12-Month Wedding Timeline

Planning a wedding can be overwhelming, but a well-structured wedding timeline helps reduce stress, keep you organized, and ensure a smoother process.

Below is a streamlined guide offering actionable steps and insights to help you plan your wedding quickly and confidently, ensuring a stress-free and enjoyable process.

12 Months Before Your Wedding

Calculate your Wedding Budget

Every couple has to start planning their wedding by determining their wedding budget first, no matter how far away or soon your wedding will be. 

Budgeting for your big day and deciding how much money you’re willing to spend can be challenging, and every couple’s situation is different. 

Although most guests don’t expect a million-dollar wedding, you still want to impress everyone within your means.

If any family member would like to chip in for any of the following things, that’s an excellent way to get more bang for your buck without spending too much yourself.

When setting a budget, consider what’s essential for you and give some room for extras.

Your wedding budget is the only thing you are 100% in control of.

Make it realistic, and you’ll have a much better experience.

Consider what you can afford as a starting point and build on that.

Budget carefully; otherwise, you might have to take money away from things like photos or the honeymoon.

Once your budget is planned at the start of your wedding timeline, it is time to decide what kind of wedding you want.

Create A Guest List

Making your guest list is essential in getting married; it is never too early to start creating one.

The size of your wedding venue will determine how much space you need and the final size of your food and beverage bill.

Too many people? Start with your closest friends and family, then work it out! Once you’ve figured that out, add distant relatives who are not in the area but want to be involved or send a gift.

What about those problematic guests-in-law who require inclusion? Consider this carefully.

If you have a destination wedding, your guest list will likely be smaller.

If both parents are helping to foot the bill, give them a fair say in the guest list. It’s always good to be respectful and discuss this with your family so guests can be chosen without awkward moments.

Select A Wedding Venue

Choose and book your wedding venue early in the process. Many popular locations book up fast, so securing your venue should be your priority.

The number of guests you can invite depends on the venue size and vice versa.

The location will set the tone for your event and help determine what decorations and flowers you need.

The cost of venues takes a big bite out of your budget, and if you’re not careful, you’ll spend more than you planned.

Whether to hire a wedding planner or not is a personal decision.

It depends on your personality, how you want the event to be planned, how much you can take on yourself, and what your budget would allow for.

Some couples are good at delegating tasks and enjoy doing things themselves.

Others might prefer to hire a wedding planner who is an expert at creating a wedding timeline. 

It is always a good idea if someone else has your back, especially if you don’t have enough time or energy to make every decision and want things done orderly.

Pick Your Bridal Party

Choosing your bridal party is an exciting step in your wedding planning. Whether you pick friends, family, or both, make it a fun process! Your bridal party will support you and help bring your wedding plans to life.

Select A Caterer

Find a reputable caterer that offers a full spectrum of services to help you plan your perfect day.

You only have to worry about finding an outside caterer if the venue you selected does not do their catering or if you require specific food preparations. For example, if you are hosting a kosher wedding and need a kosher caterer.

Check with your venue what rules they have for using an outside caterer and what surcharges may apply.

Also, inquire if the venue has any recommendations for caterers who have had successful events.

Like everything else, good caterers are booked up months in advance, so explore your options early on while looking for your venue and securing a date.

10 Months Before Your Wedding

Decide On Your Colors, Theme, And Design Of Your Wedding

A wedding is a mix of colors, styles (including music), and designs uniquely yours. It can be tricky to decide what you want. Do you want a vintage theme, rustic or modern?

Share your vision with your vendors to work toward a look just as you imagined.

Draw your inspiration from Pinterest, Instagram, and your favorite design or fashion magazines or color palettes that are trendy or classic.

Book Your Band, DJ, Photographer, And Videographer Soon

Get the vendors you want and book them fast when you are in a tight wedding market.

Experienced and established bands, DJs, photographers, and videographers in your region can only do one gig at a time, and you can assume that many other couples are looking for the same pros for the same date.

