How far in advance of my wedding do I book a photographer? How long does it take to find one?

Ill be booking mine as soon as I have a deposit and the exact date set. They are the hardest to find. Every photographer is different and if you find one you love you have to get them fast. Because everyone else will love them too! You dont want to settle for an okay photographer. The photos are the only thing youll have for years to come.
Sometimes it takes months sometimes weeks. Just make sure you like what you see.
Make sure you plan how long you want them for, and make sure you get everything in your package you want.

I booked mine 15 months before our wedding for many reasons. First, I knew I wanted someone good, and let's face it, good gets booked quickly!!
Secondly, I knew I was going to PAY for someone good, and I figured the quicker I book it, the quicker I can begin paying it off.
And trust me, once you book it, you will doubt and worry, but then you will feel as if a burden has been lifted off your shoulders!

It depends on how good the photographer is and how booked they are, some people around here are booked years in advance, some are available within a couple weeks, but i would start looking asap so you can look at portfolios and compare prices.
You can go to some wedding sites like weddingchannel.com or theknot.com and they have a list of vendors in your area. they also have calendars of when to do things.
good luck

just whenever you find one. i have two years until my wedding and i am already looking into photographers. just go online to yell.co.uk or whatever your directory is and search for photographers. if they have websites check out their work see if its what fits with your personality. lots of photographers are into the less formal more candid shots now, rather than all formal and stiff. if they dont have websites go to their store and ask to see some of their work and ask for a quote. also contact the ones you are interested in from the web and ask for quotes and what their packages include.

We have yet to set a date, but we have began looking into photographers. We are hoping to book ours 3/4 of a year in advance.

It depends on what sort of photographer you want, if they are popular and more successful then they are more likely to be more booked up so it would be best to sort it as early as possible. Photographers vary with time schedules and booking so it really depends on who you go with. I reckon 3/4 of a year like the person above is a realistic amount of time, but then you may need to be quicker to get the photographer you want.

Good luck :)