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The usual order of operations for a wedding starts with one person buying a ring and surprising their partner with a proposal, then the two begin the journey of booking a venue, vendors, and attire leading up to the big day. But as of late, that theorem has gone all out of whack. According to a study by wedding registry site Zola, a whopping 100% of the couples they surveyed said they took a major step in their wedding planning process before they got engaged. From making mood boards to researching vendors to putting down major deposits on venues, this next generation of to-be-weds is getting ahead of the game when it comes to their own weddings.
Those in the industry have absolutely noticed an uptick. Many are seeing an influx of inquiries and even bookings with pre-engaged duos. “I had a couple start planning—we even had site visits and booked their venue—before they were engaged,” shares Callista Osborn, creative director of Callista Co. “Then, I helped the groom plan the engagement.”
A simple callout on Instagram led to a flood of vendors in my inbox sharing how these early bookings have soared. One planner told me how half of her signed clients reached out to her pre-engagement and later sent her the pics when someone finally got down on one knee. Another photographer told me how she was shocked by the amount of couples booking for years down the line. One illustrator even told me via DM that she had a bride book her because she had a feeling that she would be getting a ring soon.
Co-owner of Apricity Event Co. Rachel Urban—who had two different couples book her planning services pre-engagement this year—adds, “Truthfully, I feel for current couples, as the wedding world is busier than ever which is causing couples to always feel this sense of being ‘behind’ on wedding planning. I can see why more couples feel the pressure to get started sooner than later.”
Plus, as the average age of marriage has risen in the U.S., many older couples who already live together are much more open to communication around future plans and financial decisions. A major life decision like marriage and affording a wedding is something most partners will discuss early on, and once they have an idea of when they would like to tie the knot, it makes sense they may want to get the ball rolling on plans sooner rather than later.
Early wedding planning or even engagement planning together can also give couples a more collaborative experience in this exciting, yet often stressful period of their lives. According to Zola’s study, 54% of couples with 2025 weddings shopped for their engagement ring with their partner. When speaking with jewelry designers, many note that couples will come in to design an engagement ring as a pair so they both can feel excited about the end result and comfortable with the budget. Then, the actual moment of engagement will be a surprise.
While planning a proposal is one thing, skipping a step and booking a wedding venue does feel like a bit of a leap. Yet Zola’s study reported that the percentage of couples who have already made that commitment doubled since 2024. Since prime dates at certain venues can get booked out years in advance, some to-be-weds are making the leap when they see an opening. Last month, a soon-to-be-engaged PR rep divulged to me that her family already put down a deposit on a famous venue to secure a Saturday spring wedding date next year. Last week, she dropped her engagement post on Instagram.
There’s no shame in being proactive, and this new trend likely indicates that more thought and planning is going into the wedding planning process as a whole. It also points to the fact that many couples now have more equitable relationships where they are making decisions as a team. If a couple has already decided to spend the rest of their lives together before a ring appears, why wouldn’t they hire their dream wedding vendor team as soon as possible?
