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Most couples book their venue first and their photographer second, and photographers in a popular area go about twelve months ahead.

That’s based on real UK data from Bridebook’s 10th annual UK Wedding Report, covering 7,000 couples. Congratulations on beginning your wedding planning.

I can create a month-by-month plan with your own real dates; all I need is even a rough wedding year. What budget would you feel comfortable working with?

Of course — we’ll leave money out of the conversation unless you choose to bring it back in. We can focus on the feel of the day, practical decisions and what needs doing next.

What year are you hoping to get married? Once you’re ready, I can also find venues and suppliers in the area where you’ll be celebrating.

Start with three foundations: the kind of day you want, a rough wedding year, and your guest-list shape. You don’t need every detail yet — once those are clear, the venue becomes much easier to judge.

For now, picture whether you’re leaning towards something intimate or lively, relaxed or formal, and indoor, outdoor, or a mixture. Then the practical next step is choosing the year, because it determines what needs attention first.

What year, even approximately, are you considering? I can then create a month-by-month plan with your real dates, without bringing budget into it.

A few early choices will make everything else easier:

• Ceremony: civil, religious, humanist or another format — this affects venues and legal arrangements.
• Guest shape: an approximate size, plus anyone whose attendance is essential.
• Date flexibility: whether you have one preferred date, a season, or several options.
• Your priorities: choose the two things you most want guests to remember, such as food, music, photography or atmosphere.
• Practical needs: accessibility, accommodation, travel distance and whether children are invited.

You don’t need firm answers yet. Once you have a rough year and celebration area, I can find venues and suppliers that fit; the area is all I’d need for that.