They may already be booked despite being a good match for your style.

If you are working with a wedding planner, you will save time finding vendors. Wedding planners will have a vetted list of professionals.

Compare prices and products to see what fits your budget best without sacrificing the quality of the services.

Pick Your Wedding Dress

The moment a groom sees his bride for the first time in her wedding dress is one of the most unforgettable highlights of a wedding.

The wedding dress you wear will completely transform you.

Your dress should express you as a person and show off your individuality.

It’s not just about following trends or getting what everyone else has – choose a dress that stands out to you and reflects your personality, differentiated by color shades, style, accents, fabrics, loops, and lace to please your shape and personality. Whether boho chic or traditional elegance, every bride should feel royalty on her special day! 

Start Looking And Select Your Bridesmaids’ Dresses

Your bridesmaids are naturally your best friends, and finding something to make them all happy is not always easy. But, most importantly, you want your close pals to look good on your big day, so be sure they are involved in the decision-making process from the start. 

Your girls should go shopping with you for at least two reasons: firstly, they’ll get a better idea of which dresses suit their bodies, and secondly, each of your friends should feel as beautiful as possible on this joyous occasion.

Hire A Florist

Flowers are an integral part of your wedding, and you have to think about what kind of flowers you want, depending on your style, venue layout, and budget.

Find a reputable florist near you who can tailor your vision to your liking and fit the price range. Start online, peruse reviews, scout favorites lists, and find potential florist deals to get gorgeous arrangements that don’t break the bank.

Decide If You Want To Add Special Lighting

Special lighting for the ceremony, cocktail reception, and dinner can make your wedding venue look spectacular. There are many ways to get the mood set with lights and elevate your wedding design to another level.

Pin-spotting floral centerpieces on dinner tables, uplighting the ballroom around the perimeter, stage lights, fairy lights, and light string curtains are all options you should consider.

8 Months Before Your Wedding

Look For An Officiant

You are probably walking into your wedding day knowing who you want to marry, but it is not too early to start looking for an officiant.

Spend time researching to find the best celebrant for you, and be sure to give them a chance to meet your family.

Consider the type of service the officiant you are considering will provide and allow time to consider them further.

Expect that celebrants in your area will be booked up for a year or more.

Spending time this early in your wedding timeline will save you a lot of stress later.

Start Your Wedding Gift Registry

Create an online gift registry so your guests can explore it, start shopping for gifts, and have a convenient way to do so.

Make a list of items and their acceptable prices to receive as wedding gifts so guests can know what they should buy for you. 

Some of the best online gift registries are Zola, MyRegistry, Amazon, Bloomingdale’s, Crate & Barrel, Williams Sonoma, and Bed Bath & Beyond, to name a few.

The sooner you start, the more time you will have to add items and update quantities. It’s best to assemble your wedding registry early on so your friends have time and know where they should go when looking for gifts.

Establish A Wedding Room Block For Out Of Town Guests

Suppose you’re having a destination wedding or are at a location where it makes more sense for some guests to stay overnight instead of traveling home right after the celebration. In any case, it’s time to start arranging hotel room options near your wedding venue.

Getting married in a hotel is convenient because they already have sleeping rooms. The group sales manager would typically contact you to set up a wedding block and offer a special rate.

The special rate typically ends a month before the wedding. After that, the hotel will release any unbooked rooms in the block, making them available for other guests to reserve.

Once you established a wedding room block, guests would typically call the hotel directly and make their arrangements.

Check if your wedding package already includes a complimentary bridal suite for your wedding night.

Include the hotel’s information in your save-the-dates and on your wedding website. Ensure this is a bullet point on your destination wedding timeline so you don’t skip it accidentally.

Take Engagement Photos

Taking your engagement photos a couple of months before your wedding is a fun way to get out of the house and spend some time with your fiancé before you’re too busy and your wedding timeline catches up with you.

It is a good time to get some practice under your belt before your wedding day, and it is a good record for the two of you in preparation for marriage.

