When to Book Wedding Suppliers for Your Big Day

Booking your wedding vendors shouldn’t be about checking off an item on your to-do list, it should be about getting the best professionals before their calendar fills up. Your wedding is one of the most important celebrations of your life, and every single detail from the cake to the music plays a role in making it a dream come true.

The short answer to when you should book your wedding suppliers is as early as possible. Ideally, you should aim for 12-18 months before your wedding date, especially if it falls during a peak season. Some vendors, like your website designer can be booked closer to the wedding date. In the end, the best time to book your wedding supplier depends on their demand and your wedding date, but the earlier the better.

Entertainment is an essential vendor that should be secured early because a party without music is like a cake without its frosting – something’s missing. Whether you’re looking for a live band or a DJ, LIV Entertainment is here to bring the perfect vibe to your big day. Book now to get the best musical experience on your big day.

Wedding Vendor Booking Timeline

You get the best options without the hassle of last-minute booking when you secure your wedding vendor ahead of time. Some vendors, like wedding photographers and your wedding venue, should be secured early, while others, like your wedding cake baker, can be booked closer to your big day. Here’s a quick breakdown:

12-18 months: Venue, planner, photographer, entertainment, caterer.

6-9 months: Florist, hair & makeup, officiant, transportation.

3-6 months: Wedding attire, cake baker, stationery, rentals, website designer.

Now that you know when to book these vendors, let’s get into why you have to book them this early.

Top 5 Wedding Vendors to Book First And Why

These five vendors should be at the top of your list, especially during peak wedding seasons, because they tend to book out fast. To get your first pick and avoid availability issues, it’s best to book them 12-18 months in advance. Plus, they’re so essential that it’s difficult to move on with other aspects of your wedding plan without them.

Wedding Venue

Your reception venue is the foundation of your wedding day. Without it, it’s difficult to finalize dates and themes or even book other vendors. Popular venues get booked a year or more in advance, so don’t waste a minute more.

The biggest advantage to booking your venue in advance is that it helps you lower costs by giving you multiple options within your budget to choose from. Last minute bookings tend to come at higher rates whereas, early reservations could give you access to discounts or flexible payment plans.

Plus, you can’t finalize other wedding details like decoration and catering without a venue. There’d be no hall for the decorations, no space for your caterers to setup and serve, and no address to include on the invitations. Essentially, everything hinges on finding and securing your wedding venue as early as possible! It’s only after you have secured a venue can the actual preparations begin.

Wedding Photographer and Videographer

Wedding photos and videos capture the most magical moment of your celebration for a lifetime, so don’t wait too long to book a wedding photographer. The best of them get booked quickly, especially if they’re famous for their breathtaking engagement photos and wedding films.

Working with a skilled professional behind the camera guarantees every special moment will be beautifully captured. Securing a photographer early gives you a chance to work with someone whose style matches your vision.

Wedding Caterer

Another major part of any event, not just a wedding reception, is the food, so choosing a wedding caterer early guarantees you have enough time for tasting and menu adjustments. You wouldn’t want to be stuck with limited food options because you waited too long. And just like every other supplier on this list, experienced caterers book out well in advance.

Wedding Planner/Coordinator

A wedding planner helps guide you through the entire planning process, keeping everything on track and stress-free. They’ll help you sort out your wedding budget, coordinate other wedding vendors, and much more. Additionally, for anyone planning a destination wedding, a wedding planner is a MUST! Scheduling your coordinator on time gives them ample time to understand your vision and bring it to life.

Wedding Entertainment

Your entertainment sets the mood for the entire wedding celebration. It doesn’t matter what musician you plan on hiring, from DJs to string quartets, making an early reservation will help you get the best in the business.

And one of the best wedding entertainment vendors you can get in LA is LIV Entertainment. Whether you want to enjoy live music or hire an expert DJ to keep the party going, we’ve got you covered. Book your entertainment today!

Vendors to Book 6-9 Months Before Your Wedding

Now that you’ve locked in the major players let’s move on to the next set of vendors to book. For your peace of mind, these suppliers should be booked at least 6-9 months before your wedding date.

Wedding Florist

Flowers bring your wedding vision to life but securing them can be stressful and even expensive. Seasonal blooms that aren’t available locally have to be sourced from afar and this drives up costs. Booking a florist early gives them the time needed to source your preferred flowers for your theme.

Flowers are a significant wedding expense, depending on your arrangement, the type of flowers, and the size of your venue, you could quickly go above your budget. A general rule of thumb is to allocate 10% of your overall budget to flowers.

Hair Stylist and Makeup Artist

Unless you plan to skip hair and makeup on your wedding day, it’s important to secure your spot with a hairstylist and makeup artist early. Doing this will allow you to schedule a trial run to ensure they can create a look you’d love for your wedding day.

Another perk of booking this vendor early is having the option to work with them throughout your wedding journey. Some brides prefer to stick with the same stylist from their bridal shower to their wedding day. You don’t have to do this, but if you do, you’ll enjoy consistency in each look. Plus, it makes the entire process easier and personalized.

