How early is too early?

Kindachewy

I feel like May 2014 is SO far away, but I also know that the more time I spend on my wedding the less stressful it will be. How early do you all think is too early to start planning things? What things do you thi k you can do 2+ year ahea and hat things will you defiantly leave for much closer to time?

ermjdecember2015

Hello! I am in the same situation! I recently got engaged and Im in the middle of nursing school. We've decided to wait until Spring of 2014 to give us plenty of time but everyone is telling me to get a move on it all now! So Ive been checking out some venue options and we're going to talk to the priest next week. I dont think two years is too early, the way I see it, itll give us plenty of time to choose exactly what we want. Good luck with everything!

TrueBella

well i think its early to start booking things now, you could have a change of heart later. i dont plan to start booking until the end of the year. and i wont buy a dress until spring of 2013 - maybe summerish. the styles change every year, you might like something else later.

 for now im just getting a good idea of what i want in a wedding. getting a guest list together of who we will invite, and a list of vendors/venues we're interested in looking at.

ordering little things, cake topper, diy supplies, favors etc. booking the big things can wait.

LittleCabinWedding

I find booking the church, caterer, and even rentals usually need to happen a year to a year and half ahead.  Some places do not want to book earlier due to the fact they can loose money if you pull out.  A very popular reception spot will book this far ahead and for some places it is a must.  Wedding outfits are okay if they are fabrics and cuts that can be easily tailored because most people will not be exactly the same size in two years.  Everything else you can plan so when you go to the florist, you know exactly what flowers and how much to epect the florist to charge.  Inventations can be ordered if you are planning to print them yourself.  But you can choose the style if you want a professional and make sure they save them for you.  Just in case they stop being printed.  The centerpieces can be planned and if you want something in the centerpiece that is not parishable you can find them very cheap with all this extra time.  Pretty much plan the wedding on paper and then a year before you can go down the list and put each item into action.  Cutting the stress in half.

underwne

Hey ladies!  I am getting married next month and I jumped over here because I can remember being in your shoes as we were engaged two years before our wedding. We started planning almost immediately. Use every precious second you have would be my best advice, especially if you are in grad school or college like we were! Start with venue and photographer. Photographers (like mine) have weddings booked two years in advanced! Getting those big things out of the way will make everything so much eaiser! Enjoy your process and congrats!

[Deleted User]

Everyone told me it was too early but my reception venue is very popular and is already booking up for 2014. We were orignially May 2014 but due to a ton of out of state relatives we went with June 5, 2014, Memorial Day in May was going to make it harder for relatives to get off from work. I have my dressed picked out but have not ordered yet. I am trying to hold off as long as possible to prevent it from being on hold for too long. I have my colors picked but have not done anything else in terms of planning. The biggest thing was getting the venue all set. The rest I think can wait a little bit.

lainsw1

<div>I am also not getting married until 2014 and we have been told by numerous venues that if we book now we "lock-in" the prices for this year. So we won't have to worry about the prices of the venue going up when we are ready to book. Just a warning, most venues increase prices about every 2 years. So this is another way to save money. But, you must be certain this is the venue you want.</div><div>
</div>In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-club-boards_may-2014-weddings_how-early-is-too-early?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20Club%20BoardsForum:19d54fbd-7c52-420d-abe6-dce14dfc8da4Discussion:c71d4047-af5b-488c-85b5-1a36737fcbb7Post:1019139d-6430-4f99-936b-14b188dd9ed7">Re: How early is too early?</a>:
[QUOTE]Everyone told me it was too early but my reception venue is very popular and is already booking up for 2014. We were orignially May 2014 but due to a ton of out of state relatives we went with June 5, 2014, Memorial Day in May was going to make it harder for relatives to get off from work. I have my dressed picked out but have not ordered yet. I am trying to hold off as long as possible to prevent it from being on hold for too long. I have my colors picked but have not done anything else in terms of planning. The biggest thing was getting the venue all set. The rest I think can wait a little bit.
Posted by linds0390[/QUOTE]

meggbp

We are planning on getting married May 25th, 2014. We have looked at venues, but haven't booked anything yet. I think we will wait until the end of this year or beginning of next. I am already somewhat overwhelmed, so I am glad I am starting to look at places now because I don't think I'll have enough time to do all of this planning next year. Good luck with everything!

[Deleted User]

My date is May 3, 2014 i have my venue booked and started buying my centerpieces already. My centerpieces and very vintage and compose of about 7 items all mostly different per table so I know its going to take some time to gather. I am a planning- controlling- freak that is why my date it set for 1 year and 10 months out! I also have my photographer booked and mine and my grooms cakes booked. I got a 20% discount on the cakes and 10% discount on the photographer for booking so early. I would say if you start buying and booking this early you better be 100% set in your ways. If you change your mind alot I would just start to gather as many ideas and different serinos as possible and see which ones stick with you.

daizeemaepa37

My date is May 31, 2014 and we are booking our venue this coming weekend...i've also already begun collecting things i will need for centerpieces, attendant gifts, etc...

for those of us out there trying to save some money, try freecycle.org to find thing syou think you will need for your wedding - for example, my centerpieces will be set in mason jars so i asked my freecycle board to see who has them and i'm getting all my jars for free this way - they can run upwards of $5 a piece at craft stores (depending on the size)...huge savings...

ArtTeacher23

We got engaged Aug. 2011 and our wedding date is May 2, 2014.  I have no problem with the 2 year gap as it gives us more time to plan with our busy schedules.  We have already booked our venue (it can be a popular place, and I feel much better knowing that our date is our date, plus if the prices go up in 2 years we will keep the price stated on the contract).  We also have our photogrpaher set up (actually taking engagment photos next month!!) and are currently looking into DJs.  It's good to get any many price quotes as you can in this early stage, as it is helping to keep the planning process with the parental units (who are so generously helping) calmer about budget.  Also, I've started testing out some DIY projects I saw & loved to make sure it works, I actually do like how thye look & it is something I can get done (with the help of my lovely bridesmaids) in enough time.

ellone400

Its never too early to book venues!

Amanda2613

Its never too early to look! I started looking at venues over a year ago when we started planning to get engaged. it's been a long time coming because we live on a very tight budget. After looking online to the point of being overwhelmed we finally got up the courage to visit venues and get ballpark pricing. All I can say is, the more you look, the more confident you'll be when you find "the one." Our venue was already booked every Saturday in 2013 so I was so glad that we'd done the research to know when we found the perfect place and price so we could reserve a date!