Soooooo you’ve got the ring, now it’s probably time to start thinking about that wedding you have to plan!  Trust me I get it, wedding planning can be a LOT.  That’s why I’ve put together this guide for you and your honey to use as you start planning out your wedding day timeline!

According to Brides.com, in the US, the average engagement lasts 12-15 months or so.  Within that year or so, there is a LOT that has to happen and it can be overwhelming at the beginning!  With so much to do and so little time, you and your partner are going to want to make a plan for when you’ll want things to start happening.

Being a part of the wedding industry has given me a LOT of insight!  That’s why we are going over the timeline for planning your wedding day.

Wedding Planning Timeline

12 Months Out

At about a year out from your wedding day, you and your partner will want to be doing the big picture planning.  Things like setting the budget, deciding how many people you want to be there, and researching vendors and venues are all things that will happen during this time.  Once you and your partner have decided on a rough date for your wedding day you will want to reach out to wedding venues and see what they have available.  Your wedding venue will be the first vendor you book as they will set in stone what date you will be having your wedding!  Along with the things listed above, here is everything else on your wedding planning timeline you will want to do a year out from your wedding day.

-Set a Budget

-Outline Your Guest List

-Book Your Venue

-Tell Your Wedding Party

-Start Looking at Wedding Attire

-Schedule Your Engagement Photos

-Make a Wedding Website

10-11 Months Out

Next up on your wedding planning timeline about ten to eleven months out you’re going to want to spend your time booking your other vendors along with starting to let your family and friends know when your wedding day is!  Know that they will have questions and be super excited for your wedding day. They’ll want to know where your wedding will be, a general idea of what the experience will be like and where they can go to find more information.  Websites like Zola help you to do all your wedding planning all in one place!  Set up your website, your registry, and even send your save the dates through Zola! Other things that should be done in this timeframe include:

-Book Your Photographer, DJ, Videographer, and Caterer

-Think About Wedding Party Attire

-Send Your Save the Dates

-Set up Your Registry

8-9 Months Out

About 8-9 months out you’ll want to start working on the smaller details!  Wedding attire for you and your family, wedding attire for your wedding party, and any other vendors you have left you will want to start booking 8-9 months out. You’ll also want to:

-Pick Out Your Wedding Attire

-Book Dress Try-On Sessions

-Start Gathering and Making Decorations if you Plan to DIY

-Hire Your Florist and Any Other Vendors you Haven’t Booked Yet

7 Months Out

7 months out we will be getting into the nitty gritty.  You’ll want to start thinking about the smaller details such as accessories to order like shoes or special details.  You’ll want to make sure you have all of your decorations and smaller items accounted for and then you’ll want to start planning your extra events!  Collaborate with your family for your wedding shower, start planning your rehearsal dinner and order any rentals you plan to have!

-Order Rental Decor

-Reserve Coffee Bars or Specialty Entertainment

-Start Planning Your Rehearsal Dinner

-Hire or Find an Officiant

6 Months Out

Finalize the details.  At this point in your wedding planning timeline, most of the big things have been taken care of.  Vendors are booked, food is chosen, and your day is starting to come together!  Now it’s time to get into ALL the even smaller details that will make up your wedding weekend. This includes:

-Plan Out Transportation

-Book Your Honeymoon

-Rent Wedding Gear

-Order Your Wedding Gear

-Reserve Your Hotel Room

4-5 Months Out

At this point, you’ll want to start to share your wedding plans with your family and friends!  Finalize the details on your wedding day website and start to tell your close friends and family so they can prepare financially.  About 4 months out you will want to make sure your invitations are ordered and all of your appointments are made to help you prep for your wedding day.

-Finalize Details on Your Wedding Website

-Choose Your Deserts

-Hair and Makeup Trials

-Food Tasting

-Order Invitations

-Finalize Your Menu

2-3 Months Out

Two to three months out are when the celebrations begin!  You will want to make sure all of the big things are taken care of and you will want to start relying on your wedding party to help with all of the last minute details that go into your wedding day and other celebrations.  Things like your bachelor or bachelorette party, your wedding shower, and any other events will start to take place as you get closer to your big day!

-Wedding Shower

-Bachelor/Bachelorette Party

-Get Your Marriage License

-Book Your Photo Booth

-Write Your Vows

-Finalize Your Decorations

-Send Out Invitations- Make sure RSVPs are Due a Month Before

-Hair and Makeup Trials

-Schedule Your Dress and Tuxe Fittings

-Request Off From Work

2 Months Out

Two months out from your wedding day your timeline will get a little bit lighter.  Most of the big things are taken care of so now it’s time to take care of you and your people!  Dress fittings, hair trials, and thank you gifts are how you’ll spend most of the last two months prior to your day.

-Dress Fittings

-Buy any Gifts for Family and Friends

-Schedule Final Meetings with Your Vendors

-Purchase any Other Things you Need for the Day

-Schedule All Your Final Vendor Payments

1 Month Out

The last month prior to your wedding day will FLY by.  You will want to make sure that this month is used mostly for prepping you and prepping your guests and family.  Spend some time writing thank you notes for friends and family who have been with you every step of the way. You will also want to break in your wedding gear and get any hair or cosmetics done so that it has time to grow a bit before your day.  

-Write Thank You Cards for Family and Vendors

-Create a Seating Chart

-Final Fittings

-Break in Your Dancing Shoes

-Get Your Hair Cut or Eyebrows Done

-Make Sure you Have any Medications you Will Need for Your Wedding Weekend Packed.

2 Weeks Prior

These last two weeks are what I like to call the survival weeks.  These weeks are essentially used for prepping everything you need to survive your wedding weekend.  You will want to make sure you have breakfast and lunch ordered and planned for the day of.  You will want to hand decorations and details over to your family and wedding party to take care of them for you.  Last but not least you will want to pack your bags!

-Start Packing Your Overnight Bags

-Assign any Leftover Tasks to Your Wedding Party and Family

-Finalize Your Guest List

-Touch Bases with Your Venue

-Finish up any Work Projects you Might Miss While Gone for Your Wedding

1 Week Prior

The last week of your wedding planning timeline is left for last minute prep!  This week is your safety week, take things easy, slow down and spend some time with your honey and just enjoy the ride!  I highly recommend making sure you’re hydrated throughout the week, your wedding details are gathered and everything is delegated or prepped.

-Start Hydrating

-Gather Your Wedding Details

-Eat “Safe” Foods

-Order Food for Your Day of Meals and Plan for Someone to Pick it up

-Steam Your Dress, Veil and Iron Your Shirts and Pants

And there you have it! A full wedding planning timeline broken down from start to finish. Keep these things in mind and follow along during your planning process and you should be golden for your wedding day! For more wedding planning tips head over to my blog for other articles to help you prep for your big day!