Wedding Planning Timeline
The following is a detailed wedding planning timeline for a traditional wedding; however, we will customize a wedding planning timeline to suit your wedding and individual needs. We've also included a few wedding tips, along with a little wedding etiquette to make your planning a little less overwhelming! Whether you're a DIY bride or have a bridal coordinator, we hope this will be helpful to you.
Sixteen to Nine Months Before:
o Announce your intention to marry to both sets of parents and your children. Arrange to have them meet if they haven’t already.
o Determine type (formal, semi-formal, informal) style and theme of wedding.
o Make a list of what is important to you for your wedding. This will help you determine your budget.
o Sit down with your fiancé, parents, and all parties contributing to your wedding budget and discuss the wedding budget, and who will pay for what.
o Get or make a wedding organizer. Use it to store all your information, contracts, ideas, photos, etc.
o Speak with your clergy/officiant and review church/synagogue requirements.
o Come up with two or three possible wedding dates and start looking for ceremony and reception venues. If a venue you like is available on one of your chosen wedding dates, book is immediately; many venues will often be booked up to 18 months in advance, so have several choices in mind beforehand in case they’re already booked. Make sure your wedding officiant is available on this date, too.
o If you are using one, start looking for and book a wedding consultant.
o Throw an engagement party, if you wish. The people you invite should be on your guest list.
o Launch a wedding website. Note the date of the wedding, travel information, and accommodations. Add registry information. Sign up for a minimum of three retailers. This is a great way to share photos, stories, communicate and send wedding updates! Send link to wedding party and invitees.
o Choose china and flatware patterns. Give people an idea of your household style, color scheme and items you really need.
Nine to 11 Months Before:
o Start looking for and interviewing all the remaining vendors:
o Photographer: Look at portfolios and make sure the person you hire is willing to do the shots that you want.
o Videographer: Watch videos, note style and hire the one you like most.
o Caterer: Make an appointment for a tasting before you book. If one is not available or you’ll be having your reception at a restaurant, have a meal there before booking.
o Officiant: Make sure the officiant you hire is willing to perform the ceremony you desire.
o Florist: Note design style of different florists and book your favorite.
o Entertainment: Attend gigs of potential acts to see how they perform in front of a crowd, and then book your favorite.
o Special effects: Contact and book vendors for fireworks, ice sculptures, special lighting, etc., at this time.
o If a vendor you like is available on your date and is within your budget, book them immediately! As with ceremony and reception venues, many of these vendors may be booked up to a year in advance.
o Together (and with your parents, if applicable), begin compiling your preliminary guest list. You can always narrow this list down later to fit your size requirements and budget limitations.
o Begin getting ideas by looking through bridal magazines, going to bridal fairs and doing research on the Internet.
o Finalize your color scheme, theme and style.
o Select your attendants (bridesmaids, groomsmen, ushers, flower girl and ring bearer) and ask them to honor you by being in your wedding. Make sure they are aware of what their duties are and that they can fulfill them.
o Choose and purchase your wedding rings.
o Begin looking at honeymoon options. Discuss where you both would like to go, and if needed, visit a travel agent. Don’t wait until the last minute or you may end up paying much more for tickets and accommodations.
o Begin looking for a wedding gown, veil, accessories, and your attendants’ attire.
Six to Eight Months Before:
o Start planning ceremony and reception music choices.
o If you haven’t already, finalize and purchase your wedding gown, veil, and accessories, including shoes and lingerie you’ll be wearing with your wedding dress, and schedule fittings.
o If you are having a prenuptial agreement, take care of this now.
o Finalize attire for attendants
o Begin premarital counseling, if required.
o Select and purchase wedding invitations and stationery. Ask the stationer for samples of your finished invitations and revise them as necessary.
o Send save-the-date cards.
o Reserve structural and electrical necessities. Book portable toilets for outdoor events, tents, extra chairs, tables, furniture, lighting components, etc.
o Book and arrange transportation: Note: Low-to-the-ground limos can make entries and exits difficult if you’re wearing a fitted gown. Make sure your transportation is roomy enough to avoid crushing your gown and veil!
o Start compiling a day-of-wedding timeline. Make a schedule of the entire wedding day and enter each activity into time slots.
Four to Five Months Before:
o Work with your florist and finalize your arrangements.
o Place wedding announcement in local newspaper.
o Start shopping for bridal party men’s wedding attire.
o Start planning the wedding decorations, including table linens and table settings.
o Arrange accommodations for out-of-town guests. Book blocks of rooms.
o Select wedding cake (and groom’s cake, if desired). Schedule tastings, view baker’s cake portfolios and book your favorite baker.
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o Make arrangements for day-after brunch for guests, if you’re having one, and book venue. Have meal at your venue and choose your favorite.
o Begin planning wedding favors, gift baskets for out-of-town guests.
o If you decided not to hire a wedding planner, consider asking a close friend or relative not in the wedding party to be your wedding coordinator/personal assistant.
