When is too early??

View Quoted Comment I totally agree! We picked out venue yesterday and I’m SO glad we did this almost two years out because the deposit is a bit more than we have saved right now. And we’ll have plenty of time to make payments before our wedding happens in March of 2023. It’s totally fine to follow a “normal” timeline of planning your wedding. But my bridesmaids were so excited when I showed them photos of the venue we chose yesterday! So I’m glad we asked them early! So I could share that excitement with my closest friends, my fiancé and we have such a long time to save!!

Once you have your budget figured out and guest list finalized, look at venues because that needs to be booked immediately, but don’t rush in and go with something you don’t love and will regret later.

The forum is full of posts of brides who have regrets of asking bridesmaids too early. There is no reason to call them up before 6 months before the wedding. Also, skip the proposal boxes which put them on the spot and ask over the phone or a coffee date without pressure.

My wedding isn't till oct 2023. I've already picked out my colors, booked my venue, found my DJ. Going to taste wedding cake. Asked my MOH and bridesmaids. Fall dates go fast

I am in the same process now. My tip to you is to start now. Everything is already booking for 2023. I have come across a few benders that gave told me sorry we are booked that day.

Sorry for the spelling issues. Lets just say I really dislike autocorrect

My wedding is also October 2023 I have been planning quite a bit

My wedding is Oct 14 2023 and I already have my venue, catering, and videography! I already knew the vendors I wanted for those categories so I booked ahead so I will make sure I have them. I would start looking right away and reach out to the ones you want to go with to see when they would be comfortable booking you. I don’t think it’s ever too early! However, I am waiting until next summer for my dress to make sure I don’t have more time to develop any dress regret though lol

10/14/2023 here! We already have our venue picked out but we can’t sign until Oct this year. But once our venue is signed for we'll really start planning. I’m an over preparer so I’m probably going to just do a preliminary asking of the definite people I want, like my FH’s sister and my childhood best friends, as like a heads up. I’ll probably do my official proposal for my full bridal party at 1 to 1.5 year out. My main advice is just wait until you have your date and venue contracted. Once you have that you can do whatever you want. It’s your day and your money so do whatever feels right.

My wedding is also in 2023 and I'll be doing wedding party proposals next month. I see a lot of people saying they regret asking too early because they want to retract proposals, but if you have good long-term friendships you know will be there by the time of your wedding I say go for it. I personally know my friendships will last and if by chance they don't then that's just what it is. I prefer being prepared.

I’m also doing October 2023 and I’ve already picked my venue and started looking at my girls dresses. Better to be over prepared then under lol

I don't think so. I'm looking now and deciding so I know how much to save up in 2022 to have the wedding in 2023. I think it's smart.

Our wedding is October 2023 as well! It’s NEVER too early to start planning. I think we are better off financially and stress wise to start this early! And we just want covid to calm down too! We both have lots of people out of state that need to plan too it’s a lot of money! Plus we both need to buy wedding dresses and It’s gonna take time the two and a half years just to figure that out cause I’m too picky 😂 we got engaged in may/June two different proposals lol and I already asked my maid of honor and she’s asking hers soon 🤭 so it’s never too early for anything for a wedding because it comes really fast! Enjoy the planning!!

I say follow your gut; I am doing my proposal to my bridesmaid in September and the wedding isn’t until October 2023. When you know, you know.

If you're solid in your bridesmaids, I say go for it. Its fun having friends to talk to about it! You can always add another if you decide you wanted to include another friend or relative. The only thing I would hesitate on is making commitments on decor. The trends change and so does our taste! Even a few months ago I was into the brass geometrics but now I'm over it lol. You can always wait to make the colors, flowers, cake, and decor details decisions closer to the date but go ahead and secure the vendors. Having this much time allows you a chance to budget and spread out the deposits. Happy planning!

I asked my friends legit the week after I got engaged. And that was Feb 2021 and we are getting married Oct 2022. I am older but the same people I asked now would've been the same people I asked in my 20s. With the exception of my only niece who wasn't born yet. These people are my soulmates long before I met my FH. They are my family and my fun. I didn't wait and I don't regret it at all. Had my back before - have my back now - will have my back next year and onward. But I have read a lot of posts about bridesmaid regrets so it's a thing. I'm just 1005 confident it's not a thing for me.... so do what you want and what makes sense for you.

Hello!! Our stories are pretty similar! I got engaged May 2019, planned my wedding for October 2021. I am SUCH a planner so the earlier I started, the better. I asked my friends to by my bridesmaids in October 2020, but I had several vendors selected in 2019, such as venue, DJ, and photographer. I liked booking so far in advance because usually prices go up from year to year! My photographer was newer in 2019 and it only cost me 1500, but now she charges 3500 for the same services! So the earlier, the better in my opinion (for vendors). I would wait a year before the wedding (October 2022) to wait to propose to the bridesmaids because your opinions may change on who you want to be included (mine did for sure). happy planning!!

It is WAY too early to ask people to be in your wedding. So much can happen in 2 years! Your relationships with people will undoubtably evolve during this time, and people will have so much personal growth and change - new job, job loss, moving across country, new love, having a baby, etc. It would be unfair to all involved to ask people to commit to being in your wedding 2+ years out. If and when things come up it puts people in an awkward position. There is absolutely no harm in waiting.

I would recommend not asking any earlier than one year from your wedding date, and many will say 6-9 months out is a more appropriate amount of time. If you have a sister that you've always known will be your MOH or something then it probably doesn't hurt to mention it, but as for figuring out your entire wedding party and getting people involved I would just pump the brakes for now.

I always knew my best friend would be my MOH and asked her right when we got engaged (9 months from our wedding). Of course she was super excited and said yes right away, and the two other girls I wanted to be bridesmaids had conflicts and couldn't even come to our wedding, so I decided she would be my only bridesmaid. Then Covid happened and we had to cancel the wedding we planned. We eloped and pushed our wedding celebration back a full year. A few months later, my bestie gets pregnant and the due date ends up being same week as our wedding. Since I had already "set" my wedding party, it felt really awkward to suddenly ask new people to join in, so I ended up with no one. It's better to just wait, IMO. Six months is more than enough time to get dresses ordered and fitted, and by then you'll know if any of your bridesmaids are going to be exactly 40 weeks pregnant on your wedding day.