diff --git a/src/App.svelte b/src/App.svelte
index b5c89b3..876264f 100644
--- a/src/App.svelte
+++ b/src/App.svelte
@@ -59,13 +59,13 @@
         <div class="row">
           <aside>
             <div class="menu-box">
-              <h4>Navigation</h4>	
+              <h4>Navigation</h4>
               <nav class="side-nav">
                 <ul>
                   <li><a href="/">Home</a></li>
                   <li><a href="/date-picker">Date Picker</a></li>
                   <li><a href="/range-picker">Range Picker</a></li>
-                </ul>					
+                </ul>
               </nav>
             </div>
           </aside>
@@ -272,7 +272,9 @@
                     format='ddd, DD MMM YYYY'
                     range={true}
                     time={true}
+                    closeOnFocusLoss={false}
                     on:range-selected={e => {
+                      console.log(e)
                       firedEvents = [
                         ...firedEvents,
                         `Picked range ${e.detail.from} to ${e.detail.to}`
@@ -284,7 +286,18 @@
                         'Change fired'
                       ]
                     }}
-                  />
+                    let:selectedStart
+                    let:selectedEnd
+                    forceClose={forcedClose}
+                  >
+                    <div style="border: 1px solid black; padding: 10px; border-radius: 4px;">
+                      <p>{selectedStart}</p>
+                      <p>{selectedEnd}</p>
+                    </div>
+                    <div slot="beforeContents">
+                      <h1>Before Contents Slot</h1>
+                    </div>
+                  </DatePicker>
                   </div>
                   <ul>
                   {#each firedEvents as fired}
@@ -293,6 +306,9 @@
                   <li>Pick date to see events</li>
                   {/each}
                   </ul>
+                  <div style="position: fixed; top: 0; right: 0;">
+                    <button on:click={forceClose}>click to force closed</button>
+                  </div>
                 </Route>
               </Route>
             </Route>
@@ -314,7 +330,7 @@
     <div class="container">
       <div class="row">
         <div class="col-lg-12 center">
-          
+
         </div>
       </div>
     </div>
@@ -335,6 +351,13 @@
   let firedEvents = []
   let firedEventsValue = null
   let customSelected = null
+
+  let forcedClose = false
+  async function forceClose () {
+    forcedClose = true
+    await new Promise((resolve) => setTimeout(resolve, 100))
+    forcedClose = false
+  }
 </script>
 
 <style>
@@ -446,4 +469,4 @@
       background-position: 100%;
     }
   }
-</style>
\ No newline at end of file
+</style>
diff --git a/src/components/DatePicker.svelte b/src/components/DatePicker.svelte
index 43a34ea..5358e9b 100644
--- a/src/components/DatePicker.svelte
+++ b/src/components/DatePicker.svelte
@@ -1,14 +1,15 @@
 <script>
-  import Popover from './Popover.svelte'
-  import { dayjs } from './lib/date-utils'
+  import { createEventDispatcher, getContext, setContext } from 'svelte'
+  import { CalendarStyle } from '../calendar-style'
   import { contextKey, setup } from './lib/context'
-  import { createEventDispatcher, setContext, getContext } from 'svelte'
-  import { CalendarStyle } from '../calendar-style.js'
-  import { createViewContext } from './lib/view-context.js'
+  import { dayjs } from './lib/date-utils'
+  import { createViewContext } from './lib/view-context'
+  import Popover from './Popover.svelte'
   import Toolbar from './Toolbar.svelte'
   import View from './view/View.svelte'
 
   export let range = false
+  export let defaultRange = [ 1, 'month' ]
   export let placeholder = 'Choose Date'
   export let format = 'DD / MM / YYYY'
   export let start = dayjs().subtract(1, 'year')
@@ -23,6 +24,7 @@
   export let night = 19
   export let minuteStep = 5
   export let continueText = 'Continue'
+  export let forceClose = false
 
   const dispatch = createEventDispatcher()
 
