How far in advance did you start wedding planning?

No, I wouldn't say so. I got engaged in October 2010 and started looking at ideas almost straight away for our March 2012 wedding.

18 months is a good planning window.

Hi

We got engaged in 2009, and started planning in October, 2010 for our wedding this december - so 2 and a bit years in advance!

At first we just booked the major things like church, cars, venue, and photographer, as these can get booked up very far in advance where we live.

I started looking for dresses at Easter 2011, and ordered it last October - be aware it can take 6 months for dresses to arrive from the point of order.

I think you are wise to start planning the major things now, and then you have plenty of time to browse for the less important things such as invites and favors. This is what I have done and I have got exactly what I wanted, often at discounted prices in the Christmas sales over the past 2 years!!

I planned for 2 and a half years!! I would definitely say that you should get the big popular things like venue,TOG and florist booked ASAP as they can be booked up a couple of years in advance sometimes!! With regards to the dress I would suggest having a look around now as they can take up to 6 months to arrive from ordering - I bought mine two years before I got married, if I hadn't I wouldn't of had my dream dress as it was later discontinued!!

Enjoy the planning and don't be shy with asking questions, there is also a really good search function on here that you will be able to find just about any subject on ?

Congratulations and welcome ?

I've been planning since Feb/March for the end of May 2014. Some places have dresses ordered for 2016! Suppliers can get booked up quickly, so it can't hurt to at least start looking now, as long as you're not the sort of person who changes their mind too much. We've got most stuff sorted now and it means we can just relax for a bit.

We got engaged in February, and we've set the date for 23rd May 2014. By the end of May this year, we'd already sorted the venue. And up to now we have done: photographer, DJ, bridesmaid dresses, wedding dress, 6 of 8 centrepieces, save the dates, and have done all the research into making our invitations next year.

To be honest, the big things like venue, photographer etc are better to book as soon as possible, as you can normally save by getting the current years rates. Any "one a day" suppliers (photographer, transport, entertainment) are worth thinking about as soon as possible as they get booked up quick, especially in peak wedding season. Both the venue and our photographer already had provisional bookings/enquiries for our date back in May this year.

As for your wedding dress, the shop I went to was already taking orders for 2015 weddings! Most take at least 3 months, if not more, to come into the shop once ordered, so the sooner you start trying, the better.

Ah thanks everyone, its good to know, not just because I was worried that I might come across as a crazy obsessive but also because I'm enjoying all this planning so much, I don't want to stop I can be a bit indecisive though, so I'm not buying or booking just yet, just checking my options out, then I think after xmas has been and gone I'll get stuck into ordering and booking, although if this venue is what we want, I believe we can provisionally book it anyway.

I got engaged in March 2010 and booked an August 2012 wedding. Venue, photographer, ceremony music, church and transport were all booked before the end of August 2010. Dress was bought in February 2011.

My advice would be get the big things done as soon as you see them and are certain that's what you want. You may find you can fix this year's prices by booking now. Just don't rush into buying things like bridesmaid dresses, accessories etc as your mind may change a lot in a year.

Engaged Jan 2011. Worked out where and how we wanted to get married within about a month. Since that was abroad, it was pretty straightforward. Started looking at dresses about May 2011, and reception venues about the same time. Chose dress August 2011, and final venue, after last minute changes, was booked with about 5 months to go after we had problems with the first one!

Hi! I started plannign 18 months in advance, too. We got engaged at Christmas last year and I was infected with wedding fever for about 3 or 4 months. I had found a photo of my dream wedding dress within about 2 weeks, tried on dresses within 6 weeks, booked our venue within the month, and then from about April time I was sick and tired of all things wedding

I don't think you're getting ahead of yourself at all. It was nice to book things early, it meant we had no issues with conflicts booking the venue/dj/photographer, and It gave me plenty of time to try on dresses of all sorts before finally deciding that the photo I'd seen within a fortnight of being engaged really WAS the dream dress for me - no wobbles since!

If I hadn't started planning that early, I doubt i'd have managed to bag Hever Castle for the Saturday right at midsummer. Popular venues will have all the good dates booked a year in advance, I'd expect. Of course, if you're doing off-season it's not as important to book early..

Since I was bridesmaid for my friend in 2011 ?

No, OH proposed in May and because most of my friends were engaged, we all have been planning together, which is pretty fun.

We booked our venue in July for an October 2013 wedding - if I'd have had my way, I'd have got married much sooner but OH was having none of it sadly

We planned it in about 18 months as well. I think that's probably a standard amount of time, as you can get things researched and provisionally booked, then at the year mark take care of osme of the legal stuff.

I changed my mind loads on lots of little details though so things I originally planned over a year in advance were changed just a few weeks before.

Congrats!! You are NOT obsessive. I feel like I have eaten, drunk, slept weddings!! 10 days ago, we picked a date. We aren't yet engaged. Our wedding is 6th July, so 9 months away. 9 months to do EVERYTHING. Can't believe I wanted to get married this NYE, mental!

I started planning once I was told he was saving up for a ring..probably around the beginning of this year. I had a list of venues, some dress ideas and general stuff that I saved to refer back to. Once he proposed in April it was all systems go, I started looking for quotes from suppliers and we booked the actual wedding itself in June for 6th September 2013.

I already have so much stuff done which will ease the pressure once it gets closer, I am going a lot of DIY so this will take up some time so I would rather be able to focus on that than worry about stuff I havent done.

People told me I was mad for planning it so early but it doesn't bother me, I am the one who will be sitting there the week before feeling all chilled (I hope!)

Everybody plans things in different time frames so just worry about planning yours in the time frame you are happy with.

I'm planning mine in abouut 21 months. But to be honest it's been a slow plan and I still have just under 18months to go. I booked my venue just under 2months ago, found my dress about a month ago in a sale event, booked my tog last weekend. I'll move on to DJ next but I know who I'll ask for a quote from as he did my sister's wedding, it's more just a case of checking he has the date free.

You've got a good amount of time to plan without feeling rushed + are able to really think and research what you want. so enjoy every moment of the planning, bet it"l go by so quickly!!

By the time we get married we will have been planning for 2 years and 8 months, we are having a lovely relaxing time of it having so long to sort everything out and it means that the wedding hasn't taken over our lives.

We started planning March 2011 and set a date for September 2013 although we didn't have an exact date in mind when we started planning. We booked our venue in November 2011 (started viewing venues from March) we have our TOG booked, suits brought, invites designed and everything else is planned ready to book or arrange nearer the time.

We're planning in about 20 months, just started getting brochures in for venues and going to set up some viewings, we are lucky though as we have a free photographer, free DJ and free hairdresser and hopefully make up artist.

I've got an idea of what I want for my dress, but I need to go and try some on before I make a decision.

It is like weddings have taken over my life at the minute! but I wouldn't change a minute of it and I'm really excited!