Three Months Before:
o Order wedding cake and groom’s cake.
o Finalize the reception menu and flowers. Choice of food and flowers are affected by season.
o After finalizing menu, print menu if desired for each place setting at reception.
o Order and purchase favors.
o Order and purchase gifts for out-of-town guests.
o Meet with your officiant to discuss details of the ceremony.
o Finalize the guest list, complete with proper names, names of children and plus guests (if you’re inviting them), addresses, phone numbers and email addresses.
o Reconfirm the rehearsal dinner plans.
o Buy the cake knife and server set, guest book, toasting glasses, unity candle (if you are using one) and garter.
o Have male members of the bridal party, including fathers, fitted for tuxedos or other wedding attire they will wear.
o Reconfirm honeymoon arrangements.
o Begin writing your wedding vows, if you are doing them yourself.
o Start addressing the invitations (or drop them off with calligrapher). Invitations should be mailed out 6 weeks before the wedding day; for out-of-town guests, 8 weeks before.
o Make a list of people giving toasts, and ask them now.
o Finalize the readings for your ceremony and determine who you’d like to do the readings.
Two Months Before:
o Mail invitations—make sure postage will cover size and weight of envelopes!
o Schedule a hair and make-up consultation and do a trial run.
o Obtain wedding license. Licenses in Kern County
o Schedule your second wedding dress fitting.
o Write thank-you notes for all gifts that begin arriving.
o Meet with all vendors to finalize arrangements.
o If you are changing your name, gather and begin completing the proper documents.
o Finalize music selections for the ceremony and reception. Turn them over to the DJ, musicians, singers, etc.
o Meet with your officiant to finalize ceremony details.
o Have your formal wedding portrait taken.
o Reserve room(s) for wedding night.
o This is the time your maid of honor generally arranges a night out with friends or a bachelorette party and friends begin planning showers for you. Note: Brides generally do not throw parties or showers for themselves; this honor is reserved for wedding attendants, friends, aunts and cousins of the bride. The people invited should be on the guest list.
o Review the playlist with your DJ, band, singer, etc.
o Review the playlist with your DJ, band, singer, etc.
o Submit a newspaper wedding announcement. Check with the newspapers regarding their policies.
One Month Before:
o Confirm honeymoon reservations.
o Meet with photographer and videographer to discuss last minute details.
o Take a look at your RSVPs and phone people who have not yet responded.
o Start working on the reception seating chart.
o Have final wedding gown fitting.
o Arrange for reception child care, if needed.
o Finalize wedding vows, liturgy, readings and music.
o Finalize the order of the ceremony and reception.
o Edit and print programs.
o Confirm all final payment amounts with your vendors. Many will require payment in full at this time. Also confirm date, time, etc., to arrive and begin setting up at your wedding and reception.
Two Weeks Before:
o Finalize reception seating chart.
o Confirm delivery time and locations with florist and baker.
o Stock the bar. Now that you have a pretty firm head count, you can order accordingly.
o Purchase gifts for wedding party.
o Email and print directions for drivers of transport vehicles.
o Refresh hair color and have facial at this time. Note: This is not a good time to try out a new haircut or color!
o Prepare an emergency wedding kit of all those little last-minute items you’ll need on your wedding day.
o Arrange to have your children, pets, plants and mail taken care of during your honeymoon.
o This is a great time for bachelor and bachelorette’s parties.
One Week Before:
o Pick up wedding gown, attendants’ gowns and all accessories.
o Give final guest count to reception venue and caterer. Companies typically close their lists 72 hours in advance.
o Delegate a person to deliver gifts, gift baskets, etc. to hotel for your out-of-town guests.
o Check in with vendors one last time to make sure everyone is on the same page.
o Reconfirm everything with all vendors one last time.
o Make sure men get their final fittings for their tuxedos.
o Send timeline to the bridal party, including every member’s contact information along with person/people designated to deal with problems that should arise.
o Have waxing and brows, spray-on tan done at this time.
o Break in your shoes.
One Day Before:
o Attend rehearsal. Officiant should also attend.
o Attend rehearsal dinner. Give attendants their gifts.
o Get manicure and pedicure. This is a great time for a relaxing massage!
o Put together envelopes for vendors and give them to the designated person (usually the best man) or one of the fathers.
o Confirm wedding day transportation.
o Reconfirm hair and make-up appointments.
o If you have access to the ceremony and reception venues, take everything over that you will need (decorations, guest book, etc.).
o Lay out everything you will need on your wedding day in a safe place: marriage license, your wedding vows, dress, shoes, veil, accessories, emergency kit, etc.).
o Pack for your honeymoon.
o Speak with everyone in the wedding party and make sure everyone knows where to be at what time. Note: This is absolutely the worst time for a bachelor’s or bachelorette’s party!!! Stay fresh and focused!
o Try to go to bed early and get a good night’s sleep.
Your Wedding Day:
o Eat breakfast, even if you’re not hungry. You’re going to need sustenance!
o Share a private moment with your fiancé.
o Have your hair and make-up done.
o Give the best man the wedding rings.
o Mail wedding announcements.
o Begin dressing two hours before the ceremony is scheduled to begin, making allowances for transportation time to get to your wedding location.
o Spend a quiet moment with your mom, dad, and other special loved ones, and look at yourself in the mirror to see how beautiful you are.
Take a deep breath and walk down the aisle to your beloved—and enjoy your wedding day!
