How soon to start planning your wedding??

Hi Nicola

Can't really speak from experience as we've got a 9 month turnaround from engagement to wedding (stop singgering at the back!). But Hitched has got a timeline on here somewhere that might be worth looking at. There's no set rules though, although I'd be worried about deciding on things then changing my mind twenty times! And the possible accusations of 'Bridezilla' from your man ?

I'm sure there will be plenty of other ladies along soon who will have a date after yours ?

I'm getting married abroad too (Turkey) in 15 months and we booked a good few months ago. We we're going to do a Thomas Cook or similar package, then we found a lovely private wedding company who are based out there and there package is brill and is a lot cheaper. I also liked the idea of having someone who is really involved to help out. We haven't booked our flights yet as they're not out until next month but we're not worried as we keep going in to travel agents to check when we can book and we'll book asap.

I would look around for different wedding packages and reviews and any hidden costs (In Turkey we have to go to the british consulate and get some documents and a medical, this wasn't included in the Thomas Cook package which would be about £1000 extra, and it's included in our package) I like the idea of knowing exactly what we're going to pay before hand.

FYI - It's never too soon to look! I've got my dress (It's not practical but i love it!!) x

Hi, we got engaged last year in March and started planning straight away for our August 2010 wedding, so no I don't think 2 yrs is too far away. However, I don't know how much you will be able to plan for abroad this early on. but definitely not too early to think about dates and flowers, set a budget, have a discussion about what you would both like etc.

We started preparations 9 months before and I find it too long and actually getting bored with the whole idea.

There is so many things that can change in those several months for you guys. Not sure what are you like with choosing outfits, but you so often hear about brides changing their mind about the dress. There will be at leat 3 or 4 new wedidng dresses collections between now and 2011...

Would find something else to occupy my mind for at leat the next 12 months... (unless you have a a particular photographer in mind or a band - book them 14 months in advance).

Never too soon to start on some things - my OH's brother's fiance is making chair covers for their wedding in 2012!

We got engaged in December 07 and are getting married at the end of August. I think you can plan and just think about one thing at once. It gives you time to save money by making things yourself as well eg invites.

Will you be having a reception over here when you get back? if so you could investigate venues and get some ideas in mind budget wise and things, although you cant book anything abroad yet you can do you research by looking at all the legalities of marrying abroad. some are very different to getting married over here.

welcome to hitched x

We've booked our wedding for 4th June 2011 to give us chance to save up for a house as well (I'm at uni at the moment).

I am finding myself getting a little bit carried away with the planning a little too early (especially when I've got other things like assignments and revision that I should be doing!) and it knocked me back a bit when I was trying to get ideas of prices and no one well give quotes that far in advance.

I'm also a little concerned that I'm going to keep changing my mind, and maybe by the time 2011 rolls around I'll be bored of planning! I do really want to go dress shopping tho, or at least just to try some on!

My thinking is, we've got the important things (church & reception) booked, so I'm just going to casually browse the net etc. for information until I finish uni next June then start planning propper. I've got a big box and ring binder to keep all my ideas in, which is fun in itself ?

The longer you take, the more bargains you can find... and the more time to negotiate those suppliers down! ?

Hiya I am getting married 14th May 2011 and we have booked our venue (Melville castle, Edinburgh) as 1 of our chosen venues are already fully booked they say the best book really far in advance so start looking at venues if you have a particular 1 in mind.

I have booked my cake too and managed to secure it at this years prices and most people have said if you book now you get the current 2009 prices which I have found helpful to make a more realistic budget.

Got my dress too..........what am I like eh well I like to be organised BUT..............My mum and I went to a bridal shop just for a look as I was so excited and I saw this dress in the sale and I knew it was the 1 plus the price was fabby see attached pics...................I got it for £200.

We got engaged August 2007, set the date for 8th August 2009 and starting looking for a venue straight away. We booked that in the September. Then as we started asking didn't suppliers we realised they too were getting pretty booked up.

Not sure how different it will be getting married abroad though?!

And yes I have changed my mind on a few things along the way.

Hi and welcome to Hitched

Me and my other half actually got engaged in 2006 and aren't getting married till next summer - but that was because we wanted to buy a place first, save up etc. We didn't actually start planning the wedding until spring 2008 when we booked our venue - but that was still over 2 years before the wedding. The reason we booked our venue that early though was because it's a really popular venue that gets booked up 2 years in advance, sometimes longer. I would say that 2 years isn't too early to start planning the big things, like the venue etc, but the smaller things can wait until a lot closer to the time.

I'm not planning on going dress shopping until much later this year, and our wedding is at the end of July 2010. Saying that though, loads and loads of 2010 brides on here have already found and ordered their dresses, so if you do find one you love early on there's nothing to stop you actually ordering it.

Think the main thing is to make sure that as others have said, you're not sick of it all by the time the wedding actually comes around! ?

Hi Nicola

I know just what you mean as we are also getting married in May 2011. It does seem like an absolute age away and we were torn between leaving planning anything at all until later, and getting on with it as we were so excited! In the end we have gone for a sort-of midway approach. We looked at venues and booked one as we loved it and didn't want to wait and then discover that it was booked for the date we wanted. We've also provisionally booked the registrar as we were quite keen on getting a particular time so that we could fit in everything we want for the day. However this is roving into the realms of over-organisation even for me! ?

Now that we've got that under our belt, we're leaving everything else and having a breather, then will probably pick it up again in winter. Although I keep wondering if I should investigate photographers, not sure how quickly they get booked up. I am still reading wedding mags though, and posting on here, and thinking of ideas!

