Planning too soon??

jag338 · January 2010

We just got engaged on Christmas Day and have decided on a date in June of 2011. I have been putting together ideas for our wedding and have made an appointment with a venue in our area. Does it seem too soon to be doing these things?

lindsaybelle4 · January 2010

I got engaged on Christmas day as well and planning on having a wedding in the Spring of 2011. I don't think it's too soon to start looking around and getting ideas. We started looking at venues online and will probably start seeing places inside the next couple of months.

I <3 Seabass · January 2010

I don't think it's too soon to be looking for venues. I know in my area venues book up really early, especially in the summer months. But, I would take your time finalizing other vendors and details since your mind might change or new styles may come out between now and then.

jag338 · January 2010

Thank you ladies my main concern is that venues in this area fill up fast even two years out especially in June so that and our budget is my main concern for now. The other stuff I just plan on gathering ideas and going through them at a later date when things are a bit closer.

rainsfallsoftly · January 2010

Plus, a lot of places will let you lock in their current prices if you book now, and you can make payments over the next year and a half, so as not to have to pay it all at once.

SarahPLiz · January 2010

I'd say book your venue and then stop planning for a while. 18 months is a long time to plan something, and a long time to be excited. If you start planning everything now, you will burn out quickly, I promise.

nataliem.22 · January 2010

I dont think its ever too soon, especially for the venue! We booked ours a year in advance and some dates in our month were already full, so the sooner the better! Same with everything else, the florist told me there is no such thing as too far out to book them.

bablingbrooke · January 2010

Definitely wait until you hit the one year mark (or even less) before you ask your BMs. Visit the WP board to read horror stories of girls who asked their BMs 18-24 months out and now want to know how to ask the girl to "step down" because things have changed. Spoiler alert: It never ends well for the friendship, and a tie never goes to the bride when firing a BM is involved. While I'm sure that won't even be an issue for you, you have nothing to lose and everything to gain by waiting to ask. Even the most excited friend will get "weddinged out" over such a long stretch of time.

As someone who was engaged for just over a year, I recommend doing nothing now and just enjoying your engagement. Brainstorm all you want, but rest assured the planning will still be there in a few months after you've had a chance to really think about finances, possible dates, family politics, etc.

swim1011 · January 2010

I agree with Myname, don't book a venue until the budget is worked out. This is definitely the most important and first thing to do, bc you simply can't do anything else without it.

If the venue is really the one you want (we booked ours 18 months out, also), go ahead and book it, then don't look into anything else. A lot of new invitations that I *love* have come out since i picked mine, and while I don't regret the ones I got, there are some I probably would've picked over them. My colors have changed a lot as well- tiffany blue and brown, to lilac and green, with accents of brown. Your wants will evolve over 18 months, trust me.

emilyinchile · January 2010

Budget and guest list before venue. Then venue. And then take a break for a while because you'll have plenty of time for everything else and don't want to burn out on wedding stuff. Plus as PPs have said, your ideas could very well change...I'm going to have a 7.5 month engagement in the end (5.5 months so far), and I've changed my mind on a lot of the details even within that timeframe.

simplyhippie · January 2010

We haven't even set a date yet - looking at a year or two out, for sure...the only thing we've done is look at venues and general ideas - I'm collecting ideas in a binder because we're doing everything DIY and 100% paying for everything ourselves...so it's going to take awhile to save up and get/make it all a little piece at a time.

luvin20bball · January 2010

i got engaged christmas day too & were going to start looking at places the beginning of February for a summer 2011 wedding. The more I read about places getting booked the faster I want to start looking. My biggest fear is not getting the day I want.

jeshpulliam · January 2010

We got engaged in February of '09, and our wedding is in September of '11. We have bought everything from centerpieces to invitations and I have no regrets. We've also booked our reception space (after looking at a ton of them in our area), and chapel.

I haven't lost momentum, and I feel like there is constantly something else that needs decided on and/or bought.