Choose And Order Your Wedding Cake

Your wedding cake may already be part of your package, so you may not need to look for a wedding cake from an outside vendor.

However, if the venue doesn’t offer a wedding cake or you want a specific design they cannot offer, it’s a good time to look for a wedding cake maker in your area. Explore what designs and flavors are available and compare pricing.

It’s also important to know how many guests will be in attendance so that your wedding cake maker can prepare accordingly – 200 people need more tiers than 150 people.

Find Music For Your Ceremony

Using live music for your ceremony will add significantly to the ambiance.

A classical guitarist, a pianist, a singer, an organ player, a string trio, or a quartet of musicians – all these options can make your ceremony very festive.

Consider using the same musicians for the cocktail hour following the ceremony.

Or even better, if you hire a band for dinner, find out if they can cover all three sections of your event, including the ceremony, cocktail reception, and dinner- dance.

Ensure the musicians for the ceremony are self-sufficient and bring their equipment (amplifiers if needed, note stands, and lighting to see their scores).

6 Months Before Your Wedding

You have secured a venue and a date. It is time to send your Save-The-Date cards at the six-month mark.

Have your friends & family officially know when and where you’re making your wedding official.

Send them out six months in advance or eight months if you are doing a destination wedding.

Everyone who gets a “Save-the-Date” must also get an “Invitation” in a few months.

Buy Your Wedding Bands

Set a realistic range for how much you want to spend and choose within that range.

Consider what kind of metal, gold vs. silver, platinum, etc., would match well with both partners’ styles, and when wearing them together with other rings on one finger but different from each other.

There are many factors like this, so consider all aspects, not just cost alone, and do some research beforehand!

Buy Outfits For The Groom And Groomsmen

It is important to figure out the groom’s and groomsmen’s outfits, including shoes, shirts, bow ties, and accessories, to try them on and ensure your choices go together well.

Matching outfits are great. But if you want to add a twist of individuality, this is your chance.

The groom and his groomsmen traditionally wear suits or tuxedos that are black or dark colors like navy blue, gray, etc., with a white shirt underneath. The ties or bow ties are usually the same colors but can have different color combinations to mix them up.

If you are unsure what to wear and don’t want to buy an outfit you won’t wear often, remember that a tuxedo rental is an option!

Book Your Honeymoon

Your wedding is not too far away six months out, and you should start finding a honeymoon destination.

Start thinking about where the two of you want to embark on this lifelong adventure.

When planning your honeymoon, you want to make sure what you both want from this trip, discuss the budget, timing, travel arrangements, and itinerary, and have a general idea of a place before you get busy with other wedding planning tasks.

5 Months Before Your Wedding

If your wedding ceremony is off-site, arranging transportation from the ceremony to the reception site is another thing on your list.

Check out car and limousine services for you and your bridal party and shuttle buses for guests.

If your wedding is in a major city, guests need convenient parking options near the venue. Find out about nearby garages and street parking options ahead of time and provide this information to your guests.

At the five-month mark leading to your wedding, start looking at wedding invitations so that you can have them ready and sent out two months before your big day.

The invitations you choose will be a miniature preview of the style you set for your day. 

Pick a paper type and design that reflects you and your partner’s personalities and the style of your wedding ceremony and reception that you are planning to have.

Premarital Counseling

Many pastors or religious officiants will require you to complete premarital counseling before your wedding. It will typically comprise several sessions over a couple of weeks, possibly one or two more after the wedding.

4 Months Before Your Wedding

Buy Your Wedding Invitations And Hire a Calligrapher

Finally, order your wedding invitations on time and purchase enough for mistakes.

With so many options available for invitations, you can choose to be as creative or traditional as you like and invite your guests in style.

If you will be inviting more than 100 people, it’s worth hiring a calligrapher. They will have the time and expertise to create something personal for your wedding day.

Check with the calligrapher how long the project will take and agree on a deadline for the invitations to be returned to you so they can be mailed out six to eight weeks before your wedding.

