When it Comes to Weddings, January is the New Black [Friday]

"Brides" January 2012 cover

If you don't own this magazine, all of your newly-engaged friends probably do. In fact, the January edition of Brides magazine is always its best-selling issue. That's because January - following the flurry of holiday wedding proposals - is high time for kicking off "enagement season."

The website WeddingWire says that its web traffic more than doubles between January and February. The Monday following New Year's Day always sees a surge in new membership for the site, and they say that's because one-third of all engagements are announced between Thanksgiving and Christmas.

January is the month when lots of women get distracted at work by the sparkle of their new rings. They spend less time on work and Facebook and opt for more time on The Knot checking off items on their "to do" lists and watching the countdown tick: Only 252 more days to your wedding! Some of them get so dizzied by the planning, checklists, and constant address requesting that they become future Bridezillas without noticing.

January 16, 2010

In all its craziness and fun, wedding planning moves to the forefront from January to March. That's when you'll hear local commercials buzz for big wedding expos coming to your convention center. Wedding planners, bridal gown retailers, and cake stores are ready for the rush of requests. After all, American weddings didn't become a $70 billion industry without preparation and fortitude. 

As for me, January is my anniversary month. To be more specific, this is my anniversary weekend.

Three years ago I embarked on my 31 Dates in 31 Days project.

Exactly one year later, I married the best man ever. But you can still call him Date #31 if you want.

So while my friends are flipping through their magazines and creating ideas for the best wedding EVER, we're away celebrating the fact that we don't need to plan all that wedding craziness anymore.


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