Congratulations! This should have been the first thing I typed!
I found that most things that say you need to have places/people reserved for over a year are aimed at people in high density areas like NYC, or at very popular places.
My husband and I told my parents in the first weeks of February last year. We were married Aug. 3. So, we had less than six months to plan our spectacular
wedding with around 200 guests. We had no problem getting exactly what we wanted within that time frame--and really, in less than that since we didn't start immediately.
My mother was a big, big help--in fact, she did most of the work.
Since you have plenty of time, I would say that you should start going through wedding magazines and looking at ideas for your bouquet, reception, hair, cake, colors, invitations, etc. Talk to your fiance about your budget, what kind of reception you want to have (light finger foods, heavy finger foods, sit-down meal as well as where you would like to have the reception and ceremony--church, garden, field, chapel, etc.). You have plenty of time to think about your registry, where you would like to go on your honeymoon, what kind of music you would like to have played at the ceremony and reception, trying on plenty of dresses to find the right style for you and shopping around.
Wow! That's quite a list. It seems kind of overwhelming, and it is! But when you know what you want, it's not so bad. I'd just start talking and looking right now. Before you buy a wedding planner, go to your local library and look at their selection of wedding books. They can give you ideas and you could even make copies of any planning pages they have. Martha Stewart Living Weddings also has a checklist/timeline in each issue, as well as suggestions for your registry.
--tibac
