When it comes to planning your big day there isn’t a right or wrong answer for how long it will take to plan everything or how much in advance you should start to do so. However, depending on the style of wedding you’re wanting, some things will take longer to plan than others. That’s why we wanted to share our top tips for how far in advance you should start planning to achieve your perfect day.
The Venue
Lots of wedding venues open their diaries up to, two years in advance, with many places already starting to open up their bookings for 2023. If you’re after a popular venue it is likely that you may need to secure your booking up to 18 months in advance. If it’s a place you’ve had your heart set on, it’s worth enquiring as soon as possible to arrange a viewing and check if it’s right for you. Our Wedding Venue Checklist blog will help you know exactly what to look for before committing to a booking.
The Suppliers
Once you have secured your Wedding Venue, next will come the list of suppliers including wedding cake supplies, catering, entertainment, florists etc. Upon booking your venue, they may have a list of recommended suppliers that they work with, who you will be able to contact to see if your date is free. If they work in conjunction a lot together, the likelihood is that they will have your date free and you will be able to secure it around the same time as your venue putting your mind at rest. If you’re sourcing your own suppliers, like with your venue, if they’re popular the sooner you book them the better to avoid disappointment. Most suppliers will take a small deposit to secure your booking if it’s lots in advance and then detail a payment schedule with you leading up to your big day.
Invitations & Save The Dates
The basic rule of thumb is to send your save the dates six to nine months before the wedding followed by the formal invitation around three months prior. However for a destination wedding, it is advised to send save the dates as early as 12 months in advance to give people as much notice as possible. In this case though some may opt to just send invitations to confirm attendance numbers ASAP.
As with all wedding plans, when you decided to send them is very much down to personal choice however you may need to take into consideration other factors such as timeframes for when you need to confirm numbers for food and attendance to the venue and caterer.
The Dress
Many bridal boutiques will advise you to start looking for your dream wedding dress with at least 12 months to go. This is due to timings such as time from order to make your dress which is usually around 5 -6 months . You will also need to allow for alterations to be made which can take between 6 – 8 weeks depending on the level of work involved. Remember to give yourself plenty of time to visit a couple of different places and even plan for a re-visit to ensure your dress is the one.
When you book your wedding at Hyde Bank Farm, your experience starts with our wonderful wedding co-ordinator Mandy Blackhurst. Mandy has been helping guests experience the perfect day ever since Hyde Bank Farm opened its doors and she can help you with every aspect of planning to ensure that you can relax and enjoy your perfect day.