I also agree to wait as long as possible before asking anyone to be in your wedding party.

akasper16 · January 2010

I got engaged in November and we are getting married in June 2011. Venues in our area book very fast for the summer months, so we took care of that right away (after making a budget and a guest list). Several dates were already booked for 2011 already. If venues book fast in your area, I suggest starting to look at venues soon.
We are taking our time with everything else and trying to spread things out. We are starting to look at bands and plan on booking them within the next few months.
Good luck and have fun!

melvega · January 2010

Don't worry, it's not soon, it's just fine.
I got engaged on Dec 19, and we are planning to have the wedding on Feb/19/2011... We booked the place as soon as possible because they fill up really fast, now we're taking little steps to the wedding. We're not running in terms of planning, and we have enough time to enjoy the process.

As bablingbrooke said, DO NOT ask your BM yet, wait 8 or 7 months before you ask them.

kyeany · January 2010

I'm getting married June 25, 2011 and I booked my venue today!

jessicalumbard · January 2010

melvega - I got engaged the same day

We knew the budget immediately (my parents are generously paying) and went to look at reception halls 3 days later...I was NOT expecting to book, just look around...we wanted May 21st, 2011, went to a venue, FELL IN LOVE, and they were already booked that day! Sooo we changed our date and signed with them, because I KNEW that the venue looked exactly how I'd always pictured where I'd have my reception...so NO, not too soon to book!

Also - depending on how important photography/videography is for you - I started looking around at that before I got engaged (knew it was coming) and already have had both that I want pencil me in, because they said once they do that, they'll lock me in at the 2009 prices...this will help with overall budget in the end!

Happy planning and congrats

Ckirwin · January 2010

we got engaged Chritmas 2008 and will be getting married October 2010. in the first month we determined a budget and guest list. over the last 12 months, we've taken our time to find the perfect vendors for us and book them. we've booked church (we're members so that was easy), reception venue, caterer/event planner (they're full service so we'll be getting food, drinks, equipment, linens, etc. from them), photographer, florist, and will be meeting with vendors this month to discuss our invites and are researching DJs.

i didn't want to plan it all at once and then get really bored over the 22 months of our engagement, so we made ourselves a priority list of vendors and worked down the list setting goals (like, have the caterer booked by end of August and Photographer by end of November). we've been able to book all of the vendors we wanted without worrying that they'd already been booked and i've found it very relaxing, and fun, to be able to concentrate all of our energy into one type of vendor at a time.

congrats on our engagement and have fun planning!!

mahoganieyes · January 2010

Never too early! Got engaged in Christmas 2008 booked out ceremony and reception site by April/May 2009. By that time, we have visited >10 venues and knew what we wanted and only one location had all we desired; plus our ceremony location was increasing pricing by June, so to save money we booked. I should have booked my phtographer last month because we waited and know we are no longer able to afford them. They doubled prices for 2010!!! I called my possible 2nd option for photography and they were already booked for 9/10/11.

MzZig2004 · January 2010

We had a short engagement, and what I missed was getting the photographer that I would like to have had take our photos. I felt like I had to settle on what I could find and were really important to me. I also agree that now is a good time for you to consider, especially (I imagine) in your area. Good luck.

carolinaila10 · January 2010

i wouldnt plan much right now. i got engaged november 20 and the only thing i jumped on was the reception venue. it books up quickly with weddings, private parties, and just general club happenings so i wanted to make sure it was ours on may 21, 2011! i have just today booked the church and my fiance booked the rehearsal dinner at the other club a few days ago. now were just kind of relaxing and being happy we have a definite date and places to be! the dresses, the decor, and the ceremony programs and all can come later.....

im starting to look for my dress a year out..so in may ill start looking around for that!!