@@ -33,6 +35,7 @@
     start: dayjs(start),
     end: dayjs(end),
     isRangePicker: range,
+    defaultRange,
     isTimePicker: time,
     closeOnFocusLoss,
     format,
@@ -66,7 +69,7 @@
     highlighted.set($selectedStartDate)
     dispatch('open')
   }
-  
+
   function setRangeValue () {
     selected = [ $selectedStartDate, $selectedEndDate ]
     dispatch('range-selected', {
@@ -114,6 +117,50 @@
       dispatch('change')
     }
   }
+
+  /**
+   * Allow external sources to update dates by binding to selected prop
+   * and updating with JS Date objects
+  */
+  $: {
+    if (config.isRangePicker && selected) {
+      if (selected[0] instanceof Date) {
+        selectedStartDate.set(dayjs(selected[0]))
+      }
+      if (selected[1] instanceof Date) {
+        selectedEndDate.set(dayjs(selected[1]))
+      }
+    }
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * Allow external sources to react to internal selections via event forwarding
+  */
+  let selectedStart = null
+  $: {
+    if ($selectedStartDate) {
+      selectedStart = $selectedStartDate.toDate()
+    } else {
+      selectedStart = null
+    }
+  }
+  let selectedEnd = null
+  $: {
+    if ($selectedEndDate) {
+      selectedEnd = $selectedEndDate.toDate()
+    } else {
+      selectedEnd = null
+    }
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * Allow forceful closing from outside
+  */
+  $: {
+    if ($isOpen && forceClose) {
+      close()
+    }
+  }
 </script>
 
 <style>
@@ -177,7 +224,7 @@
     on:opened={initialisePicker}
     on:closed={() => dispatch('close')}>
     <div slot="trigger">
-      <slot formatted={$formatter}>
+      <slot formatted={$formatter} {selectedStart} {selectedEnd}>
         {#if !trigger}
           <button class="calendar-button" type="button">
             {#if $isDateChosen}
@@ -189,6 +236,9 @@
         {/if}
       </slot>
     </div>
+    <div slot="beforeContents">
+      <slot name="beforeContents" {selectedStart} {selectedEnd} />
+    </div>
     <div class="contents" slot="contents" class:is-range-picker={config.isRangePicker}>
       <div class="view">
         <View
diff --git a/src/components/DatePickerAsyncWrapper.svelte b/src/components/DatePickerAsyncWrapper.svelte
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..46d7926
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/components/DatePickerAsyncWrapper.svelte
@@ -0,0 +1,39 @@
+<script>
+  import { onMount } from 'svelte'
+  import DatePickerInner from './DatePicker.svelte'
+  import { setLoadingCursor } from './lib/context'
+
+  let ready = false
+
+  onMount(async () => {
+    await setLoadingCursor()
+    ready = true
+  })
+</script>
+
+{#if ready}
+  {#if $$slots.default}
+    <DatePickerInner {...$$restProps}
+      on:open
+      on:range-selected
+      on:date-selected
+      on:change
+      on:close
+      let:selectedStart
+      let:selectedEnd
+    >
+      <slot {selectedStart} {selectedEnd} />
+      <div slot="beforeContents">
+       <slot name="beforeContents" {selectedStart} {selectedEnd} />
+      </div>
+    </DatePickerInner>
+  {:else}
+    <DatePickerInner {...$$restProps}
+      on:open
+      on:range-selected
+      on:date-selected
+      on:change
+      on:close
+    />
+  {/if}
+{/if}
diff --git a/src/components/Popover.svelte b/src/components/Popover.svelte
index 6df8034..b4a6d00 100644
--- a/src/components/Popover.svelte
+++ b/src/components/Popover.svelte
@@ -70,34 +70,35 @@
     <slot name="trigger">
     </slot>
   </div>
-  <div 
-    class="contents-wrapper" 
+  <div
+    class="contents-wrapper"
     class:visible={$isOpen}
     class:shrink={$isClosing}
     class:is-fullscreen={isFullscreen}
-    style="top: {translateY}px; left: {translateX}px" 
+    style="top: {translateY}px; left: {translateX}px"
     bind:this={contentsWrapper}>
     <div class="wrapper" bind:this={contentsAnimated}>
       <div class="contents-inner">
-        <slot name="contents"></slot>
+        <slot name="beforeContents" />
+        <slot name="contents" />
       </div>
     </div>
   </div>
 </div>
 
 <style>
-  .sc-popover { 
+  .sc-popover {
     position: relative;
   }
 
-  .contents-wrapper { 
+  .contents-wrapper {
     position: fixed;
     transition: none;
     z-index: 2;
     display: none;
   }
 
-  .contents-wrapper.visible { 
+  .contents-wrapper.visible {
     display: block;
   }
 
@@ -109,65 +110,65 @@
     overflow: scroll;
   }
 
-  .contents-wrapper.visible .wrapper { 
-    opacity: 1; 
+  .contents-wrapper.visible .wrapper {
+    opacity: 1;
     transform: scale(1);
     display: block;
   }
-  
-  .contents-wrapper.shrink .wrapper { 
+
+  .contents-wrapper.shrink .wrapper {
     animation: shrink 150ms forwards cubic-bezier(.92,.09,.18,1.05);
   }
 
