Why Your Wedding Timeline Matters (and When to Book Your Vendors)

Spoiler alert: Wedding magic doesn’t just happen. It’s crafted—over months (sometimes years!)—with thoughtful planning, amazing vendors, and maybe just a little spreadsheet therapy.

If you're newly engaged and staring down a 12–18 month timeline, you're in the sweet spot. That gives you the time and space to be selective, intentional, and totally in love with your wedding-day team. But if your timeline is shorter, don’t worry—there’s still plenty of joy (and good vendors!) to be found. You might just need to be a little more flexible... and maybe a tiny bit bold.

Let’s break it down.

🎯 Why the Timeline Matters

Booking early = more choices, less stress.

Vendors who specialize in weddings often book out 12–18 months ahead—especially if you’re planning for a spring or fall Saturday (aka: wedding prime time). The earlier you start, the more likely you’ll get your dream team on your date.

But beyond just snagging popular vendors, a solid timeline helps you:

• Stay on budget

• Avoid rushed decisions

• Allow time for design and customization

• Actually enjoy the planning process (imagine that!)

  
  

📌 Who to Book First (Like… Right Away)

Think of these as your wedding-day anchors—the folks whose availability often determines your actual date.

1. Venue

Your venue sets the tone for everything else. Once you have a space and a date, everything else (photography, florals, catering, etc.) falls into place.

Hot tip: Venues book fast, especially those with beautiful indoor/outdoor options. (Looking at you, Georgia weather.)

2. Photographer (Hi, it’s me!)

Most wedding photographers book about a year in advance—sometimes more. If you love someone’s work, reach out as soon as your date is locked in. Your photographer will be with you all day long (longer than your DJ, longer than your cake…), so you want someone who feels like a friend and delivers the kind of images you want to cherish forever.

3. Planner / Coordinator

Even if you’re a DIY bride with a Pinterest board for everything, a planner or day-of coordinator can save you stress, vendor confusion, and 3am “Did I forget something?” panic.

4. Stationer

If you’re dreaming of custom-designed invitations, calligraphy, or fine art paper goods, book your stationer early so you have time for design, proofs, printing, and mailing (yes, people still do that—and it’s so worth it).

5. Hair + Makeup Artists

You want artists who get your style and make you feel amazing. The best ones are in high demand, so schedule trials and lock them in early.

🕊️ Planning on a Shorter Timeline?

You can absolutely plan a beautiful wedding in less than a year—sometimes even just a few months! But you’ll need to:

• Be flexible on your date and day of the week (Fridays and Sundays are your friends)

• Consider non-peak seasons or non-traditional venues

• Reach out to vendors directly—sometimes they have unexpected openings or cancellations

• Trust your vendors to help you streamline the process

💡 Final Thoughts

Whether you’ve got 18 months or 8 weeks, your wedding can be incredible. But the earlier you start booking your key vendors, the more freedom and joy you’ll have in the process.

And if you're not sure where to begin, I’m always happy to be your wedding planning sidekick: camera in hand, iced tea nearby. Let’s make this thing unforgettable. 💖

P.S. Need a starting place? I’d love to chat about your date, your dream photos, and how I can help. Contact Me Here