How soon before a wedding should we begin planning?

It depends on how big a spectacle you want. The bigger the spectacle, the more lead time you need. And as you’ve mentioned having a wedding planner, you’re probably aiming at lots of spectacle.

Better to check with a planner now and find out that you don’t have to do anything for a few months than to wait a few months and find out that you should have done something now, isn’t it?

It also depends on what you want from that wedding planner. If you expect them to help you locate a location, caterers, etc, then it should be ASAP, because places and services book up quickly. But if it’s just putting some small touches on the day and making sure it runs smoothly on the actual event, you may still have some time.

I have no idea. I just came to say congratulations!

So glad my wedding was small.

Best of luck to you both. I hope that you are putting as much thought into your lives together after the special day, which is, after all, only a day long.

my wife and I got married august 07. We had about 130 people with different locations for ceremony and reception. And our event budget was 30,000. A lot
of the planning in the early stages was going to different venues with out planner she gave us great advice on picking our location. We started planning in October 06’ and we got done just on time. I hope that helps and get ready for the most stressful 10 months of your life.

The unwritten “rule” is to begin planning about 1 year before the wedding. Depending on where you want to have it and what type of soiree you’re planning, sooner is DEFINITELY better than later. Sometimes you cannot even book a venue if it’s very popular. It’s also good to get your wedding dress in order asap. Often, the dress stores need lots of lead time to order the dress, get it delivered and have alterations done.
Mostly, I suggest getting started because you don’t want to wake up in July realizing you don’t have anything done & have the days & weeks leading up to your wedding be filled with unbearable stress.
That said, I couldn’t agree with gailcalled more. Remember that the wedding is, after all, only one day. Make sure your marriage is more important to you than that one day.

I agree with maggiesmom1. I am a seasoned event planner and always recommend a year in advance if possibl. The least amount of time is nine months. It’s also a great idea to book your wedding at the venue of your choice and send out SAVE THE DATE cards to your guests well in advance (nine months not too soon). This will ensure that guests get your special date in their calendars very early. A great website for planning a wedding is http://theknot.com. Have fun! Relax! Enjoy the planning, the prep and the wedding!