When did you start buying decor for your wedding reception/ceremony?

I started right away. I am one to always plan ahead as much as I can because I hate the feeling of being rushed!

I would have put money aside, but I wouldn't have bought anything until the venue and décor was determined. We effectively got free chargers, because we chose a soup course. Our venue provides plates on the tables, to guard against spillage. They were china/ivory with gold flourishes and a monogram. Our major colors were gold, ivory, and purple. It was a lot better than buying those plastic ones or renting the china ones for $5 each.

I knew what I wanted and used time on my side to purchase decor items from China based vendors on eBay (the value is dollar is stronger) since their shipping time is 1-2 months.