Are you finding that vendors are starting to get booked? My brother and his girlfriend got engaged on Christmas and she wants a 2013 wedding. She hasn't started looking at any venues, but she has contacted my photographer asking for available dates because he fills up quick.
I got engaged last Christmas and started booking things early for June 2012 to get the vendors I wanted and so that we could pay deposits then not pay anything else for a while. I'm trying to tell him that this was one of the best decisions we've made, but he doesn't want to listen.