-  .wrapper { 
+  .wrapper {
     background: #fff;
     box-shadow: 0px 10px 26px rgba(0,0,0,0.4) ;
-    opacity: .8; 
+    opacity: .8;
     padding-top: 0;
     display: none;
     animation: grow 200ms forwards cubic-bezier(.92,.09,.18,1.05);
   }
 
-  .contents-inner { 
+  .contents-inner {
     animation: fadeIn 400ms forwards;
   }
 
-  @keyframes grow { 
-    0% { 
-      transform: scale(.9,.1); 
-      opacity: 0; 
+  @keyframes grow {
+    0% {
+      transform: scale(.9,.1);
+      opacity: 0;
     }
-    30% { 
-      opacity: 1; 
+    30% {
+      opacity: 1;
     }
-    100% { 
+    100% {
       transform: scale(1);
     }
   }
 
-  @keyframes shrink { 
-    0% { 
-      transform: scale(1); 
-      opacity: 1; 
+  @keyframes shrink {
+    0% {
+      transform: scale(1);
+      opacity: 1;
     }
-    70% { 
-      opacity: 1; 
+    70% {
+      opacity: 1;
     }
-    100% { 
-      opacity: 0; 
+    100% {
+      opacity: 0;
       transform: scale(.9,.1);
     }
   }
 
-  @keyframes fadeIn { 
-    0% { 
-      opacity: 0; 
+  @keyframes fadeIn {
+    0% {
+      opacity: 0;
     }
-    50% { 
+    50% {
       opacity: 0;
     }
-    100% { 
-      opacity: 1; 
+    100% {
+      opacity: 1;
     }
   }
 </style>
diff --git a/src/components/lib/context.js b/src/components/lib/context.js
index 56a6a2c..b3116f8 100644
--- a/src/components/lib/context.js
+++ b/src/components/lib/context.js
@@ -7,6 +7,27 @@ import { ensureFutureMonth } from './date-manipulation.js'
 
 const contextKey = {}
 
+async function setLoadingCursor () {
+  const loadingStyle = document.createElement('style')
+
+  loadingStyle.dataset.styleName = 'loading-style'
+
+  loadingStyle.innerHTML = '* { cursor: wait !important; }'
+
+  document.head.appendChild(loadingStyle)
+
+  await new Promise((resolve) => setTimeout(resolve, 20))
+}
+
+function clearLoadingCursor () {
+  const loadingStyles = document.querySelectorAll('[data-style-name="loading-style"]')
+  if (loadingStyles.length) {
+    setTimeout(() => {
+      loadingStyles.forEach(styletag => styletag.remove())
+    }, 20)
+  }
+}
+
 function setup (given, config) {
   const today = dayjs().startOf('day')
 
@@ -21,7 +42,7 @@ function setup (given, config) {
   ).startOf('month')
   const rightDate = config.isRangePicker ? ensureFutureMonth(leftDate, preSelectedEnd).startOf('month') : null
 
-  return {
+  const setupObj = {
     months: getMonths(config),
     component,
     today,
@@ -41,9 +62,15 @@ function setup (given, config) {
     },
     isSelectingFirstDate: writable(true)
   }
+
+  clearLoadingCursor()
+
+  return setupObj
 }
 
 export {
   contextKey,
-  setup
+  setup,
+  setLoadingCursor,
+  clearLoadingCursor
 }
diff --git a/src/components/lib/sanitization.js b/src/components/lib/sanitization.js
index f6152eb..188c1b2 100644
--- a/src/components/lib/sanitization.js
+++ b/src/components/lib/sanitization.js
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ function sanitizeInitialValue (value, config) {
   if (config.isRangePicker) {
     const [ from, to ] = value || []
     isDateChosen = Boolean(from).valueOf() && Boolean(to).valueOf()
-    chosen = isDateChosen ? value.map(dayjs) : [ dayjs.max(dayjs(), config.start), dayjs.min(dayjs().add(1, 'month'), config.end) ]
+    chosen = isDateChosen ? value.map(dayjs) : [ dayjs.max(dayjs(), config.start), dayjs.min(dayjs().add(...config.defaultRange), config.end) ]
   } else {
     isDateChosen = Boolean(value).valueOf()
     chosen = [ isDateChosen ? dayjs(value) : dayjs.max(dayjs(), config.start) ]
diff --git a/src/main.js b/src/main.js
index 0bc801c..e18c282 100644
--- a/src/main.js
+++ b/src/main.js
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 import { polyfill } from 'es6-object-assign'
 import { CalendarStyle } from './calendar-style.js'
-import DatePicker from './components/DatePicker.svelte'
+import DatePicker from './components/DatePickerAsyncWrapper.svelte'
 polyfill()
 
 export {