PART 1 OF 2: 12 MONTH WEDDING PLANNING TIMELINE FOR A STRESS FREE WEDDING DAY
You’ve finally got the bling on your hand, so now you’ve got a party to plan! 💍🎉
After soaking in your engagement, there comes a time when the planning has to be kicked into high gear in order to create the wedding day of your dreams.
This is around the time that many brides start feeling stressed because their to-do list very quickly becomes three miles long and they don’t know what to tackle first.
If you’re finding yourself in this season, pause, take a deep breath and keep reading for a step-by-step of planning your wedding totally stress free!
Now, depending on where you’re at in your engagement, this timeline might look different for you. I really encourage brides to have at least a 12-month engagement so that we can properly plan without feeling overwhelmed, rushed or forced to go over budget.
Regardless of where you fall, this 12 month wedding planning timeline will give you a good idea of what to tackle first and what can wait!
12 Months Out
Set your wedding budget
You know how you can’t really go house hunting without getting pre-approved first? Well, wedding planning is sort of the same way! There’s nothing worse than dreaming up your big day and setting your sights on certain venues, vendors and details just to find out those things are out of budget.
Save yourself from a whole lot of heartache by setting your wedding budget before you start planning!
Review your wedding Pinterest board and adjust your vision for your big day so you can plan accordingly
Let’s be real: we all made those boards in the 8th grade and our styles have most definitely changed. 😂
Reviewing your wedding Pinterest board and adjusting it to fit your current style and vision will allow you to seek out all of the right details for your wedding day.
Create a list of must haves for your wedding day
Once you’ve audited your Pinterest board, think through your vision and decide what your must haves are. These are the non-negotiable, gotta make them happen type of things! By choosing these now, you’ll be able to prioritize them in your budget more effectively.
Decide if you will use a professional wedding planner and connect with one in your area
I know you’ve probably seen people who have DIY’ed their beautiful wedding and you think that you can pull it off too. While DIY weddings are totally possible, there’s 5 main reasons I encourage you to consider hiring a professional!
If you do decide to work with a wedding planner, they will assist you with making sure you stay on top of this timeline and that all of these items get completed accordingly.
Tour multiple venues
Booking your venue is going to be one of the first things that you check off your list, but it’s important that you tour a few different places before jumping right in.
Consider your list of must haves and make sure you’re looking for venues that can accommodate those things while also matching the style that you’re going for!
10-11 Months Out
Choose your date and secure your venue
Once you’ve toured multiple venues, it’s time to choose the one! This is your first big to do and is when things start feeling really real. 🥳
Book your large vendors and hotel room blocks / transportation
It’s best to knock out most of the big stuff early on so that you can focus on the smaller, more intimate and exciting details throughout the rest of the planning process.
The large vendors you want to secure early on include: your caterer, entertainment (DJ or band) and your photographer/videographer.
These are the people who play HUGE roles in your wedding so you want to make sure you have them secured for your date so that you aren’t scrambling at the last minute.
In addition to your larger vendors, make sure you also secure hotel room blocks for your out of town guests and any transportation needs for the bride/groom and wedding party.
Book an engagement session
Now it’s time for some fun stuff! You’ll want to book an engagement session pretty early on so that you can use these photos on your save the dates if you wish.
Decide your wedding party
Even though you’ve probably known who is going to be in your wedding for yearssss, it’s time to make that official list so you can formally surprise them!
Go wedding dress shopping
A real excuse to go shopping? Say less! Research a few wedding dress shops in your area, book a few appointments and have yourself a day.
You can do this with your full bridesmaid group or make it a more intimate experience with just your mom, grandma, aunt, future mother-in-law, best friend or sister. It’s always a day to remember!
8-9 Months Out
Create your wedding website
Wedding websites have become more of the norm and make it super easy for your guests to RSVP! You can create your own website for free on The Knot, Zola or Minted.
Start making your registry
You might be shocked to find out that many people forget this step in the wedding planning process. Starting your registry now will allow you plenty of time to compile all of your wishlist items before your wedding shower!
Create your guest list
Ahhhh guest lists. Some people love them, some people hate them. Either way, it’s one of the MOST important to-do’s when wedding planning.
You probably already have an idea of who you want to invite, but this is when you have to put real pen to paper and decide who’s really going to make the cut.
(P.S. don’t feel pressured to invite your third cousin twice removed - it’s your big day and it’s important that the people there are people you have true relationships with!)
Create and send your save the dates
Once you have your guest list created, it’s time to send those save the dates so that people can put your big day on their calendar!
Choose your wedding party attire
Back to shopping! Except this time it’s for your entire wedding party.
Book remaining vendors
Your large vendors should have been taken care of by this point, but now it’s time to lock in everyone else that will make your wedding day come together.
Other vendors to consider booking at this time include: your wedding cake, officiant, bartender, florist, hair and makeup team and any rental vendors, such as tables, chairs, linens, decor, etc.
6-7 Months Out
Book your honeymoon & renew/get your passport if needed
When you get engaged, people don’t tell you that you’re really planning more than just your wedding… you also have to plan the honeymoon! Try to do this no later than 6 months out.
Rent or buy the Groom’s attire
While wedding dress shopping is usually an entire event, shopping for the Groom is typically much more laid back. You can even do this online to make things easier if that’s what you prefer.
Shop for your wedding bands
If it isn’t obvious already, your engagement year is filled with a LOT of shopping. 🛍 Don’t forget your wedding bands!
Create and order your invitation suite
The last major thing you want to do at the 6 month mark is create and order your full invitation suite so that you have them ready to send out when the time comes.
As you can see, the first 6 months is truly where the heavy lifting of all of your planning takes place.
It sometimes feels like a marathon, but if you check these things off your list now, you can enjoy the months leading up to your wedding much more.
If you’re in search of what to do 1-5 months out and the weeks right before your big day, CLICK HERE for Part 2 of this timeline.
Happy wedding planning 🥂
- Chalonda