Wisconsin

My location won't accept reservations until December 4, 2013.... Can I pick a date anyway?

Hi Everyone!

I just got engaged on Sunday and am starting to plan our wedding!  We are hoping to have our wedding sometime next summer/fall (2014).  I am very interested in having our ceremony in one of Eau Claire's parks (probably Owen Park, but I would be okay with Phoenix park or Mount Simon, too).  I was looking to see how to reserve a park, and realized that the city of Eau Claire will not take 2014 reservations until December 4, 2013.  So, if we were going to have a July/August wedding, that would only give us 7-8 months.  Is that enough time?  I was hoping to pick a location/date this summer!

My family hosted two foreign exchange students in high school that I really would love to be a part of my wedding, but they both live in Europe.  I was hoping to pick a date early, giving them the most time possible to plan in case they would be able to make it to the wedding.  Would it be too risky to just pick a date, and then on December 4th reserve a park as soon as the office opens??

Help!

Thank you!

Re: My location won't accept reservations until December 4, 2013.... Can I pick a date anyway?

  • itzMSitzMS member
    First Answer First Anniversary 5 Love Its First Comment
    What's the worst that could happen? The park isn't available and you hold your ceremony at your reception venue or somewhere else. NBD. Pick your date and get planning.
  • My sister picked her reception venue and her date around their schedule based on a few specific requirements. In our area you can't reserve a county park until the first business day in the new year. Her now DH's grandma was in the office the before they opened for the day on the first business day and there were 2 couples ahead of her. One of the other couples reserved the park my sister wanted on the same day and time as what my sister had for her wedding. Go in on Dec 4th at the start of the day and book a park. Maybe have a couple dates picked out and talk to a couple reception venues and see if they could hold the dates for you til Dec 4th. I know people who plan weddings in less time than 7 or 8 months. You can call or email your VIPs that you are planning your wedding for next summer and you are looking at X,Y and Z dates and will know for sure in December.
    You never lose by loving. You always lose by holding back. - Barbara DeAngelis
  • Thank you both so much!! I really appreciate it.  The thing is, there is like 3 or 4 parks that would be wonderful locations for the ceremony, so I feel like if I had two or three dates, and two or three parks, I am bound to get something that would work if I go in on December 4th as soon as they open.  I think I am going to contact the office now and ask how quickly they fill up and how risky they think it would be to set a tentative date before December.

    Thanks again!!
  • I think you will be fine if you set your date.  There are 3-4 parks you named.  The likelihood of them all getting reserved for your date if you go the 1st day you can make reservations is slim to none.  I had to "pencil in" the date I wanted with a state park because they wouldn't confirm until 1/1 of the year of my wedding.  Again, worst case scenario is you look elsewhere.  Very unlikely.
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  • Did it work out for you, then?

    Yeah, I contacted them yesterday and they told me that I should be fine if I register at midnight on the 4th.  They didn't promise anything, of course, but didn't think it would be a problem.
  • I think you'll be fine. Just make sure you are doing it on the 4th, and have a back-up option.
    As to the rest of the planning. We found it really helpful to make a list of the types of vendors needed: Photog, Dress, Flowers, DJ, etc.

    Then we put them in order of how time sensitive they were. Photog, DJ, Limo were first on the list so we could get the ones we wanted. Then dress, cake, and florist.

    One of our vendors gave us that tip and also said to set a decision date for each item: by X date have to decide on which vendor. This helped us stay on track and honestly we had everything done 3 months before the wedding.

    My personal tip to you is that if you are trying to plan in 6-8 months is that if a vendor takes more than 2 business days to get back to you after you inquire with them, that is a vendor that just works out of their house and isn't a "real company".

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