Hair and Makeup Trial

Makeup is an art form by itself, and a skillful makeup artist will know how to bring out the best features of your face.

The key is finding someone with a similar eye for style and beauty as you do, so there are no surprises on your wedding day.

Bring some photos of what you like, and have them replicate that look and see how it works for you.

The best stylists have worked with an extensive range of skin tones, hair types, eye colors, and facial features, as this will enable them to create looks that best suit you.

They should have a portfolio of work and be able to show you how they did your look in the past so that you can see whether it suits your style or not.

Hair trial preparation is also essential! Ask your stylist for three different hairstyles they recommend so you can choose one and see how it looks on you.

Decide On Guest Wedding Favors And Gift Bags

Not everybody does guest wedding favors at their wedding, but it is a nice gesture to your guests who have come out to celebrate with you.

For example, popular food wedding favors include custom-made cookies with your initials on the top, cupcakes in individual decorative boxes, or a candy station with beautiful glass jars for guests to create their little goodie bag of candies, popcorn, donuts, you name it.

If you have any guests staying at the hotel where your wedding is held, a little welcome bag with goodies is a nice touch, too, and the front office agents can hand them out as guests check in.

If you are hosting your wedding in a city or region with its unique culture, like New York, New Orleans, or Savannah, Georgia, plenty of vendors offer gift bag stuffers themed to that city.

For example, a simple suggestion would be Hawaiian t-shirts with tropical flowers printed on them if your wedding is in Hawaii.

Buy Bridal Party Gifts

Thoughtful gifts for your bridal party are appreciated by your friends who helped you throughout the wedding process.

The gifts don’t need to be expensive, but they should have some sentimental value and a personalized touch from you, showing you thought about what might be unique to them.

Good ideas are a personal engraved necklace or bracelet from Tiffany & Co. and cufflinks for the guys.

12-Month Wedding Timeline, click here

3 Months Before Your Wedding

You’ll soon discover that marriage is a lifelong union, and even if your spouse does not personally share in your beliefs, learning to love them will make everything possible.

So write up those vows with confidence and love and start towards happiness.

Decide On Adding Readings And Songs To Your Ceremony

Bible verses are popular, but there are many alternatives if you aren’t religious and want nonreligious poems.

Help your friends who are doing the readings if they ask for assistance. This will allow the reader to be more creative and add their personal touch!

If you plan on having a vocalist perform during the ceremony, find out if they require accompaniment by musicians and what their capabilities are.

Consider Adding A Photo Booth For Fun

Book a photo booth if you’re looking for a way to give your guests an extra energy boost at the reception! It provides memories that last forever- and who doesn’t love anything more than being able to relive their big day again through pictures?

Check with your venue where to place the photo booth so it doesn’t get tucked into a corner where guests will forget about it.

2 Months Before Your Wedding

(It’s crunch time!)

Set Up A Wedding Tasting With Your Caterer

You are now getting very close to your wedding date, and it is time to plan and finalize your wedding menu. If a tasting is included in your wedding package, it is time to go for it.

The caterer will need ample time ahead of your wedding to organize your event, and after the wedding tasting, you should decide on your final menu selections as soon as possible.

The wedding tasting should only be for the bride and groom and possibly include your wedding planner.

If you want to bring more people, like your parents or someone from your bridal party, you need to check with the caterer to see if that is okay and if there are additional costs. Having too many people at the wedding tasting can be a disadvantage since more opinions can cause confusion and delay the final menu selections.

Mail Your Wedding Invitations And Collect RSVPs

The time has come to send out your invitations and start receiving RSVPs.

The RSVP-by date should be set to one month before your wedding, giving you a good idea about the final headcount.

There will always be a few stragglers who will not respond by the deadline, but you can follow up with a phone call to keep closing that gap.

Don’t Forget About Your Rehearsal Dinner Invitations

Usually, the groom’s family would organize and pay for the rehearsal dinner.

