When Is The Right Time?

Although the 2009 wedding season is just getting started and plenty of brides are confirming their vendors for this year, just as many 2010 brides are also lining up their planning calendars, making appointments and crossing items of their to-do lists.
The common question is: When is the right time to order your cake?
My answer? It's never too early.

More and more couples are wanting to pay for their wedding as they go along, to not carry a credit card balance well past the event date. Thus the early planning for next season. But is it ever wrong to sign contracts and places deposits this far ahead?
I think it depends on your personality. Certainly, it's always good to make phone calls to understand services offered and prices to help establish what your budget could be. At that point, you can start to make decisions about what is most important and has to be part of your event, what has room to be adjusted or compromised, and what could be eliminated without pangs of disappointment if the budget won't stretch that far.

Now you decide how comfortable you are with making final choices for vendors. With my cakes, the signing of the contract and 25% deposit hold your date, your time of delivery and the price per slice. If you are booking your cake several months to a year ahead, this will protect you from any price increase. The details of the cake including shape, flavor and design are completely free to change up until about 1 month before your event.

Many vendors only accept a certain number of events a weekend, so if you don't confirm soon enough, your favorite vendor might not be available.
Here's the tricky part. Deposits are non-refundable. So, balance the ability to cross your cake off the to-do list and having an established, confirmed budget item, with the possiblity that something will change within the next 8-14 months.

So, the right time is when you know without a doubt that the vendor you choose is the absolute perfect fit with no reservations.