texangwenny · January 2010

I got engaged a few days before Christmas 2009- we still haven't set a date, but we now have an idea of when. I got advice from friends: enjoy your engagement, and remember it's your wedding. I just went to the Bridal Extravaganza in Houston and found out that a lot of vendors are already booked for the fall and starting to fill up for the spring/summer of 2011. So I gathered that it's never too early to start planning. My friends who have recently gotten married advise to start with the venue, because that's the thing that will get booked up quickly- they told me to start a guest list asap (and it can always be narrowed down). If you have an eye on a photographer, start talking to them also, because they can book up quickly as well- I saw a photographer and a venue I really liked at the Bridal Extravaganza, but they told me that October/November dates were pretty much booked up. We originally had Fall 2010 as a probable wedding time, but hearing that pushed our dates to Spring 2010. Hope this helps, and CONGRATULATIONS!!!!! We brides are all in this together

aesegura2022 · January 2010

I got engaged in June 2008 and won't be married until July 2010. We started saving money immediately and also started researching venues, vendors, etc. Because we knew we wanted a big, summer wedding.

I'd hold off buying your dress, asking the wedding party, etc. for awhile but it's never too soon to get ideas and figure out exactly what you want/don't want on your wedding day. My friends who are just getting engaged consider me an expert because I've had so much time to check out all the options!

Congrats on your engagement and enjoy the planning - it's really fun when you have plenty of time to do it, I promise!

Knottie1435582995 · January 2010

I got engaged in Feb '07, and our wedding is May 2010. The venues in the area we were looking tended to book up very fast. I called my top 2 venues in April '07 to inquire about a May '09 wedding and they were booked for all of May. We decided to push our date to May 2010 and booked it in Sept. '07.

I ran into the same problems with photographers. Either photographers wouldn't talk to you if it was more than a year before your wedding, or they were already booking up. I booked my photographer in Oct. '07 and he had already booked the Saturday after my wedding.

I waited until 18 months out to try and book my piano player for dinner and my top 2 choices were already booked for my date. So, I had to go with someone else.

In my opinion it is NEVER too early to start, especially if you have your heart set on something. My venue was very important to me, so much so that I moved my wedding date back a whole year to be able to have it there. I've been planning my wedding on and off for over 2 years and I have not burned out. It is actually really nice that most of my things are taken care of at this point, and there is not a whole lot left to worry about

It also made it a lot less stressful!

progrockerbride · January 2010

It is def not too soon! I got engaged april 2009 and my wedding is august 2010. We got a venue and photographer right away, and then stopped planning for a while, so when I started again about 2 months ago I was still enthusiastic about everything. Don't do everything all at once, because when you're gonna be engaged for 1.5 years you'll get burned out.

nic3496 · January 2010

Its never too soon. I got engaged in August 2007 and am getting married October 2010. I started planning right away, You should look at lots of venues and let ideas mill around in your head for awhile. Look at LOTS of wedding websites. You have time to think, and thats what you should do. Figuring out exactly what you want is sometimes the hardest part.
The only problem with starting early is sometimes people jump in to booking things before they really know what they want. There's nothing worse then deciding a bunch of stuff and then having remorse later, or the "I-should-have's."

cukimerrydoll · January 2010

Most of the venues in my area are already booked solid for June 2011. Granted, in MN, summer is definitely wedding season. So, I would start in the 3 key areas - budget, venues, and guest list. Once you have those three things figured out / generalized, the rest should fall into place a little better.

It does help to have the venues figured out before thinking about decor too - it just gives you a better idea of how to visualize different aspects of the wedding.

kristyrae1 · January 2010

I'm glad you asked this question because I thought *I* was jumping the gun...but I also know myself. I'm a perfectionist/detailed/planning nazi... FI and I just got engaged and we are shooting for Oct 2011. We're kicking around a guest list, venue ideas and budget as we speak because the venue we're ending up wanting is booked up FAST here....so yeah, NEVER too soon, girl. In a month or 2 we're sitting down with the 'rents to get the budget and guest list near DONE, so I can book that venue!!! LOL. Congrats and GL with yours!

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