Finalize your wedding menu before settling on a menu for the rehearsal dinner so the two menus don’t become unintentionally similar on both days.

A casual celebration with a dinner buffet usually works wonders for the rehearsal dinner.  It will compel both families to get up and mingle and get to know each other.

Invite your immediate family members to the rehearsal dinner: the groomsmen and bridesmaids, maid of honor, best man, the parents of the flower girl and ring bearer (even if they may not be part of the ceremony), readers and singers during the ceremony plus your officiant.

Get Your Marriage License

Your wedding is getting more real by the day!

Your marriage license will typically expire within a few weeks after being issued, so you must get married before the window closes and weave the process into your wedding timeline.

In addition, you have to find out if there is a waiting period before you are allowed to marry. However, this would only be worrisome if you get your license at the last minute.  6 to 8 weeks before the wedding is a good time to visit your city clerk’s office.

Every state has its marriage license and fee specifications, so research these in detail before heading to the courthouse.

If you’re planning a destination wedding, particularly one requiring the paperwork from both countries involved, then now is the time to start researching.

Finalize All Details Of Your Wedding With Your Wedding Venue

About two months before your wedding, meet with your catering or on-site manager in charge of your wedding at your venue.

You should thoroughly discuss every detail of your wedding with the catering manager in a personal meeting.

An experienced catering sales manager can plan in one seating of  2 to 3 hours max.

If you hired a wedding planner or wedding coordinator, he or she would be heavily involved in the process, ensuring that everything runs smoothly without any hiccups!.

You also should meet with your wedding vendors on-site at the venue for a walkthrough.

Schedule Your Dress Fittings

Two or three months before walking down the aisle is the best time for your first bridal dress fitting. 

You’ll get a more accurate sense of how your dress fits and what you may want to adjust during the appointment.

Mark your wedding timeline to follow up with a second fitting around three to six weeks before your wedding and deal with any alterations needed.

Your Bridal Shower

There is no rule as to exactly when your bridal shower should take place, but by the latest, two weeks before the wedding is a time when it could happen.

Thankfully, you don’t have to arrange the event this time, and your maid of honor and bridesmaids will do the work. Keep an eye on the date, put it on your wedding timeline, and enjoy the fun!

“Items” For Your Wedding

You’ve done all the hard work and are ready for one last round. At this point, you want to ensure you are getting all your ducks in a row and take care of some additional items often part of a wedding.  

These include items such as:

• Programs for the ceremony (if applicable)
• Flowers Girl and Ring Bearer accessories (baskets for rose petals, ring pillow)
• Printed menus for each place setting (unless the venue prints these)
• Thank You cards and stationery (to have handy right after the wedding)
• A Gift card box for envelopes given to you by guests during the reception
• A Sign-in book and a nice pen
• Unity candles and their likes (if applicable)
• Any special ceremonial items (i.e., kiddush cup and glass for the groom to step on for a Jewish ceremony)
• Picture frames (i.e., to put next to the sign-in book or escort cards table)
• Any craft ideas you want to tackle (i.e., signs for signature cocktails on bars, escort card holders, table numbers, “sign-on book,” etc.)
• Prayer books (if applicable)
• Homemade wedding favors
• Escort Cards, and if applicable, Place Cards for each place setting
• A Wedding Cake Knife
• A Cake topper
• Bride & Groom champagne glasses
• Flip flops for the ladies

1 Month Before Your Wedding

Things are coming together quickly now, and from here on, it’s (just) fine-tuning and wiggling things into their place.

Finalize Details With Your Wedding Vendors That Come To Your Venue

A typical wedding timeline should include follow-up dates with your vendors to lock in the ceremony, cocktail reception, and dinner & dance details.

