Please Help! Wedding 2024

My advice, don't book too many things prior to one year out. This will be opposite of what most people here will tell you to do but if anything this pandemic has taught anyone is that the last you want is for your money to be tied up for almost two years in deposits.

Like others said, figure out your budget first. THEN search for the venue based on said budget. If you research things first before setting a budget, you're setting yourself up to overspend. Everything else can be booked when you're close to a year out.

I like Brittany's suggestion of not buying/renting clothes until less than a year out. Your bodies may change. Your stylistic choices may change. I always see people here talk about dress regret because they acquired their dress years in advance only for them to want new or other styles as they emerge.

But what if all the vendors are booked? What if the vendor I like is booked by someone else?

You're in the second largest city in the country. Someone will be available. Anyone who tells you to book fast is either overreacting or trying to coarse you into booking them.

Good luck!

Omy soo true! I've been struggling to find a venue that my FH and I both love so I've started getting distracted by other details like photography, dresses, colours, getting ready spots, make up artists, and they all of course ask 1) when is the wedding and 2) where will it take place. Which of course, you can only know once you have the venue! We have a tour of one of our top locations this evening so I'm keeping my fingers crossed it works out well

Congratulations!! We are also looking to get married end of summer 2024. My FH and I started talking about what we envisioned for our day (what kind of setting for the ceremony, do we have the reception at the same place, what price range we want to stay around, etc.). Once we knew what we had in mind, it was easier to look at venues and narrow down what was in our budget! I highly recommend taking tours of places you like to get a feel for it and understand what's included or allowed (pros/cons). Also looking at reviews on multiple sites is super helpful!

I've been using checklists that you can download online to keep track of what needs to be booked, or how to budget the whole day out. It's been great to keep me organized!

Here were my top 4 things to do:

1. Pick date

2. Agree on a budget

3. Write out a guest list

4. Decide on theme of wedding

The most important vendor to book first is the venue!!!! All other vendors are going to be asking for that information...

Best of luck!

Of course there are so much more smaller things that you don't think about until you start making decisions like where and when you will be getting married, but it is a good start! and not a problem! Happy planning

1. figure out a budget! That is the most important step - this helps you narrow down what venues you can afford. When figuring out your budget, take into account how many people you want to invite - so your number of guests. Your number of guests will also be important because this is a deciding factor on what caterer you want or can afford for the number of people (someone who is $100 a plate or are you able to find someone who does $50 a plate).

2. book venue and catering if possible (since your wedding is 2024, some places may not have their books open till January 2023).

3. Book your photographer, DJ, Hair and Make up, officiant, florist and if you want one a videographer.

4. Send save the dates a year out and get to the shops to buy your dress a year out!

5. Around the year mark - start looking at color schemes and themes of wedding you guys would like. Afterwards start purchasing or use a rental company to have your décor, tables, chairs, arbors, etc.

6. Less than a year out - this is when you are going dress shopping with your bridal party, the groom and his wedding party need to go rent or buy a suit/tux. This is where you start purchasing your accessories, like earrings, necklace, shoes for your wedding dress. Also start buying the little things like your cake topper, cutting cake knife set, wedding welcome sign.

7. once your dress is in book your alterations (make sure you are wearing the shoes of the same height you plan on wearing on your wedding day so they hem it properly). This is also where you start buying more of the little things - like an other decor you want for your wedding.

8. buy your wedding band, send the initiations.

at the end it is mostly just putting everything together and getting the documents for getting married all together.

Hopefully this helps a bit!

Congratulations on your wedding, and welcome to Wedding wire. I was in your shoes, I didn't really have anyone supportive or thought it was too early to plan.

This is how I decided, I had a budget and looked at venues in my price range, we are not religious so church weddings were out of the question. I looked at pricing for cake, dress, hair, makeup, flowers, catering, and everything else and next thing I know my budget was blown, So I looked at options, smaller wedding less guests. Then I found a venue in my price range that did it all for me and was able to have at least 45 people. Pinterest has a lot of great tools on how to plan and budget, Chapters/indigo also has great planners to help you start from A-Z and of course you have Wedding Wire who can also help and guide you through your process.

Ask yourself how many guests, do you want traditional (church or no), do you want ceremony & reception in different places or same venue; what area of the city do you want to be in. Check out some of the wedding vendors in Wedding Wire in your area and go from there. Think about your budget and go from there.