My fiancé and I have been engaged for 2 years have yet to set a date. We wanted to wait until after I finished school and that ended up being pushed back a year. We want to start planning for Sept. '08. Is this cutting it too close and we are on a very tight budget. I don't want to put it off anymore but I am also worried about money and trying to plan in just over a year. Any helpful advice or even words of encouragement would be wonderful!

Go to theknot.com register, then you put in how much money you have to work with and it will divide how much you should spend on everything. I LOVE THIS WEBSITE!

That is plenty of time to plan a wedding. I planned mine in 5 months. I had no wedding planner, was in school full time, and had the wedding the day after I had 3 final exams. Everything went perfectly.
If you are on a budget, which I was, there are plenty of small things you can do yourself to help save money. For example, I bought the cardstock for my invitations at a paper store and then got them done at a printing shop. This saved a bunch of money.
Small things will save a lot in the end.

As long as you aren't having a HUGE wedding (500 people or so) you should have no problem planning it in a year. I planned mine (100 people) in seven months with no trouble at all.

The Knot will have a lot of good info, so will wedding planning books you can pick up from the library.

Ditto what everyone has said. I used theknot.com for EVERYTHING and it was very helpful. You have plenty of time. I was just married last month for 85 guests we spent $7,000 but I had a lot going on. DIY projects will save you. Shopping around is key! I wanted to do my own flowers, but I decided to get a quote from a florist anyway. I ended up using the florist because it was CHEAPER! Same with invitations... I spent $200 (mygatsby.com) for custom invites but it would have cost more time and money to do it from home.

Check out theknot message boards, they're super helpful. :)

I was engaged for a year and a half and we didn't start planning our wedding until 6mo before we got married. I've found Michael's Craft Store really helpful and eBay was wonderful. If you set your date for say late summer 08 you can buy stuff for your wedding on clerance when summer flowers and etc is clearanced out at the end of the season. Also efavormart.com has some good deals on some things. We are going to end up spending around 2500.00 at the most for our wedding for 125+ people. If you'd like ideals and diy advice pm me, I know about being on a tight budget and still having a nice wedding.

I agree with everyone :) Ebay is awesome... for example, my husband and I were planning a wedding then went and eloped :) so I listed the stuff I had already bought one eBay like my wedding dress from Davids Bridal, veil, flower girl dress from Davids Bridal etc... all were brand new with the tags! But I they sell for less... like my wedding dress was $399 brand new but it sold on eBay for $200.

Also check with locations, sometimes its cheaper to go with a place that you have have both the wedding and reception at... and SHOP AROUND. If you find a place you love but somewhere else was offering, lets say, food cheaper... you could take the lower price and tell the plce you love that you found this price somewhere else and will they match it... a lot of places want your business so they are willing to work with you.

Good luck! :)

I'm planning a wedding for Aug 2008, am a student, and have a full time job~ so I understand!
My best advise is to start now! The earlier you start, the more options you will have, and you will also have more time to find better deals. A wedding on a budget doesn't have to be bland. You can save money by looking for dresses on sale racks, only buying in season flowers and getting creative with center pieces!
If you get on Weddings and wedding planning! Wedding dresses, engagement rings, wedding cakes and more. (http://www.theknot.com), they are always sending out emails about sales, and even give you the option to save on invitations by sending them out electronically, allowing guests to RSVP that way,:) and even letting you set up your own web page. They also give you fun hints and more tips. The web is a great tool!
Finding a venue that lets you bring in your own food allowes you to get less expensive catering, and creative decorating can also cut down on cost (use your christmas tree lights instead of purchasing new).
Take your time, plan ahead, and you'll be just fine. And remember that when the day is done, the people aren't going to rember the center pieces, the music or the food- they are there to celebrate you!

There is a great book called Bridal Bargains. I bought it for my best friend when she got engaged after a glowing recommendation from my boss. It's awesome. It gives you great tips on how to find a dress for cheap, get reduced cost catering, etc. Its worth the cost of the books.