Planning a wedding can be a lot of work. There are so many vendors to coordinate, items to consider and decisions to make. To help make the process a little easier, I’ve come up with a timeline for planning your wedding. This list of items is broken down by month so you can tackle the tasks in smaller segments.
And because I don’t want to completely overwhelm anyone that is newly engaged, I’m breaking this planning timeline into two posts. Today’s post will cover from around a year up to four months before the wedding. And tomorrow I’ll share a list of to-dos from month four right up until the big day!
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9-12 months
- Choose your wedding date
- Hire a wedding coordinator
- Determine the kind of wedding you want including the type of location, theme, colors, how many guests, whether it will be formal or more casual
- Set a budget and determine who will pay for what expenses
- Book your ceremony and reception venues
- Hire a wedding photographer
- Schedule your engagement session
- Order your wedding dress
- Secure passports, visas, birth certificates, and any other documents you need for travel (for a destination wedding or the honeymoon) and/or marriage licenses
6-9 months
- Choose your wedding party
- Choose wedding party attire
- Hire a caterer
- Hire an officiant (if needed)
- Hire ceremony musicians
- Hire a band, DJ, or both if needed, for the reception
- Hire a videographer
- Hire a florist
- Create a wedding registry
4-6 months
- Send Save the Date cards (if you plan to do so)
- Schedule fittings for your wedding dress and bridesmaids gowns
- Arrange marriage prep courses, if necessary
- Reserve rental items
- Hire a decorator
- Finalize your guest list
- Select & order invitations & other wedding stationery
- Set date, time & location for rehearsal dinner
- Make arrangements for out-of-town guests
- Start planning your honeymoon
- Shop for your wedding gifts to each other
- Shop for your wedding gifts for your wedding party
- Shop for your wedding gifts for your parents
- Buy wedding bands
These timeline suggestions have been pulled together from a variety of wedding sources, plus our own personal experience. Each wedding is different and will vary.
