How early is too early to plan your wedding?

You and I haven’t really discussed much about the wedding, however, when you work in weddings, you see a lot. And you gain so much experience just from watching.

This is not only a blessing but a curse, because I’ve seen the best of the best.

And it’s made me seriously judgemental.

I critique every detail - and I am a details person.

I also have to remind myself that the decisions I make are not (or should not) referred to as “I” but “We.”

But even with that awareness, I still find myself saying to my fiancé: “You don’t understand. This will work. That won’t.”

And as much as he does understand - and he really does…he also gets a choice.

So let’s begin with the doubts.

You see so many posts about trusting your instincts. And when we booked our venue, we had so many little signs that confirmed it was the right one.

However… they want us to work internally with a planner I’ve never heard of.

The pros? She’s Italian. She can speak to all the vendors in their native tongue. Her work online looks unreal—but of course you’re only ever going to post the best stuff, right? Her reviews are glowing, truly beautiful testimonials from past clients.

But.

She doesn’t speak much English. Though we’re not her first British couple, and with all the Italian lessons I’ve been investing in, I’m hoping I’ll be able to communicate—even if it’s just “yes” and “no” for a while.

The second con is that no one in my industry has heard of her. And I know a lot of people in the industry. But then again… I can’t afford the planners I work with. The ones I’ve seen orchestrate multi-million pound weddings in Lake Como, in Ibiza, in Paris. I’m sitting here writing this after doing a wedding in Texas in the actual Toyota Center for the Rockets founder, mind blown.

So maybe this is me adjusting my own expectations.

And thirdly, there’s my instinct.

That little voice saying, “Are you sure?”

But maybe I am just being fussy. Some people would say trust your gut. Others would say stop overthinking it.

And honestly, I question everything, even marriage, when things get hard.

But that’s the beauty of life, isn’t it? The hard moments make the good ones that much sweeter. The stress, the worry, the panic… they make the laughter mean more.

So now I’m sat with the question:

Do I go with a British planner who speaks English and comes with credentials? Or do I trust this Italian woman might just be the hidden gem no one in the UK wedding world knows about yet?

I mean, it took me years to get my name out there. No one knew who I was in the beginning. And I always say I’m only as good as my prep.

But if there’s one thing I’ve learned from all the weddings I’ve worked, it’s this: preparation is everything.

When I DJ’d a wedding in Texas for the founder of the Rockets, at the actual Toyota Center (still can’t believe that happened) the amount of prep that went into every second was next level. And let me tell you, it wasn’t glamorous. It wasn’t Pinterest boards and dress fittings. It was spreadsheets, logistics, endless back-and-forth emails, double-checking plug sockets, re-checking the weather forecast. The magic? That only shows up because someone’s been behind the scenes making it happen.

So when friends say, “It’s a year and a half away, you’ve got loads of time”

my go-to answer is: you think that… until you don’t.

I don’t want to spend my glow-up year stressing over whether my perfectly thought-out details are going to be ignored because the planner’s too busy to care this far in advance.

But then, I check myself.

Because I know what it’s like. When someone sends me their music requests two months before their party, I smile and say thank you—but I’ve got 25 events between now and then, and I’ll probably open that document three days before the event.

The difference is… I’m the DJ. Not the planner.

And maybe that’s the bit I need to sit with.

If there’s one thing I learned during my failed residency at Coalition—it’s that preparation is everything.

So to any brides out there who are in this same limbo—or anyone who’s been through it and made it out the other side, please, comment below and tell me it’s all going to be okay.

Tell me I don’t have to know everything yet.

Tell me choosing a planner isn’t the be-all and end-all.

Tell me there’s no such thing as “too early”—just “right for you.”

Because I’m learning that sometimes the hardest part of planning a wedding… is letting go enough to enjoy it.

But the best part right at this moment is the fact i’ve found the friggin dress. May not be in style in a year and half but I said I do to the dress and couldn’t be more certain of that little detail. Is that saying something?

‘Time Will Tell’

Jamie x