When to start booking?

Cherry393 · October 2009

Hi, I am new on this message board and have few questions. I am not engaged YET , however my SO asked for my dads permission a week ago and the proposal will be anytime soon

Now I would like to get some ideas on when the booking for places and such should be done? a year before the wedding date or few months ahead? Also what happens if you had to change the date for some reason? would you get a refund? I am asking questions to get general Ideas on how things work with planning. More likely I would plan for a wedding in 2011.Thanks all

**Mutley** · October 2009

Generally, you start planning the wedding after you get engaged. See, you buy a horse and then you get a cart to start putting all of your goods in it. Sometimes if you buy a cart before you get the horse, they won't let you return the cart or any of the goods you put in it.

Acrosthec · October 2009

How far in advance to book depends on where you live and what venues/vendors you're looking at. Generally, a year before will be more than enough time. Since you are planning for a wedding in 2011, and your proposal seems imminent, I wouldn't worry about it until after the holidays. Unless you live somewhere like NYC, where everything books up fast. In that case, go as soon as you get engaged.

Acrosthec · October 2009

Forgot your second question, sorry.As for refunds, etc. if you change your date: each contract is different, so you'll have to read them carefully. Generally speaking, most places will make you forfeit your deposit if you change your date, unless you're staying at the same venue, using the same vendor, etc. and they happen to have your new date open. Even then, though, some will charge you a fee because they potentially lost business by holding your original date and turning down other clients.

noelle24 · October 2009

Step 1) Get Engaged Step 2) Determine budget and guest list Step 3) Research venues, including prices. Some venues can book up a year in advance. Once you are engaged, I recommend posting on your local board. They will have a much better idea of prices and how soon you need to start looking. Either pick a venue you love and then choose an available date or pick a date and find a venue with an availability. I would NOT sign with a venue until you are 99.9% sure that the date you pick is the one you'll keep. If, god forbid, your date needs to change, many venues and vendors will allow you to change your date without a fee as long as you aren't actually cancelling on them. BUT this can vary by vendor. ONCE you get engaged, these are things you can ask them when you are emailing/calling/meeting them.

Goldlie11 · October 2009

You should be fine for 2011.

EDK2010 · October 2009

Wait until you are engaged! I have had no problems booking vendors for my March 27th, 2010 wedding and I just got engaged 6 weeks ago.Granted my wedding is "out of season" so it has been easy to find vendors who still have my date open.

Cherry393 · October 2009

Thanks all for the info. Obviously I know that I have to wait until I get engaged and that wasnt my concern as in doing it now. However , I wanted to have an idea of how things actually work when it comes to that because I was a bit wondering.

**Mutley** · October 2009

It really depends on where you live and the type of wedding you want. We were having our wedding in Nor Cal, and wanted a laid-back venue. It was very easy for us to plan in 6 months. Most of the big stuff was done in under 2 months. I even had time for a billion DIY projects. Our engagement was exactly 6 months and 6 days. I actually laughed to myself because we got engaged on 4/4/09 ad got married on 10/10/09. (I realized this ON our wedding day when someone asked what day we got engaged.)

chosen175 · October 2009

It definitely depends on where you live and what vendor you want. Here in Chicago, popular venues book 18+ months in advance, as do popular vendors. Anything less than that, you will get the bottom of the barrel or will have to find a venue/vendor that is more "unique."We are actually doing a destination wedding and I find that those venues/vendors are MUCH more flexible. Some will even do same day or a few days after booking, and the end result is still very beautiful.And FWIW, if your bf has already asked your dad's permission to marry you, I see absolutely nothing wrong with you asking these types of questions or trying to get a feel of vendors/venues/dates you like.

tmwagner · October 2009

Get engaged first, but don't wait too long. Set a date and pick a venue first, since everything else will be based on your location and time of year.

oceana919 · October 2009

You shouldn't book things/put down deposits/etc. until AFTER you're officially engaged, but it doesn't hurt to look up places online, get some ideas, etc. now.

When to start booking?

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