Planning Timeline help!

[Deleted User]

Hi everyone,
My fiance and I got engaged in October. We live in the SF bay area and would like to get married outside near the coast, which sort of limits our date options to September/October or May/June.  I am going to be traveling on and off for work until 2013 (I will only be home for all of February, half of March, and all of August and September) and we are trying to determine whether to book a venue we like for a date in late September of 2013, or wait until the following spring (May of 2014) and just try not to get stressed by a nearly 20-month engagement.  The venue we would sign for September is one that offers a package-type deal so we wouldn't have to do absolutely everything ourselves in terms of finding vendors and all of that.  We would have to figure out the florist, dessert, music and photography (and my dress! but I have some leads on that already).
What do people think?  Should we go for an engagment that might feel short or one that might feel long? 
Thanks for your two cents!

mcda04

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_chit-chat_planning-timeline-help?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:14Discussion:f90b8641-99ea-4255-a15f-82037958145aPost:16682688-094f-40da-8050-f544bd619b20">Planning Timeline help!</a>:
[QUOTE]Hi everyone, My fiance and I got engaged in October. We live in the SF bay area and would like to get married outside near the coast, which sort of limits our date options to September/October or May/June.  I am going to be traveling on and off for work until 2013 (I will be home for all of February, half of March, and all of August and September) and we are trying to determine whether to book a venue we like for a date in late September of 2013, or wait until the following spring (May of 2014) and just try to get stressed by a nearly 20-month engagement.  The venue we would sign for September is one that offers a package-type deal so we wouldn't have to do absolutely everything ourselves in terms of finding vendors and all of that.  We would have to figure out the florist, dessert, music and photography (and my dress! but I have some leads on that already). What do people think?  Should we go for an engagment that might feel short or one that might feel long?  Thanks for your two cents!
Posted by rhermanweber[/QUO

Do what works best for you and your FI. A Sept. 2013 wedding is totally doable. As long as your venue provides the food, drinks, tables, linens, and waiters / bartenders, finding a florist, baker, DJ and photographer shouldn't be that difficult. You would have to start meeting with them soon though since some book years in advance. Here's the order i booked all of mine in. AND i was on a low budget. If budget is not a factor for you, then it's even easier.
1. Venue - all inclusive
2. Photographer
3. Florist
4. DJ

I had a 9-29 wedding and started planning late Jan. By August, I was all done.

[Deleted User]

Thanks for these responses!  In terms of seasons, I slightly prefer September because the weather is a little bit more dependable.  As for stress, I worry that if we spend 20 months planning the day, the pressure on the day must just mount and mount. I'm not sure I want to allow myself to obsess for that long!  But, I also want to enjoy the engagement.  And I do worry about vendors being all booked up already for September - I guess that's something I should start exploring!  My FI doesn't seem to mind either way.  He worries more about my stress level than his, since I'm doing more of the footwork and I'm the one that will be out of town. In that sense he seems slightly partial to the longer engagement.

MNbride1991

By the time we actually get married, my FI and I will have been engaged about 18 months. I LOVE it!

I've had lots of time to "relax" in between checking off items off my list. I got the biggies booked (venues, photog, DJ) and took a few months off. Then I did the caterer and had a small visit with a few florists, took another few weeks off.
I have ended up taking too many small vacations and now have to play catch-up but I have really enjoyed just being engaged.

[Deleted User]

Thanks MNBride! That is the approach I've decided on too, I think.  We've got the rest of our lives together and aren't rushing to have kids, so there is no reason to induce tons of stress for a slightly better chance of sunshine ; ) . Glad you've enjoyed your engagement and good luck catching up!!

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_chit-chat_planning-timeline-help?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:14Discussion:f90b8641-99ea-4255-a15f-82037958145aPost:609f02c1-16ea-4fed-92c6-cbc824789845">Re: Planning Timeline help!</a>:
[QUOTE]By the time we actually get married, my FI and I will have been engaged about 18 months. I LOVE it! I've had lots of time to "relax" in between checking off items off my list. I got the biggies booked (venues, photog, DJ) and took a few months off. Then I did the caterer and had a small visit with a few florists, took another few weeks off. I have ended up taking too many small vacations and now have to play catch-up but I have really enjoyed just being engaged.
Posted by MNbride1991[/QUOTE]