Your Wedding Planning timeline

Written By Hollie Raulerson

Planning your wedding can be an exciting and slightly overwhelming experience. The process involves meticulously selecting the perfect venue, deciding on the theme and color scheme, and creating a detailed checklist of tasks to be completed. From choosing the enchanting decorations to curating a delectable menu, every decision contributes to making your special day truly unforgettable. While the planning process may come with its challenges, the end result is a celebration of love and commitment that reflects your unique personalities and shared dreams. To assist in helping your planning process, we have created a detailed wedding planning checklist, based on a 12 moth engagement.

12 Months Before The Wedding

  • Visit and book your reception venue and ceremony location

  • Research potential wedding vendors - photographer, florist, invitations, cake, décor, music, hair and makeup

  • Consider and review wedding insurance options

  • Decide what type of entertainment you want

  • Book photographer

  • Book videographer

  • Consider the way you want your wedding day to look and feel

  • Hire a wedding planner or coordinator

  • Start your wedding dress research

  • Send Save the Date cards - important if you're having a destination wedding, or getting married at a very busy time of year

  • Pop the question to your wedding party

Hunter Ryan Photo

8-10 Months Before the Wedding

  • Book reception entertainment and ceremony musicians

  • Research and reserve accommodations for guests

  • Contact rental companies, if you need to rent anything for ceremony/reception, such as chairs, tables, or a tent

  • Book honeymoon - flights and accommodation

  • Order the wedding cake and grooms cake

  • Meet with your florist to discuss options and the aesthetic of the day.

2-3 Months Before the Wedding

  • Order your wedding dress - many boutiques consider under six months a 'rush order' and will apply a fee

  • Ensure passports are in date for honeymoon, and order new ones if necessary

  • Start planning your honeymoon - activities and excursions

Austin Trenholm Photography

4-6 Months Before the Wedding

  • Select bridesmaid dresses, flower girl dresses and ring bearer attire

  • Order wedding invitations and all day of stationery

  • Shop for a groom's suit

  • Rent the men’s suits

  • Create your gift registry

  • Arrange wedding party & guest transportation, if necessary

  • Start gathering addresses for guest list or set up a wedding website - create spreadsheet for RSVPs

  • Book a hair and makeup trial

2-3 Months Before the Wedding

  • Send invitations to guests

  • Attend dress fittings

  • Choose and order wedding rings

  • Purchase gifts for parents, bridesmaids, groomsmen and each other

  • Buy shoes, accessories, hair-pieces, bow ties etc - allow for longer if you're ordering online

  • Have a tasting with your venue or caterer

  • Create your preliminary seating plan

Hunter Ryan Photo


4 Weeks Before the Wedding

  • Have final wedding dress fitting

  • Complete any wedding DIY or craft projects

  • Review final RSVP list and call any guests who have not yet responded

2 Weeks Before the Wedding

  • Deliver must-have shot lists to photographer and videographer -include who should be in portraits and determine when portraits will be taken

  • Give venue/caterer final guest head count

  • Make any necessary adjustments with rental vendors

  • Review seating plan make any adjustments

Katie Rosado Photography


1 Week Before the Wedding

  • Pick up all wedding day stationary (place cards, seating chart, bar menus etc)

  • Send all vendors a final wedding day of timeline and confirm arrival / departure times.

  • Get manicure, pedicure, massage, and waxing

  • Do full wedding dress rehearsal from underwear to veil

  • Pack an overnight bag for the reception

  • Pack for the honeymoon

Hunter Ryan Photo



2-3 Days Before the Wedding

  • Make last-minute changes to seating plan, if necessary

  • Grooms: Go for final fitting and pick up your outfit

  • Grooms: Ask the best man to make sure all groomsmen attend fittings and pick up their outfits

  • Confirm pick-up times with wedding car company

  • Reconfirm final details with all vendors. Discuss any necessary last-minute changes

  • Print a wedding day of timeline and the main suppliers' contact details, give copies to your best man and maid of honor

The Day Before the Wedding

  • Drop off place cards, table cards, menus, favors, seating plan to venue coordinator or your planner

  • Provide all wedding professionals with an emergency phone number to call on the day of the wedding.

  • Sort out payment (write checks/organize cash) for any final balances or tips to be paid at the end of the reception.

  • Ensure the cake is on track to be delivered to reception venue - have someone else look after this one!

  • Rehearse ceremony with full wedding party, ceremony readers and your officiant, at the ceremony site

  • Get a good night’s rest!

The Wedding Day Checklist!

  • Give the gifts for your parents to the best man/bridesmaid for after the speeches

  • Give wedding bands to the best man to hold during the ceremony

  • Give best man the officiant's fee envelope, to be given after the ceremony


Hollie Raulerson
Next

Reserving Your Wedding Date