Officiant/Registrar

It doesn’t matter if you’re having a religious or secular ceremony, your wedding can’t happen without an officiant. Picking your officiant early gives you enough time to understand their requirements. For instance, some officiants will require you to go through some pre-wedding counseling, and others may be willing to help you customize your vows. Whatever the case, if you don’t prearrange for their services ahead of time, you may have rush through important preparations like your vows just to make things work.

Transportation

Whether you plan to hire a limousine, a shuttle service, or a vintage car, confirming transportation details well in advance means you get the best options available. Waiting too long will either have you paying premium rates, working with limited choices, or both!

Vendors to Book 3-6 Months Before Your Wedding

Ideally, at this stage, you’d have already snagged your essential vendors before their calendars filled up. Now, we can move on to the details that add the finishing touch to any wedding.

Wedding Cake Baker/Cake Designer

Your wedding cake doubles as a centerpiece. Whether you’re opting for a minimalist design or an elegant multi-tiered cake, your cake plays a star role in your wedding reception. And let’s not forget that most brides dream of that iconic cake-cutting moment captured in their wedding photos. The most important reason to book your baker early is to give you enough time for tasting and design adjustments. Remember that custom cakes take time.

Wedding Website Designer

Couples today are using websites as tools for keeping their guests informed. With them, you can share important details such as your wedding venue, schedule, engagement photos, and more. You don’t want to leave this until the last minute because a good website takes time to build.

Starting your website late could mean using a generic template instead of one customized for your wedding. Furthermore, poorly designed websites make it difficult to manage RSVPs and other logistics. The best websites make it easy for your guests to stay up to date on all details from travel and accommodation to the dress code.

Stationary (Wedding Invitations and More)

Like your website, your invitations are another tool to get the word out about your wedding. These usually go out 6-8 weeks before the wedding, and save the dates, have to go out even earlier than that. You want to start this on time because last-minute changes can be costly and even lead to mistakes. Invitations require multiple revisions and proofreading before finally printing them for a flawless finish.

Rental Services

You might not need a full reception setup; perhaps you just need a few extra pieces to elevate your decor. Whatever the case, renting in advance is key to making your wedding venue look stunning. Late bookings could leave you with options that don’t match your wedding theme. Remember that high-demand items like chairs can get booked out months before your wedding. Plus, confirming this arrangement on time helps you finalize your layout, ensuring everything fits your reception perfectly. 

Wedding Attire

Your wedding attire is more than just clothes, it’s a statement, and one of the most photographed details of your big day. It doesn’t matter if your eyes are set on a classic ball gown, a sleek modern dress, or a custom-made suit, you’re expected to reserve your tailor before they’re fully booked.

Ordering a wedding dress can take months, and the alterations could take even longer. Most brides will need multiple fittings before their dress is good to go. Securing your spot early gives you enough time to handle all these adjustments instead of squeezing them into tight timelines.

Another reason to book your dress/suit this early is because the best in the game get booked early. If you wait too long they may not be available to take your order. You might even have to pay higher fees for options you don’t like that much.

What to Do If You Miss a Booking Date

If you missed your booking date, don’t panic just yet. Breathe. It happens to the best of us. The good news is that there’s a way to get around it.

Step 1 – Evaluate the Situation

What vendor did you miss? Can the wedding still happen without them? Some vendors, like your florist, are a lot harder to secure at the last minute than others, like a rental company. So you should start with determining their impact on your wedding day.

Step 2 – Expand Your Search

You’ve probably already tried to secure a new date with your vendor but couldn’t. Don’t panic, consider:

• Checking for cancellations if you haven’t already. Sometimes, other couples change plans, and spots open up.

• Asking them for referrals since most vendors have a network of trusted colleagues they can recommend.

• Adjusting your wedding date slightly to meet up.

Step 3 – Adjust Your Budget

One of the reasons we’ve been emphasizing booking early is because it helps you save costs. But now that you’re going to be making a last-minute booking, you definitely want to adjust your budget to accommodate the higher costs that come with doing this.

Step 4 – Consider a Package Deal

More vendors are starting to offer bundled services that include multiple aspects of wedding planning. These options save time and hassle when booking late.

The bottom line is that missing a date isn’t the end of the world. With some quick thinking you can still pull off your dream wedding.

Secure the Best Wedding Entertainment for Your Big Day!

Any kind of planning, especially wedding planning, can feel like a whirlwind, and if we’re being honest– this list doesn’t cover every vendor out there. But when you lock in the essentials first, you set yourself up for a smooth celebration.

And when it comes to essentials, entertainment is right at the top of the list. If you want your guests to remember your wedding day, give special attention to the music you’ll play. Whether it’s a wedding band for your reception or a live singer during cocktail hour, entertainment needs to be at the top of your list – ideally 12-18 months ahead.

Great news-we’re at your service. LIV Entertainment brings live bands that get everyone on their feet and DJs who know how to read a crowd. Ready to book entertainment that makes your wedding unforgettable? Let’s make it happen!