How early is too early?

I'm not sure what's "too early". But I'd make sure you know 100% everything you book is everything you will want when you get closer to your date. I am getting married May 2019, so I am starting to look and get things booked about a year in advance (such as photographer and venue and starting to look at dresses). Things like cake and stuff like that I'm waiting to do for a few months. It's really what you prefer. You definitely want to book ahead of time. I don't know if it's too early to start now, but again just make sure you are 100% certain of everything!

I’m getting married July 11, 2020 and I already have my venue booked! Trust me you will get a lot of “it’s too early to start planning” but do your thing and just start

If it is June, definitely don’t wait until 2020, but you don’t have to rush into anything now! Take your time to find the absolute PERFECT vendor for you! I completely understand wanting to chip away at the costs slowly, weddings are expensive, but don’t lock something in just to save a few bucks. If you truly love your venue, book it! But if you’re just afraid that you won’t find somewhere before all the dates are reserved, don’t settle just because the salesperson is pushy. Do what feels right for you!

Other than a venue I'd wait until 10-18 months out for vendors. A venue could be booked earlier but many won't do so until under two years in advance. It's worth some calls to find out. Most importantly don't fgo dress shopping until about a year in advance, WAY too much chance for dress regret!

Thanks ladies.
I've had my eye on a venue for our reception. We are getting married at the church his grandparents and parents for married at. The only thing I'm not rushing is the photographer because she's a family friend who already said she would do it when she found out about our engagement. We only have 1 cake specialist here in town so I don't wanna lose her to make it.

I just don't wanna seem crazy I'm planning early! Lol.

In the very least, it's NEVER too early to book your venue. I got engaged in February and booked my venue in March. We aren't getting married until next September, but this year was already booked up!

My fiancé and I were in a smilies situation. We got engaged two years ago (March 2016) and I immediately booked our venue, DJ and photography. It’s great if you have a very set vision. You will save money in the long run!

However, circumstances change over two years. My fiancé and I decided our previous venue was 1. Not worth the money we were paying for and 2. Not at all represented who we are. I would say to do a lot of research in the first few months and really get a vision for what you want your wedding to be like prior to booking anything. I understand how scary the money can be, but I’d recommend just dedicating $$ each month to put into savings so you know you’re building something Like many others have said, definitely do not wait until 2020 to start booking! That’s way too late. You’ll want to start at least 12 months out from your date.

Definitely don’t wait until 2020 for the venue. I booked our venue just under 2 years out. We found most venues were free but people were already looking at the date we wanted. I’m at a year and 5 months right now and have booked venue, caterer, dj, photography, and make up/hair. The flowers and cake we were told to do 6-8 months out. The actual baker and florist gave us the time line so I am holding off on those.

You can get serious about planning 12-18 months out. There’s no harm in doing some research now! And you definitely don’t want to plan a wedding in 6 months...that would be stressful and many vendors would be booked already!!

I would start looking at your major things right away! I don’t think it is too early at all. Many venues book way in advance and even years. Do the big things that won’t change and save decor for later since you may change your mind. June is a popular month so it’s better to be the one who books it in advance than the one who walks out of the venue you want empty handed. I don’t know the style you are going for but I know our place keeps the price “if we go with the package” from when we booked instead of the price later on. Can’t say that’s true for everywhere though.

I would book the venue 2 years out and then slowly work on the vendors. We booked in October 2017 for our June 2019 wedding!

Yes, consider booking your venue.

Please do not ask your wedding party too early, though. I see it all the time here on Wedding Wire, that people's friendships and relationships change, and they have regrets if they ask their bridesmaids too early.

View Quoted Comment I've already asked my girls. My MOH is a best friend of 18 years. My bridesmaids are my 2 sisters and his sister. I wouldn't change my party for anything.

The only thing I’d wait on is the dress. I’d wait about a little over a year out to start shopping! I bought mine exactly two years before my 2020 wedding and I love it and I don’t regret it but I’m still worried that I could possibly not fit into it when the time comes. Everything else honestly you can start whenever! It’s never too early in my opinion to have your perfect wedding.

Getting your venue is good, but you need to make sure that the time you have the church and the time you have your venue are compatible.

Here is an example: I was helping one of my daughter's with her wedding and she was about to move out of state. This was 15 months out from her wedding. When we booked her photographer in Feb 08 for her May 09 wedding, he only had 4 more available bookings for all of 2009! Whatever you do do not wait til 2020. June is a popular month and you want to get the best vendors you can. They will book out in 2019 for 2020 weddings and you won't have much to choose from.

Her FILs thought we were crazy to be booking everything so far out until their son saw how little availability was left for the following year.

Are you absolutely sure you have the budget for this place? A lot can happen in 2 years. You need to have a solid budget, then a guest list (with lots of wiggle room this far out), and then venues that fit the budget and guest list. Will this place do that for you and are you dead sure about the money?

I would go now so that you can start making payments, people will take your money

We're getting married March 21, 2020.

We have our venue booked for both ceremony and reception as well as our DJ. The only reason we booked our venue so early is because I have ALWAYS wanted to get married in a chapel that would allow me to bring in my own officiant. As luck would have it, when we found a chapel 10 minutes away from us that would allow us to bring in our own officiant. From there, because of the location, I knew where I wanted our reception. We toured both places and fell absolutely in love with the venues. We took 2 months to think about it to make sure we weren't acting on an impulse. We discussed it earlier this week and decided we want no other location because every other location gets compared to these two and fall short in comparison!

We weren't picky on our DJ and we found one through WW actually that isn't charging us an arm and a leg but still will deliver quality music! (And they're throwing in 2 hours for free, who can beat that??).

My advice would be to look around, rate shop, and take a month or so to think about the venues and vendors you are booking to make sure you aren't acting on an impulse and that it's truly EVERYTHING that you want!

Good luck on your wedding planning!!

ETA: We also have our photographer(s). But that's because it's one of my college friends and my great aunt who are doing it!

I will be getting married in June 2019. I highly recommend booking vendors 18-24 months in advance. I booked my venue in September 2017 and there were 3 couples looking at the same date! I personally do not think there is a such thing as "too early" if you are sure it's what you want. Vendors may not be booking for 2020. The earlier you do it the better chance you have of getting the previous year pricing