One of the first questions you'll ask in your wedding planning journey is how far in advance should I book my wedding venue. It's such a highly asked question, in fact, that you'll find an abundance of answers on the internet. This can therefore make the process seem a bit more daunting. How do I know which source to trust? How early is too early? Well, dear friends, never fret. Like a trusty steed, we are here to help you out. We'll be going over what you should be picking first, how early you should aim for, what is the average for the UK, and why booking early/late can be beneficial for you. As always, we're here to make your planning journey as smooth as possible. 

How far in advance should you book a wedding venue? Your questions - answered! 

What should I pick first - a wedding date, or a venue?

Great question! It goes without saying that your venue is going to be a massive part of your wedding as a whole. There's little in this journey as magical as finding YOUR venue, and knowing your day simply has to take place there. That's why it's made even more frustrating when the venue you've found is completely booked up. If you have a preferred date, this means you might be unlucky when it comes to reserving a spot. If you do have a specific date in mind, we advise that you look well over a year in advance. This not only ensures that you get the date you want, but it also gives you a lot of time for planning. If you're more flexible about your date, then you can allow the availability of venues to decide for you. 

There are a few other things to bear in mind here, too. Your date can vary a lot depending on your preferences and needs. Getting a head start on your venue hunt is important, especially if you want to get married during peak seasons, like summer. Also, if you are planning on hosting your wedding on a common wedding day, like Saturday, best to book in advance. Surprise surprise - a Saturday in Summer is a very popular wedding slot to book. So make sure to book, at LEAST a year in advance, to get your place saved. We don't make the rules! Just advise on them. 

How early is too early when I book a wedding venue?

Speaking candidly, you can't really book your wedding venue too early. That being said, however, booking five years in advance may be a tad overkill. That is, unless, the venue is highly, highly competitive to get into. We advise you to have a big think about your wide-scale wedding timeline before jumping on the venue hunt the minute your engagement ring is placed on your finger. Do you know how long you want to be engaged? How much time do you need to efficiently plan your wedding, alongside your job/other life things? 

After you've got a good idea of when your big day will take place, start visiting venues. Don't forget to ask these venues a lot of questions to ensure you know absolutely everything you have to. Generally speaking, it doesn't hurt to start venue shopping early on. Doing online research will make the process a lot easier. At the end of the day, it's all about balance.

What's the average on how far in advance to book your wedding venue?

This is a little trickier to answer because a lot of different things have to be put into perspective. Whether you're flexible about your date or have a specific date in mind, where you're getting married, what kind of venue, etc. But generally speaking, for couples who are more flexible about their wedding date, the average is about 9-12 months in advance. 

We must stress that this is just a general time frame, and it absolutely does not mean you can't find your ideal venue in less time than that. That being said, it also means you might not be able to find your perfect place available in the next 12 months. It could be well over a year. As we said, it's very much dependent on the venue, location, time of the year, etc. For example, a more unusual wedding venue is probably less likely to be booked up so far in advance than a country house wedding venue. 

Why should I book my wedding venue earlier rather than later?

This might seem fairly self-explanatory. However, for couples who have a less rigid planning timeline, it's important to stress the importance of booking in advance. Booking a wedding venue in advance gives you plenty of time to plan your wedding more thoroughly. Suppliers, florals, photographers, videographers, etc... Because some venues will offer all of these as part of their package, choosing your venue first will make planning these other parts of your wedding much easier. You can get your theme down to a T, your accessories sorted and your stationery crafted, all whilst knowing your venue has been decided. It also means you can map your theme and other suppliers around the vibe of your venue for more coherence. 

Now you know when to book a wedding venue - now it's time to start the rest of your planning journey!

Hopefully, you now feel more confident about when you should start booking your venue. As we mentioned above, our primary role here is to ensure your planning journey goes as smoothly as possible. And without tooting our own horns, we pride ourselves on this ability. If you want a better look at some weddings that didn't cost the earth (including their venues!) then our article on weddings under 10K is sure to be helpful. Another big part of the planning journey is securing your photographer - and luckily, our podcast episode on wedding photography is a great listen, and very informative. We promise!