Planning a wedding is a delicate balance of patience and promptness. Whether you’ve chosen to work with a wedding coordinator or are organizing the Big Day yourself, being able to hire vendors at the right time is an important step to understand. In order to help you make those decisions in time to ensure you get what you want, we at Savvy Chair Covers have got a few things for you to consider.

1. Vendors can usually be grouped into one of two categories: single service or multiple service. Those that offer single services usually only book one couple per day; think DJ, officiant, coordinator, venue, caterer, photographer, and officiant. Multiple service vendors are those that can take on more than one couple per day in categories such as cake baker, seamstress, hair and makeup, florist, wedding supply rentals, and transportation. If you have a preference for a vendor in the single service group, chances are you will need to book several months earlier than those that can handle more than one event per day in order to secure your choice. If choosing a specific single service vendor is of paramount importance, don’t hesitate to book those first and fill in the blanks with multiple service vendors as you go. But don’t take for granted that multiple service vendors will fill up quickly as well so hiring them no less than 4-6 months out is best.
2. The more popular your date, the earlier you should book. This goes back to the old rule of supply and demand. If you know that you want to book with a vendor in high demand seasons such as May/June and Sept/Oct, make your deadline about 9-12 months in advance or more. Some couples choose to determine their wedding date based on the availability of one or more of their preferred vendors and have booked over a year in advance to make it happen.
3. Group your vendors. Look for vendors that might offer several of the services that you’re looking for such as a co-op type company that handles, for instance, coordinating/design/rentals/DJ services. Often these are appropriately priced and decrease the amount of paperwork and stress as you prepare for your wedding. Maybe the cake lady also does catering or her son/husband is in the business of transportation. Ask around and see if there are packages or partnerships that would benefit you.
4. Understand that booking sooner often increases the time you have to second guess your choices. This is typical buyers remorse. While there is no easy way to alleviate this, doing your homework to know exactly what you want and don’t want will ease the pain over time. And in those instances in which you absolutely must have the newest or coolest, don’t hesitate to call your vendor and discuss options. However, this may also mean that deposits are forfeited or other charges may be incurred.
5. Book when you have the financial means to do so. There is no worse fate than a bride who has her eye set on her preferred vendor and books without understanding the pricing tiers, deposits, or cost of add-ons. Ask to see the vendor’s contract beforehand and prepare yourself financially.

While hiring vendors can be both exciting and scary, we hope that our list of considerations will help you to understand when to hire your wedding vendors. At Savvy Chair Covers, we want to ensure you have the timelines and the insight to make these important decisions at the right time.