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NBS308NBS308
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in Michigan-Detroit
Hello everybody! I've been lurking around for a while...and I have a question so I figured I'd introduce myself! I'm Ashley, live in the rochester area and been engaged for a year to my boyfriend of 4yrs. We plan for a 2012 wedding in July or September...and I was just wondering...

How soon is too soon to start planning? Like when did you guys start booking venues and all the vendors?? My fiance thinks I'm too early to start planning..but I'm always planning things at the last minute and not getting what I want so I kinda wanted to get a jumpstart on things...but am I missing out on deals if I do it too early?
Thanks again in advance for your answers! Laughing
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    July032011July032011
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    edited December 2011
    The earlier you boook the better!  Especially if you know for sure what you want!  If you sign this year you are getting this years prices, the longer you wait the more pricey it may become! Once you have your exact date set start planning away!

    Congrats and let us know if we can help!
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    sheshedukeshesheduke member
    Combo Breaker First Comment
    edited December 2011
    Welcome. I agree with previous post. The earlier the better. I got engaged in Dec. of 2009 and I started planning for my date in February my first 10 reception sites were booked for 09.10.11. I know part of that was due to it being a popular date but some ladies just plan way out. They know what they have always wanted and they make sure they get just that. Happy planning and we are here if you need us!
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    Sue-n-KevinSue-n-Kevin member
    First Anniversary 5 Love Its First Answer First Comment
    edited December 2011
    Welcome Ashley! I agree with the prior posters. There's no such thing as too early, particularly for vendors.

    Figure out your plans this way:

    - Budget first, as it determines everything! Your budget is the money you KNOW about, not what you think family will give you
    - Do a guesstimate of guest count, as some venues have maximum & minimum costs/guest count
    - Venue should be the first thing. Churches can book early if they are very popular locations, but banquet facilities book earliest. Ours was available when we booked it almost 2 years beforehand.
    - Look over the sticky notes at the top with the pushpins for ideas on vendors. The women here are VERY WISE and share an awful lot, so you should take advantage of that.

    We always welcome new brides, because there's a constant turnover here as new brides arrive, like you, and then others have already had their day. THAT is how you learn, LOL.
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    crhein26crhein26 member
    First Anniversary First Comment
    edited December 2011
    Welcome Ashley!  I agree with PP as well.  The earlier the better.  We got engaged in April, within 2 weeks of that we had booked the venue and church for our Nov. 2011 wedding.  Vendors will book up, so the earlier you start, the better off you are. Also, while I believe you should book your venue first, if you know which church you want to get married in you should check with them at the same time.  IF you do end up booking your venue before the church, don't tell them you already have the hall....they tend to get a little irritated if you book the hall before the church.  At least that is what the owner of my venue recommended us to do. 
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    lovetruly06lovetruly06 member
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    edited December 2011
      Welcome Ashley! Listen to these ladies, they know what their talking about. Good luck with your planning!
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    emarston1emarston1 member
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    edited December 2011
    Welcome and congrats!
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    sunkissed212sunkissed212 member
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    edited December 2011
    Welcome and congrats!

    My advice would be to look at venues and photographers first. These are the 2 vendors that book up the most in advance.  Sue gave some good tips as to how to establish your budget (because you need to do that before you start looking at vendors anyway, to figure out how much you can/want to spend on each one). After those 2 vendors are booked you can sit back and relax for a little while while you do research on other vendors: dj, cake, florist, etc.

    I don't recommend booking everything early...and the reason I say that is because throughout your planning you're going to see lots of vendors and I think it's good to meet with several vendors in order to find the perfect one for you. If you book early, and then down the road find someone that you like better/has better prices/etc. you may be 'stuck' with your original vendor unless you're prepared to lose your deposit.  I'm not saying wait until the last minute, but just don't jump on the first thing you find that you like because you've got 18+ months before your wedding, you WILL change your mind on things, trust me on this.

    Do your research and make good notes and then as you're ready to book people you'll have all the information you need. AND USE THIS BOARD!!! This board is invaluable to a successful wedding. These girls know what they're talking about!
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    lisa89760lisa89760 member
    First Anniversary First Comment
    edited December 2011
    Congrats!! I agree with everyone else...Plan early!  The firs thing I did was book the venue and there were limited dates a year out!
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    MrsBarstool2011MrsBarstool2011
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    edited December 2011
    Congrats on getting engaged and welcome!  Its not too early to start planning but I wouldn't jump to trying to book all your vendors now.  But will reception sites, they do increase the price each year so booking early and locking in the price is a good idea.
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    rcj2rcdrcj2rcd
    Combo Breaker First Comment
    edited December 2011
    Congratulations and welcome!

    I agree with PPs. Set your budget and book the ceremony location, reception hall, and photographer. You have a decent amount of time to plan/research. Use that to your advantage!

    Visit the venues you like and see what other brides are doing. I got some great ideas this way and learned what did/didn't look good at my venue - which has been a huge help when talking to vendors. Most venues will have a preferred vendor list to help you narrow down your choices.

    In addition to setting an overall budget, if you are paying for anything yourself, make sure to allocate how much you need to save per month to reach your goal.
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    NBS308NBS308
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    edited December 2011
    Thank you soo muuuch for the advice! Thank goodness for websites like this or else I'd be totally lost! I'll continue lurking =)
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    BridetobeJenGBridetobeJenG
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    edited December 2011
    Welcome and Congrats!!
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