While there will be some unpredictable circumstances such as vendors and venues that book up years in advance, here’s a guide that works for most weddings:
Music, Professional Sound, Dancing: If there’s a particular musician, Wedding DJ, or band that you want to hire, you should try to book them 9-12 months before your wedding day. Hiring a Professional Wedding DJ or band is the foundation of your special day.
Wedding Planner: This depends on whether you’re hiring Full Service Wedding Planner or Day-of Wedding Planner. If you’re working with a Full Service Wedding Planner, you’ll want to hire her near the onset of your planning to maximize the use of our coordinators expertise. For Day-of Wedding Planners, you can generally wait until 6-8 months before the wedding. She won’t be working very intensely with you until about one month before the wedding, but she should still be available to answer questions leading up to that time.
Photography/Videography: This will depend a bit on the popularity of your wedding date, but most photographers and videographers recommend hiring them at least 12 months before the wedding…18 months if you can manage it.
Venue: You’ll want to book the venue near the beginning of your wedding planning, at least 9-12 months before the wedding date.
Stylist: I recommend booking your hair and makeup stylist 9-12 months before the wedding. It’s a good idea to book a trial run of your hair and makeup beforehand to ensure you and the stylist are on the same page.
Officiant: If you’re not getting married in your place of worship, you’ll want to hire an independent officiant. Begin screening candidates about 9-12 months before the wedding and try to work out an in-person meeting if possible to discuss the ceremony style and vow options.
Florist: You’ll want to have at least your venue nailed down before you hire your florist so you know what kind of décor you’ll need. It’s also helpful to know the number of wedding attendants and approximate number of guests who will be attending so you have an idea of personal floral and centerpiece numbers. With this in mind, hire your florist about 8-9 months before the wedding.
Cake Maker: Some venues will have your wedding cake built into your catering package. If not, you’ll want to hire your cake baker about 6-9 months before the wedding and schedule a tasting if possible.
Music, Professional Sound, Dancing: If there’s a particular musician, Wedding DJ, or band that you want to hire, you should try to book them 9-12 months before your wedding day. Hiring a Professional Wedding DJ or band is the foundation of your special day.
Wedding Planner: This depends on whether you’re hiring Full Service Wedding Planner or Day-of Wedding Planner. If you’re working with a Full Service Wedding Planner, you’ll want to hire her near the onset of your planning to maximize the use of our coordinators expertise. For Day-of Wedding Planners, you can generally wait until 6-8 months before the wedding. She won’t be working very intensely with you until about one month before the wedding, but she should still be available to answer questions leading up to that time.
Photography/Videography: This will depend a bit on the popularity of your wedding date, but most photographers and videographers recommend hiring them at least 12 months before the wedding…18 months if you can manage it.
Venue: You’ll want to book the venue near the beginning of your wedding planning, at least 9-12 months before the wedding date.
Stylist: I recommend booking your hair and makeup stylist 9-12 months before the wedding. It’s a good idea to book a trial run of your hair and makeup beforehand to ensure you and the stylist are on the same page.
Officiant: If you’re not getting married in your place of worship, you’ll want to hire an independent officiant. Begin screening candidates about 9-12 months before the wedding and try to work out an in-person meeting if possible to discuss the ceremony style and vow options.
Florist: You’ll want to have at least your venue nailed down before you hire your florist so you know what kind of décor you’ll need. It’s also helpful to know the number of wedding attendants and approximate number of guests who will be attending so you have an idea of personal floral and centerpiece numbers. With this in mind, hire your florist about 8-9 months before the wedding.
Cake Maker: Some venues will have your wedding cake built into your catering package. If not, you’ll want to hire your cake baker about 6-9 months before the wedding and schedule a tasting if possible.
