January may well be the most popular wedding month for couples who want to celebrate their special day with sparkling snow, chilly air and a crystal sky. Everything about a winter wedding seems magical, just like a fairy tale movie. But if you want your wedding in winter, you’ll have to pay attention to the calendar. We’ve collected the 11 most important things you must do to claim your date for an enchanting January wedding.

1. Start ASAP

As much as possible, start planning your wedding 12 full months prior to the date, or at least the first minute after he puts that ring on your finger.  That way, you’ll be able to grab more chances and opportunities because when it comes to January weddings, the earlier you start, the better.

2. Work with a Wedding Planner

Hiring a wedding planner will make everything go more smoothly. He or she will most likely name a few companies that can provide January reservations for you. However, there are several factors that you need to consider when choosing a wedding planner in order to ensure that it’s a team effort and that you can confidently rely on him or her to assist you.

If you need help deciding if you need a wedding planner, check out our blog: http://www.davincibridal.com/blog/a-wedding-planner-to-hire-or-not-to-hire/

3. Chat in Person—No Obligation

Schedule coffee meetings with 2 or 3 different planners. These initial consultations should be no charge—so if someone wants to charge you for a consult, move on. Don’t rely on a phone call no matter how well you feel you hit it off. Always have a face-to-face meeting before booking.

4. Watch for Holiday Cards

Widen your range of options as much as you can. Some companies send holiday cards to their potential clients, or your wedding planner could look for you. If you have professional contacts, you should start talking to them as early as possible.

5. Keep Looking Even During Holiday Season

Even if you’re busy enjoying the holiday with your friends and families, don’t forget to keep scouting for January booking opportunities. The majority of non-winter wedding brides don’t work on their weddings during the holidays. Therefore if you use this as an advantage, you may be able to grab the first and best reservation you find! This is something else your wedding planner can help you with while you take care of family things.

6. Scout Wedding Blogs & Websites

Most wedding venues have their own blog and website. To stress less, just sit in front of your computer and search for possible January venues and vendors. If you’re lucky, you just might find one with lots of promos and discounts during the holiday season.

7. Pay Attention to Advertisements

This is one time those pesky pop-up ads may work in your favor. Pay attention especially if they’re about wedding reservation and bookings. This is one great way to snag January wedding booking opportunities because most companies nowadays are posting advertisements in order to spread their brand and find more potential clients—like you!

8. Arm Yourself with Information

You should know it’s not only you who wants to get married in January. Those brides who don’t have their hearts set on a June wedding with orange blossoms sometimes dream the exact opposite and begin to imagine gently falling snowflakes. Be aware of the competition and especially if you know next to nothing about booking wedding reservations, do a thorough search and talk to your wedding planner.

9. Consider All Worst-Case Scenarios

It’s crucial that you ready yourself for unexpected circumstances and worst-case scenarios. It may sound silly, but what the company you chose suddenly goes into bankruptcy and has to cancel your reservation? And of course, there’s always the risk of accidents due to the weather. As much as possible, deal with multiple companies, or if you prefer, go for a more traditional wedding scenario with a tried and true company. It might be worth it to sacrifice a little originality for wedding day peace of mind.

10. Picture Your Wedding Day—Realistically

One of the most important reasons you may want to get married in the month of January is the magical atmosphere and the fairy tale scenario of winter all around as you walk down the aisle. However, do not rely on daydreams only. You have to be realistic and thoroughly visualize your wedding day taking place in January—including everything that can possibly go wrong—and then decide if it’s worth investing the serious money involved with a wedding.

Take a good, hard look at all of the disadvantages—snowstorms, closed down airports, icy roads, overcast skies, power outages, insufficient heat in reception and ceremony venues—not to mention VIP guests who may object to a wedding in the dead of winter and not want to come, no matter how much they love you.

It’s no fun, but you really do need  to play devil’s advocate and listen to all objections thrown at you by friends and family. You may decide to go ahead with your January plans anyway, but at least you’ll have prepared yourself. There may be important people missing, or timelines rearranged by the weather, but at least you won’t be stranded on your wedding day, totally lost on how to solve a problem you never worked through ahead of time.

11. Deal with a Reputable Company

Before you sign a contract or any written paper regarding any booking for your January wedding, triple-check the company’s credentials. A wedding is a serious investment so run a background check—or have your wedding planner do so—and  read reviews, blogs, and posts to help you evaluate each company’s reliability.

Walking down the aisle in January may make your wedding day as sparkling as the snow outside. But you need to act fast and be thorough, so follow these tips and make your winter wedding day as glittering as that diamond ring on your finger!

For a few ideas on how to glam up your already romantic snowy wedding, check out our blog: http://www.davincibridal.com/blog/10-tips-for-a-perfect-romantic-glam-evening-wedding/

Also, if you’re looking for ideas on where to go for a warm sunny honeymoon after your chilly nuptials, check out our blog on destination weddings. Sure, you’ll already be married, but the best destination wedding spots also make the best honeymoon destinations! http://www.davincibridal.com/blog/top-12-destination-weddings-around-the-world/