How long to wait for vendors to return calls?

How are you contacting them? I've found that quite a few vendors can be slow to respond to emails and calling them was almost always faster.

I would keep pricing people out but are you actually calling them or emailing them? If they aren't responding to emails, it could get lost in the shuffle of dozens of other inquiries or spam.

If you don't hear from someone call them. My email was down for almost two weeks last weeks; it's one of a few, so I didn't realize it immediately.

Call.

I give 24 hours for a phone call and three business days for an email before sending a follow up communication. The follow up communication should be a different for then the other (so if I emailed last time I call). If they do not respond to the second communication in the timeline above I moved on.

I'm in the same boat! I've been emailing to make sure I have written copies of any agreements. I usually give about a week (especially since it was a holiday weekend) and then follow up. If I get no response, they're out of a job.

I contacted one almost two weeks ago (20th) and waited another week before sending a second message. Unfortunately his phone number isn't listed. He eventually responded to the second saying he'd get back to me with the price list on Sunday (28th) but still hasn't sent it.

The other I called on Monday and he asked me to send info about my wedding which I did, but he hasn't responded yet.

I totally get that things are crazy, 'tis the season after all, I'm just trying to get a gauge.

To be fair, I have also been waiting on a bunch of people for other stuff in my life too (house, letter from my program about a job, puppy people, etc) so I'm kind of going crazy on waiting for other people, which is totally not any potential photographer's fault. I can own my own crazy, lol.

I give 72 hours after initial email, then call and if no answer leave VM then wait another 48. If nothing after call I move on.

I think, like you said, that they are super busy right now and so they are just not in a rush to answer back for a wedding over a year away. I am in the Bay Area also and in the winter when I was emailing all my potential vendors I had no issues getting responses. Personally, there are so many options around here so if they don't respond within 3 days, I would move on to someone else unless they were recommended to you. Good luck!