When To Book Your Wedding Vendors – Your Timeline Guide
When To Book Your Wedding Vendors – Your Timeline Guide
Planning a 2021 wedding is probably one of the most exciting (and stressful) times in your life. From the moment your forever love pops the big question, visions will begin dancing through your mind, and to-do lists quickly form. And while we would love to tell you that wedding planning is easy, it requires a lot of work. A lot goes into pulling off an unforgettable wedding, starting with researching and hiring wedding vendors. Knowing how far in advance should you book your wedding vendors is a crucial piece of the wedding planning puzzle. Fortunately, this guide includes everything you need to know about When To Book Your Wedding Vendors.
As a newly engaged couple, the first thing you must do before any wedding planning can begin is set the date. You will need to know this small detail before starting conversations with any wedding vendors about availability and price. Go ahead and select a wedding date quickly after the engagement. Remember to have a little flexibility if the venue (or other wedding vendors that you “must” have) are not available.
When Should I Book My Wedding Vendors?
There are tons of wedding vendors and businesses that you will use while you are planning your wedding. In this guide on “How Far In Advance Should I Book My Wedding Vendors”, we will focus on the biggest and most important ones.
Wedding Planner: 12 – 18 months in advance
If your budget includes enough dough for a wedding planner, hire one! Having a wedding planner will make wedding planning in 2021 an absolute breeze. Hiring your wedding planner should be done right after setting the date. Doing this will help keep you organized as well as avoid and wedding planning mistakes. Most couples generally spend one year planning a wedding, so it is best to hire your wedding planner at least one year ahead.
Wedding Venue: 12 months in advance
Booking your wedding venue is at the top of the importance list, along with setting the date and hiring a wedding planner. Booking your venue one year out is best, but if you have your heart set on a super popular wedding venue, you may need to book it even further out. We know of many wedding venues that fill up their calendar 18 months in advance, so jump on this to-do list item right away and check it off the list!
Need help finding your wedding venue? Click here.
Wedding Photographer/Videographer: 9 – 12 months in advance
Having someone on hand to capture all of the beautiful memories is a big deal. Research your local photographers online and check out their galleries to determine which photography style you connect with. Then schedule a meeting to discuss your vision and hire them no later than nine months before your wedding.
Wedding Florist: 9 months in advance
Start looking at wedding florists at least nine months out. You will need to meet with them to discuss color palettes and to learn what type of flowers will be available (in season) at the time of your wedding. Once you know these things, you can work together to create a beautiful floral explosion for your wedding.
Wedding Caterer: 8 – 9 months in advance
To find a wedding caterer that you love can take some time and may require multiple meetings and tastings. You should begin scheduling appointments with caterers 8 – 9 months before your wedding and book them no later than six months out.
These timelines are a general rule when of when to hire your wedding vendors and are not set in stone. Once you set the date, our best advice is to go ahead and lock in all your preferred vendors, don’t wait. You want to make certain that you have the wedding vendors you love on your special day., Waiting to book your wedding vendors may mean they get hired by someone else.
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