However a whole set of other rules probably apply for weddings abroad so feel free to ignore me, lol.

Hiya

we've booked for 28th May 2011 and your right it does seem a lifetime away, but at the rate this years flying in i dont think we'll feel that way for long.

i booked my wedding in march this year, and confirmed my registrar in april and paid all my deposits, im now going to book my photographer/videographer and thats really all i can do just now. going for bridesmaids dresses aug/sep 10 (heard theres usually good sales round this time) and then i'll order the kilt hire as well. my mums friend has her own business doing handmade invitation,table plans etc, so she will start gettin idea's for them once i have my bridesmaid dresses ordered and my colour!

its really up to you when you want to go and look for dresses etc! Im currently on a diet at the moment so i wont be looking for my dress till next sept/oct so that i've lost enough beef lol

H xx

Hi I'm new on here!

We are hoping to get married on Nov 5th 2011 (hopefully booking it next Thurs) so I think my one is officially the longest away! We chose this date as its when my H2B proposed under all the fireworks and it happens to fall on a Saturday in 2011 too, so very fitting. Like you I am itching to do all the fun stuff (like try on dresses etc) but at the moment I think I will go with with the flow and pick up ideas as I go along. The way I look it at is at least it will be the best planned wedding ever as I have so much time to plan it! Plus it will give us something to look forward and save for over the next 2 and a bit years- there will be lots of pockets of excitements rather than one big excitement (which is good otherwise I might explode)

It's so hard to keep a lid on all the planning though and not want to get married the following week or something so completley understand! xxx

I don't think it's ever too early to start planning your wedding. The earlier you prepare the less stressed you're likely to feel. I got engaged in November 2007 and I'm getting married this September. I had everything pretty much sorted in May 2008. It does feel like a millenium till the big day but you can started planning for absolutely ever eventuality. Believe me, it might be a long way off but it comes round so quickly. I'm just over 3 months to go now and I'm at the point of sending out the invites which at this point last year I thought would never come.

Enjoy the planning, I don't know what I'll do after - I'll have nothing to plan!

I would like to thank everyone so so much for all your replies... My mind is a little more at rest now, kaz9274 what a gorgeous dress :-) I just hope i can find one 4 me, i know i will but there is so many out there, i thought i had in mind what i wanted but i didnt actually realise how many styles etc there was....
looking forward to my 1st wedding fare in October at the NEC in birmingham.... well it will be my 1st one unless one pops up closer to home in the mean time.....
Hopefully we can all help each other over the next 2 years n help the time go by... Haha.... and hopefully keep up2 date on how were all getting on....
Thank you all once again for your comments and happy planning to us all ?

Hi Nicola,

Congratulations!

I don't think you should worry about starting too soon, my only suggestion would be to pace yourself, just so everything is still fresh and exciting and you don't overdose yourself on wedding stuff. Husbands to be don't seem to get as involved in the detail as us girls, and they will complain if wedding stuff is always on the agenda (doing stuff and talking about it) and if it lasts for nearly 2 years, they may start to develop a nervous twitch. The good news is that any of your married or engaged friends and other engaged people (on forums like this ? ) will never tire of talking about wedding stuff - thank goodness!

I don't have loads of experience of organising weddings, I'm in the middle of organising mine for end of Nov 2009 (after getting engaged in Oct 08), and I have organised PR events and parties for work. Best place to start is getting some key things in place (like you've done in terms of venue) and maybe write a list of things you need to do, by when, and an idea of costs and your budget. Also you'll need to tailor your list to fit with Jamaica as you may need to do specific things legally with paperwork and suchlike. Bridal magazines are really helpful as they give you a monthly countdown of what you should do by when, and I've found this a helpful guide - and it means that it keeps me on track and on an even keel, without worrying about too many variables at once. So far I've found organising stuff stress free and fun - just hoping I'm still saying this with about 8 weeks to go!

Start looking at dresses whenever you like, it's really good fun and you have loads of time to try allsorts of styles on. All I would say is don't order your dress until you have to. I ordered my dress at the end of Feb (which was in good time with 9 months to go) and then tried it again at the weekend and was advised to be careful not to lose any weight, because the dress fits perfectly now. I'd only lost a smidge because I'd toned up and hardly even noticed myself - but any more and I'll get into alterations territory which costs money and is a faff I could do without.

Hope this helps, x

Hello Girls,

It's never too early to plan, I am getting married in March 2010 and most of my friends criticised me for starting everything in January (got engaged in December). I am getting married abroad and we want to make sure that our friends can celebrate it with us (in Reunion). Therefore enough time for them to look for a cheap fares & accommodation., I realised that everything has to be translated in French and certified by the French consulate too and it takes time and cost money. Therefore it's never too early to plan. The earliest you plan, the more chance you have to control your budget (better deal & no last minutes purchase).

xx

Welcome to hitched both of you!

Not to disappoint but i think mine is officially the longest away! 4th august 2012! and ooh la la is also thinking of the same date and its exactly three years one month and twenty eight days ? So no i don't think its too soon for you to plan at all.

Thank you to everyone :-)
Over the last few weeks i had so much feed back and ideas from everyone on here and now im starting to think i need longer...... LOL :-) x

Theres no reason why you cant do it in 23 months at all. Some of the girls on here do it in far shorter amounts of time! xxx

OMG deliciouswitchchild - thats my exact wedding date too i cant believe it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!???

XXX