How Soon is Too Soon?? - When to Start Planning Your Big Day

We've had a few brides call us about weddings that were scheduled for a few months out, we've had them even to call a few days out!! But a big debate comes about for those brides who call when their wedding is over a year away. Some vendors have a company policy not to book a client whose date is more than 12 months away. And honestly...if they do book more than 12 months out, be sure that you extremely careful before making any payments or signing contracts. Here are a few reasons why:

• Some businesses are just now starting off so they may need the extra cash right now. But what happens if they go bankrupt or if they change their mind about their industry? Will they be financially stable enough to pay you back? If they are not, you've just lost out on a hefty deposit!
• Companies get sold - if you have your eyes set on a gorgeous local venue, put your deposit down and the owner sold their business, where will that put you? Will the new owner remodel? Will they acknowledge your existing contract?
• Quality of service and staff always changes. Maybe you went to a loved one's wedding and fell in love with the work of their florist. Next year, they may have hired new florists, supplies and inventory, altogether providing a whole new service!

We are not discouraging you from preparing for 2013 wedding; we just want you to be cautious! These scenarios could happen to anyone and at any time. But more likely to happen when more than enough time is allowed. Prepping for your 2014 wedding? Go right ahead, ignore the idea killers! But don't jump the gun and start making payments or locking your choices down to only one. Here are a few things you can do to start prepping for a date that's really far out:

Prepare your guest lists (check out last week's blog about how), select your colors and theme, set your ideal budget, start thinking about your bridal party, get familiar with flowers, find the style of a wedding dress (not design, name or model number but type: sleeveless, royal train, cathedral veil, etc), and lastly, start marriage counseling (remember the focus of your wedding is marrying the perfect person for you, so it's important to start with a strong foundation)!