When to book your wedding vendors is one of the most popular questions I get asked as a Wedding Photographer in Alberta. My answer is always the same, “As soon as possible!” The wedding industry is unique in the sense that vendors are typically booked 18-24 months in advance. That means that in January of 2025 our summer of 2026 wedding books are open and being booked. The 2025 wedding season is usually already closed for booking(give or take a few lucky dates). So the best timeline for reserving your favourite vendors is always right away to ensure you can get your desired vendors still available for your wedding day.
It takes roughly 18-24 months to properly plan and book wedding vendors for a large wedding day. That means that once you get engaged, the planning process begins! Now, there are steps to take as soon as you get engaged which I have gone over and detailed in a previous post that you can find here.
Let’s dive into the best timeline for when to book your wedding vendors.
Venue: 18-24 months
The first thing you want to secure is your venue. Whether it is a church and a reception space or a venue that is all in one, you will want to book this as soon as possible to secure a date. It seems crazy that venues tend to book up to 2 years in advance, but there are many brides running into the issue of their desired date already being booked. Some of the higher end more desired venues in Central Alberta are booking into 2026/2027 as we speak! So it is important to book your wedding venue right away after your get engaged.
Planner: 12-18 Months
If you are hiring a planner, this is the next step! You’ll want to book them around the same time that your venues are booked. Maybe even before if you want them to take the lead and help in the search for your dream wedding venue. Planners have an incredible eye for detail! And they know A LOT about weddings in the Red Deer Alberta area. They can make your visions and dreams for your wedding day come to life. My go to girl is Megan at Opal and Oak Events to help you plan your perfect day!
Photographer and Videographer: 12-18 Months
As a wedding photographer in Alberta, my 2026 books are open as of January 2025. Majority of my brides book about 18 months out from their wedding day. Once you have booked your wedding venue and confirmed your wedding date you can then book your wedding photographer. Your wedding photographer is one of the biggest decisions you will make. I have written a full blog post about how to narrow down that decision HERE.
Florist: 12 Months
I know I am partial (because flowers are probably my FAVORITE part of the wedding day), but I think florals are something you shouldn’t skimp on. And good florists book up fast! One of the best in Red Deer Alberta is Travis at Calyx Floral Design. Your florist will help fulfill your vision, and your reception with delicate and luxurious blooms that your guests will rave about long after your wedding is over.
Wedding Dress: 12 Months
Time to book a ladies shopping day and schedule appointments at multiple dress shops to find “The Dress”. Book lunch and enjoy some mimosas with your girls. This is also a great time to have your bridesmaids try on some dresses as well. Dresses need to be ordered in your size(unless you buy off the sale rack) this can take 6-8 months for you dress to come in. After that, any alterations that need to be done should happen right away. Alterations can pile up in the summer months during peak seasons due to last minute brides coming in with alterations so don’t be that bride and make sure you get your alterations started right away. The sooner the better when it comes to the dress!
One of my favourite Local to Red Deer Dress shops in the Hello Beautiful Bridal Boutique. The ladies there are so sweet and helpful you will not be disappointed!
Catering: 12 Months
If your venue doesn’t offer in-house catering or if you are deciding to do specialty catering, this is something else you’ll want to nail down early. Specialty catering includes things like fun dessert stations or food trucks.
DJ/Band: 12 Months
This is another important one! The DJ/Band totally sets the tone of your reception and also helps the reception flow. And Klay at Klay Tate Productions is by far one of the best in the business! If you want a Party with a capital P – THIS IS YOUR TEAM. Klay also offer MC services that are so unique and special to each wedding. He takes the time to get to know each couple and make things as personal as possible.
Hair and Make-up: 10-12 Months
This is probably one of the most debated “when to book” wedding vendors in the industry. The answer may be different for everyone but in my experience, hair and makeup is something that you want to book farther in advance than most wedding planning timelines suggest. 2022 Wedding season was one of the busiest in the industry and I had multiple brides who left their hair and make-up bookings to the last 3 months and were stuck booking from WAY out of town or ended up having to do their own hair and make-up. Since we never know what to expect I like to recommend getting this booked sooner rather than later. You can even book your make up trial for the day of your engagement session and have your make-up done for your photos.
Tux/Suits: 8-10 Months
This is another vendor that is debated on when to book. Since most guys need to have adjustments made to their suits it is good to book this sooner rather than later. Most places need to order in sizes and this can take several months depending on where you go. Since getting all the groomsmen together and this being a task mainly planned by the groom. It’s a good idea to give them lots of extra time to get this sorted out.
Custom Invitations: 8-10 Months
Many people get confused about the difference between Save the Dates and Wedding Invitations. Your save the dates are literally simple and only specify your wedding date. Those can be sent out as soon as you have your wedding date confirm and venue booked. Your wedding invitations typically have a lot more to them and there are many options from where to order these from. Custom invitations are so special! Having linen paper or high quality invites are so special! This is one of few tangible items that you can take home from your wedding day and have framed and displayed afterwards. Petite Paperie Design Co. does beautiful work and I cannot recommend them enough. Having your invitations custom made calso make for beautiful flat lay photos from your photographer.
Rentals/Decor: 8-10 Months
This is another that has a little leeway with booking. The team at Copper Cloud Events say the sooner the better so they can get your counts reserved and insure that the décor you want will be in stock. Plus it’s really fun to go to their warehouse and see all the stunning décor to make all your wedding dreams come true!
Cake: 8 Months
Cake tasting! Probably the best part of wedding planning! Bakers are recommending contacting them and setting up your tasting no later than 8 months before your wedding date. They fill up fast and only take a maximum number of cakes per weekend. So be sure to reach out and get those tastings scheduled!
Officiant: 6-8 Months
Officiants can be hard to find in general, so if you don’t have one at the church or you don’t have someone in your life that you’d like to marry you, finding an officiant around 6-9 months out is perfect! Also, if you’re looking for a fun and more personal touch for your wedding ceremony, having a friend or family member be your officiant is so special! It takes 5 mins online to register and could not be more of a simple process. Definitely something to consider if you are wanting a more personal ceremony feel.
There are lots of other little things to consider when planning a wedding, like transportation, hotel rooms and favors. The best advice I can give is to book all the things that will take time to prepare or find or could potentially be booked if you wait too long. So getting everything reserved as soon as possible is always the best plan.
I love helping my brides walk through this wedding planning journey. And that includes helping them book the best wedding vendors for their wedding day. It is a lot and can be very overwhelming. That is why I never want my brides to feel alone in their wedding planning process. If you are ready to book a photographer who will walk with you through it all then feel free to reach out today and reserve your wedding date!
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