WE LIVE IN USA
The big three to secure early: venue, photographer, hair and makeup: because they can only take one booking a day
Wedding vendors fall into two categories: those who can serve multiple couples in a single day, and those who can only take one couple a day. It is the latter group you need to rush to book.
Why these three categories?
An invitation printer can print a hundred sets a day, and a florist can deliver flowers for five weddings a day. Butvenues, wedding photographers, and bridal hair and makeup artistscannot. They can only be in one place on your wedding day.
That is why popular dates get booked up a year in advance. They are not playing hard to get, there really is physically only one spot available. For American weddings, plus catering and DJ, it is also strictly one couple a day.
So the priority is pretty clear:Once your date is set, go snap up these three to five categories right away, and you can take your time with the rest.
When to start
Before the wedding date 12 to 18 months. Peak season (May–October) plus Saturdays needs to be even earlier.
If you are less than twelve months away from your wedding date, don't panic. You will just have fewer options and need to make decisions faster. A more effective approach in this situation isto let the vendors decide the date instead: first find the photographer you really want, ask them which days they are still free, and pick from those days.
Changing the date is the most effective way to save money
Winter, Fridays, or Sundays can commonly save you 20–30%. This is the industry norm, but it varies greatly by region and venue, so rely on actual quotes.
But saving money is only half of it. The other half isHaving choicesIf you pick an off-peak date, you can book venues and photographers that you wouldn't stand a chance of getting during peak season. For anyone on a budget who really cares about quality, this trick works better than cutting any single expense.
The reality of deposits
All three of these require a deposit, anddeposits are almost always non-refundable. So before paying, make sure to confirm two things first:
- Is the date truly set?Can family and friends make it? Does it clash with someone else's wedding? Can you sort out visas and taking time off? If you pay a deposit before clearing these up, changing the date later means forfeiting the entire deposit.
- What do the cancellation terms in the contract say?Make sure "how much we lose at most if we cancel" is spelled out as a specific number. You should also check what to do "if the other party cancels or cannot fulfill the contract" (see item 125 on the checklist).
Once you lock it in, don't just leave it sitting there.
Booking doesn't mean you are completely safe. Reconfirm these three types of vendors before the wedding: double-check the venue (see item 45 on the checklist), give the photographer a shot list, and do a trial with your hair and makeup artist. Paying the deposit without aligning on the details can still cause problems.
In short
First figure out which vendors can only take one booking per day and snag those first. If your date is flexible, moving it to an off-peak time can save you a significant amount of money and give you much better options.