Image: Natalya DeSena
One of the first (and most important) questions couples ask after getting engaged is: How soon should we book our wedding venue? The short answer? As early as possible. But let’s dig into why—and what your timeline could look like depending on the style of celebration (hometown wedding or destination wedding), the season, priorities, and flexibility.
Why Booking Early Matters
Your venue sets the tone for your entire wedding day—and often your whole weekend experience. It impacts your date, guest count, vendor availability, and overall budget. The venue also significantly defines the aesthetic of the overall experience as it acts as a canvas on which you cast your unique vision. Popular destination wedding venues in Maine (like French’s Point) often book out 12–24 months in advance, especially for prime-season weekends between May and October, because unlike hotels, resorts & clubs that can/will host multiple celebrations on the same day, they host only a single wedding each weekend.. If you’ve fallen in love with a specific location, we always recommend reserving early to avoid disappointment & limitations.
At French’s Point, we open our calendar two years out and consistently our couples secure their date more than a year in advance—especially if they want a peak-season date or long holiday weekend.
What If You’re Planning a Shorter Engagement?
Don’t worry—there’s still plenty of opportunity. Whether you’re hoping to get married in the next 6–9 months, or simply don’t want to wait until 2027, French’s Point may have select shoulder-season and off-season weekends available. May, late October, November, and December are especially stunning here on the coast, with fewer crowds, golden light, and access to our expansive private estate.
We also offer resources to make short-term planning a breeze: a vetted list of preferred Maine wedding planners, well-amentized event settings with furnishings and equipment included with your reservation, and flexible indoor and outdoor spaces for all your events, with beautiful poor-weather contingency settings, which are so important in New England where the weather can change quickly.
When Should You Reserve Your Wedding Venues?
If you’re engaged and thinking about a wedding in the next 12–24 months, start inquiring with venues now. Your venue should be your first major booking—before planners, caterers, photographers, florists, or musicians. Once your date and location are secured, everything else falls into place.
At French’s Point, we offer virtual tours so you can explore from the comfort of wherever you are, all the event settings available for your ceremony, cocktail hour, reception, and wedding weekend accommodations. We also offer photo galleries & video galleries which can be filtered by season, so you can see exactly how the estate looks in each month. 80% of our 2026 client reserved site unseen because they found these tools gave them the confidence they needed to reserve their date. We do offer in-person tours of the estate, outside of our private reservation periods. May-December, this is typically Monday-Wednesday, with some variation by weekend. Contact us early if you’d like to schedule an in-person tour as our limited tour times fill quickly.
Key Takeaways for Booking Your Wedding Venue:
1. Schedule a consultation call or tour early
2. Consider off-season dates (November and December) for more flexibility & shorter planning period
3. Book 12–24 months in advance for the best availability (especially peak season)
4. Reserve your venue before locking in other vendors
Ready to book your dream coastal Maine wedding weekend?
Explore availability, download our Wedding Guide, or inquire now to schedule a consultation or private tour. Whether you’re planning two years out or two months away, French’s Point offers an unforgettable setting for your celebration.