If you just got engaged and you feel ready to dig your heels into the wedding planning process, it’s time to go for it!

First things first;

Set your Date, mark it on every calendar with big, bold type, “Wedding Day” now it is set in stone—this is now the North Star of your wedding plans, and everything you do from here on out should be gravitating toward this day.

After, and only after you've set your date, you can start booking your Venue, and all the other professional services you will need to put this shing-dig together!

Here is a list of the services you will be needing in addition to the order in which is best to hire them!

Venue;

At least one year before you say I-do, this is crucial to having the date you want, most popular venues can be booked up a year or more in advance.

Professional Photography;

Booking your photographer earlier is smart because the best ones are worth every penny, and most popular dates book up months in advance, also photography studios are commonly a small team so once your date is booked that is the only wedding they can do that day.

DJ/Band;

DJ’s book up fast, there are a lot of DJ’s that work for entertainment companies these days, and they may have the option to book multiple gigs on the same day but if you have a liking to a particular DJ/Band guaranteed someone else does too, so hiring them as soon as possible is your safest option.

Video Production;

These professionals tend to be hired late in the planning process; (this is what I have been hearing from my video friends in the industry) but unfortunately if you want great work and your vision captured well you will want to build a relationship with your video crew long before your wedding date so they have time to put together a slideshow or anything else that you may want to show off during your reception.

Florist;

Small man shops, remember to book them early, so they have your date open, and keep in mind if you are getting married around a popular holiday, hire them even sooner, oh my!

Wedding Cake;

I have the luxury of eating wedding cake almost every weekend :) and believe me there is a difference in taste and quality, so although you may have a bit more time in hiring this vendor, give yourself enough time to shop and taste around!

Remember, there’s no official wedding timeline out there that you have to stick to. If you want to be engaged for three years, go for it! You shouldn’t start this step until you’re ready to devote the time, money and effort it takes to plan the wedding of your dreams. Otherwise, sit back, relax, and enjoy the engagement, lovers!