Wedding vendors typically are booked as follows:
Jeweller
Venue
Photographer/Videographer
The other vendors - celebrant, cake, dress, suit, flowers, and so on - are usually booked after the first three are locked in. Having said that, some venues will provide you with a shortlist of dates to take to your photographer and increase the chance of everyone being available.
5 hours or more of coverage
We recommend booking in your photographer(s) as soon as you have a date/it is up to 18 months from your wedding date. In fact, we recommend booking in any vendor you have your heart set on as soon as possible! Some months are busier than others and should be booked in… well, yesterday (for example, the spring & autumn months). More specifically, some dates are more popular than others (Saturdays in September will always be busier than Mondays in January, for example). We shoot only one wedding/day. On average, couples tend to book between 9-12 months before the date. There is no point spending hours narrowing down your research to your favourite photographer and then postponing reaching out to them. Furthermore, photographer(s) are usually really well connected and can give you direction with other vendors, too, and potentially save you time. We were recently asked to provide recommendations for a celebrant, catering, dj, dress, & florist; we were happy to pass on details.
Elopements/less than 5 hours of coverage
We recommend booking in approximately 3-6 months before your date. (We have booked with weeks to spare previously so it does not hurt to ask; your date just might be available. In an ideal world, we like enough time to fit in an in-person chat to meet you and so that you have a chance to meet us! We can also learn about your priorities so that we have all the information we need before capturing your day.)