Wedding planning can be one of the most exciting yet stressful times of your life. You’re excited to marry your favorite person, but if you have never planned a wedding before, so when to book can get overwhelming pretty quickly. Where do you start? With decades of experience in the wedding industry, Complete Weddings + Events Fargo has created a wedding planning timeline to help you know when to book vendors.
When to Book Wedding DJ
As a company that initially started out with just the DJ service, we definitely recommend booking your Fargo wedding DJ at least nine to ten months out from your wedding day. DJs can make or break your wedding reception, so selecting the professionals can be highly sought-after. Beyond playing music, DJs host the evening festivities to take the stress away from you, ensuring you can enjoy the party!
When to Book Wedding Photographer & Videographer
One of the first services you want to book is your wedding photographer, then your videographer. They tend to be some of the most sought-after services when it comes to weddings. For that reason, you want to make sure you book them at least a year in advance.
Odds are, if you have a specific photographer in mind and you’re two months from your wedding date, they are most likely booked. Do yourself a favor and book them well in advance so it’s one less thing to check off your to-do list.
When to Schedule Engagement Photo Shoot
This one may seem like a no-brainer, but booking your engagement photoshoot as soon as you’re engaged is a great idea! Well, maybe not right away. Enjoy at least a week or two of being in that newly engaged feeling before you begin wedding planning. The engagement photoshoot is one you want to do in the early stages of planning because you want to capture those raw emotions at their peak! Bonus, your engagement photoshoot can be a great way to get to know a possible wedding photographer.
When to Pick Colors or Theme
Picking out your wedding theme and colors has to be one of the most exciting parts of wedding planning. If you manage to not even think about it as soon as that ring is slipped on your finger, we recommend finalizing the color scheme by ten to twelve months out from your wedding date. This is because your wedding colors play a role in a lot of different aspects that go along with your wedding. From bridesmaids’ dresses, decorations, stationery, florals, etc. Your color scheme and theme will determine a lot of these choices.
When To Order & Send Invites
When choosing to send your invitations and save the dates, the most important thing to keep in mind is where your guests live. If your guests live in the same country, two to three months out is a safe bet for sending invites. Save the dates are best to send six months out for these guests as well.
Now, it’s much different if your guests live internationally. You want to send save the dates to international guests as soon as you know your wedding date. Yes, that means a year or more out. This ensures that you give your guests plenty of time to save up money and look for plane tickets.
That goes along with invitations. If you have international guests, your timeline speeds up and you’ll also want to send those six months out. This gives plenty of time for them to receive the invite in the mail and for you to receive their RSVP back to you if you’re not doing online RSVPs.
When to Buy Your Wedding Dress
The dress. This is one of the topmost important parts of the wedding day that you’ll absolutely need. No matter what type of dress style you’re going for, you’ll want to buy a wedding dress ahead of time. If you have the privilege of being engaged more than a year from your wedding date, start researching what kind of style you’d like. Then go ahead and book appointments for the first fittings. Once you’ve decided, you want to actually buy the dress at least a year ahead of your wedding.
With lots of variables of what could keep your dress from arriving on time, including the pandemic, this will give you plenty of time. Once the dress arrives, you’ll also have to make time for alterations (possibly multiple rounds) if need be. To avoid the stress of rush orders, ahead of time is the name of the game!
Booking Your Florist: Creating the Perfect Ambiance
Flowers play a pivotal role in defining your wedding’s ambiance. To ensure you have your ideal floral arrangements, begin working with a florist about six to eight months before your wedding. This timing is critical for selecting flowers that match your theme and are available seasonally.
Arranging Hair and Makeup Professionals
Your wedding day look is incomplete without the perfect hair and makeup. Start booking these services at least six months in advance. This allows time for trial sessions to explore different looks and ensures that you and your bridal party will look flawless. Consider the number of people needing these services to plan the day’s schedule effectively.
Timeline for Wedding Attire
Brides should embark on their wedding dress journey about nine to twelve months before the wedding, allowing time for selection, fittings, and alterations. Grooms should aim to start their suit or tuxedo preparations at least six months ahead, ensuring time for tailoring and coordinating with their groomsmen.
Transportation Booking Strategy
Organizing transportation is a crucial element of your wedding logistics. Book your desired mode of transportation, be it a luxurious limo, a vintage car, or a guest shuttle, around five to six months in advance. This is especially important during the high-demand wedding seasons or for special vehicle requests.
Crafting Your Wedding Day Schedule
Finalize your wedding day schedule about three to four months prior. This plan should outline the flow of events from the ceremony to the reception. Sharing this timeline with your vendors is key to a well-orchestrated celebration.
In essence, planning a wedding requires careful attention to timing and details. By managing these essential aspects in advance, you’ll be setting the stage for a beautiful and smoothly run wedding day. Relish the journey to your special day, where all these meticulously planned details come to life.
Complete Weddings + Events Fargo, ND
Complete Weddings + Events offers multiple services to make it easy to reserve your wedding date for the vendors you still need! Contact Complete for availability on needs for your wedding day!