical tour currently, and warned me that the postponements are filling their dates quickly... I am just not sure what I should do. Do I sacrifice having the kind of wedding I was hoping for? I can’t afford to wait 2 years although I know many have done that in these times. I’m 31 and would like to get married sooner than later to start a family. Just not sure what to do. Beginning to realize what I am getting myself into with planning a wedding right now..

11 Comments

Latest activity by Vinod, on May 25, 2021 at 13:19
  • Vinod
    Top August 2017 Ontario
    Vinod ·
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    Congratulations on your engagement! As for the booking of venues, it does seem they are being pushed back for many couples like yourselves due to rescheduling the previous couples for now. Don't give up or feel disheartened about it all. You will get your day to celebrate as it may seem longer than expected. You can have the alternative of having a small wedding with just family now and holding back on the celebration for later next year. I know it means so much to you to have everyone present though the times are feeling restricted, yet lifting little one at a time soon enough to make you feel things may be on the right track and no more interruptions of shut downs. I know my sister (not related) growing up got engaged a month ago and would feel the same way though they know it will be feeling of joy being one.
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  • Kelsey
    Frequent user June 2022 Ontario
    Kelsey ·
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    Totally get it! I'm actually about an hour and a bit west of you! Have you checked out Drysdale Farm? Or I also looked at a cute outdoorsy place in Utopia, the Tiffin Conservation Area that you may like
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  • Hank
    Featured September 2021 Ontario
    Hank ·
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    75 is small-ish (at least by GTA standards). I definitely wouldn't cave into pressure of booking something without seeing it in person first. I'd rather delay the date by a few months than to begrudgingly take on a venue that you realize comes with a bunch of problems you didn't anticipate in a prime month. Hopefully you'll find something.

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  • A
    Newbie June 2022 Ontario
    Amanda ·
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    That’s something I’ve considered as well. If we don’t have much luck I might go that route.. very unusual way to do a wedding but this isn’t a normal world we live in anymore lol and congrats to you and your fiancé as well!
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  • A
    Newbie June 2022 Ontario
    Amanda ·
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    I didn’t even think about that to be honest, I just assumed they wanted to keep it fair and not potentially lose out on the guaranteed money of their clients.. and I think no more than 75 or so for our wedding. I’ll definitely consider moving the date down a bit to September or October if I have to, just hope to be able to find something else if possible as these were our preferences
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  • A
    Newbie June 2022 Ontario
    Amanda ·
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    Congrats on your engagement! Yeah that was my fear too. I felt a little more relaxed when my top venue choice said they would hold our date for us until we could come for a tour post lockdown, because I was very sure we would choose it. But then the lockdown got extended and I’m assuming a June couple asked to postpone and they had to look after them first. It felt like a kick in the gut honestly, because I had foolishly stopped looking for about a month assuming that was safe. Then all day today I’ve been making calls to check the availabilities for next June. I was able to find some slight success, just working on a few more leads. We live in Barrie and are looking for something no further than about an hour out. Preferably an outdoor venue like a farm or garden. The not being able to see the venues has been the most challenging, because it has definitely stalled the progress on planning... and I don’t want to make impulsive decisions based on the pressure I feel
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  • Kelsey
    Frequent user June 2022 Ontario
    Kelsey ·
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    I definitely sympathize with you, we got engaged in Feb and planning for next June. I felt an incredible sense of urgency and pressure to try and nail down my major vendors in the first little bit. My very real fear was that with all the postponements, there's going to be a bottleneck for 2022 dates. Luckily our reception is just going to be at an arena/community centre hall, and when I inquired about it they said I was the first inquiry since the pandemic hit in March 2020. But perhaps that is different for more sought after venues like golf clubs etc. It sucks not being able to do all the normal wedding things like going for a bunch of site venue tours, cake tasting, etc. What general area of ON are you in? Maybe some members here can give you some recommendations for venues you may not have thought of. For us, we knew what we were getting into, we've been to many events at the venue before so knew it was what we wanted. What look do you like?
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  • Hank
    Featured September 2021 Ontario
    Hank ·
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    Congratulations on getting engaged!

    It's weird that postponed clients get priority over new ones as from what I've seen, most venues are giving priority to new clients since they will get updated pricing, whereas existing clients will likely demand their old pricing.

    How big do you intend for your wedding guest list to be? If it's smaller than 50, your options open up exponentially, especially if you're near a major city. Most of the high-demand spaces are for 150+ but if you're planning a smaller affair, you'll have more luck finding your ideal spot.

    I also agree with Christiana that if you're willing to move the date a few months down, while still be in the same year, your options will also increase.

    Another thing to factor, if things go according to plan with vaccinations and the decrease of the virus, multi-space venues might be open to booking multiple events in their venue again. They probably aren't doing that right now due to restrictions but once those are lifted, you'll find that certain spaces might be available to you again.

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  • Jenelle
    Curious July 2023 Alberta
    Jenelle ·
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    First of all, congratulations! It is certainly an interesting time to be planning a wedding. My fiancé and I also got engaged early 2021 (31 and 28 respectively) and for many of the same reasons decided to look at planning for 2023.
    One thing you could potentially consider with your partner if you are worried about not being able to have the kind of wedding you want is perhaps having a smaller, more intimate wedding now or in the following year and then planning a more elaborate dream ceremony/reception in a couple years as a vow renewal ceremony. It could be a potential compromise as a way of having your “dream wedding” but also getting married sooner if waiting is not an option for you and your partner.
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  • Christiana
    Super November 2020 British Columbia
    Christiana ·
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    Congrats on your engagement! Are you willing to have your wedding in the off season? May to October is prime wedding season and even in non-pandemic times it can be competitive to find a venue if you’re not early enough. If you push it up a couple months you might have more luck - although you might be better off pushing it to the fall/winter instead if you’re concerned about COVID restrictions.
    If changing the approximate date isn’t an option though this might just be something you need to compromise on or get creative with. Maybe try reaching out to non-traditional vendors?
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  • Brittany
    Devoted December 2022 Yucatán
    Brittany ·
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    Congratulations on your engagement! I got engaged the same time and I completely understand where you are coming from. A co-worker of mine got engaged earlier as well and barely could find a 2022 date because everyone who already has deposits are postponing their wedding and getting first dibs. We all want what our hearts desire and sometimes we may have to change the season, or wait a bit longer to have the wedding.

    This is why I am doing it in May of 2023. There is rarely available dates just for the venue part of the wedding, also not considering caterers, bartenders, entertainment / DJs, photographers and officiants. So although you may come across a date at a venue you like in May 2022, this will not guarantee the other vendors you need are available. If you want to, you can always do it in the off season (October 2022 to March/April 2023) but that is completely up to you.

    I would just be careful before booking a venue right away because you are also going to have to contact the other vendors that you like to ensure they are available as well.

    Hopefully you can figure it out and come to terms with something you love, because with the money we all have to spend, we should not have to settle.

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