Ceremony:
– Musicians (selection of songs, reconfirm timing)
– Florist (set up and tear-down times)
– Officiant (any unanswered issues or questions about the marriage certificate)
– Photographer (timeline, staged family portraits)

Cocktail Reception:
– Musicians (selection of music)

Dinner & Dance:
– Band or DJ (selection of songs)
– Florist (set up and tear-down times)
– Photo Booth people (set up and tear-down times)

The list of vendors in your specific case may be much longer. But make sure you keep in touch more often moving ahead and cross-check and reconfirm they are capturing your vision and are on track with your wedding timeline. They must fully comprehend what they have to accomplish on your wedding day.

Also, ensure the vendors are all set with the venue’s rules. They may need to provide certificates of liability insurance.

Take Care Of Your RSVPs That Did Not Respond

The majority of your guests should have returned their RSVP cards by now.

But you’re not the only one with RSVPs that did not respond by your deadline, so don’t stress too much because you’re not alone.

If you have a list of people on the fence or may be interested in coming to your reception, it is worth sending one final follow-up email or making a phone call, asking them politely if they are coming to your wedding and mentioning what they will miss if they do not come.

Prepay Your Vendors in Full

Review your contracts again and determine when full prepayment is due for each vendor. 

Everyone must be paid as per their contract; otherwise, you will be in breach of obligations, and they could stall their services or cancel altogether.

If you have any vendors who must be paid on your wedding day, bring checks or cash as needed and prepare to pay them during the reception. This part is often given to the Best Man as one of his duties.

Finalize Your Day-of Wedding Timeline

Plan the flow of your wedding day ahead of time with a day-of wedding timeline and determine how things should unfold leading to the ceremony.

Start with what time you are getting ready in the morning (i.e., in your bridal suite), plan for food and beverage, hair and makeup, photos while getting ready, first look, and more.

A second timeline is needed for what will happen during the actual event. Starting with your ceremony, followed by the cocktail reception, dinner, & dance. With so many moving parts, ensure this timeline is accurately synchronized with the venue, caterer, and entertainment (band or DJ). (check out this sample wedding day timeline)

Create A Seating Chart

As RSVPs are beginning, it is time for you to start working on your seating chart.

The venue should have provided a diagram to assemble your wedding reception seating arrangements. This will show you the placement of each dinner table in the ballroom and indicate how many guests can be seated at each table.

The tables should be numbered (unless you want to give them names), and your escort cards should each have a number designating each guest to a corresponding table.

Check with your venue when you have to submit your final seating chart.

Typically, this would be three days before the wedding. Ensure you have that day marked on your wedding timeline. Any changes should be communicated immediately so the tables are set up correctly.

Start Compiling The Escort Cards And Place Cards

Get your escort cards and place cards (if applicable) ready. 

If they agree to set up the escort cards, these should be finished and given to the venue a day before your wedding.

You will need a card for each person coming to your wedding or one per couple. Make sure that each card is labeled with their name and table number.

The number of names on the cards should add up to the same number of chairs in the room, matching the correct number of seats at each table, so make sure it is congruent. 

Sort the escort cards alphabetically by last name. This will make it easier for you to organize them and help your guests quickly find their names on the escort card table.

Finalize And Wrap Gifts For Bridal Party

To ensure everything is in order and done on time, ensure your bridal party gifts are wrapped and labeled with the person’s name. Just one less thing: you now don’t have to deal with it later, so make sure you have it on your wedding timeline.

Break In Your Wedding Shoes

Make sure you start breaking in those heels and Oxfords. You will have to stand for a long time on the day of your wedding and still be able to dance and possibly host an afterparty.

Put on that heavy beat or some pop or salsa music, whatever you feel like dancing to, walk throughout your home, and stretch your shoes into shape for more comfort on your big day.

1 Week Before Your Wedding

Schedule A Final Walk-Through

You could skip this step if you work with an experienced events manager and a well-seasoned team at your wedding venue. But if you need to review things one last time, arrange for a final walkthrough about a week before your wedding.

Doing a final walk-through will refresh everyone’s memory and get everyone into gear. Bring your list of questions you want to review, review the timeline, and discuss any adjustments.

3 Days Before Your Wedding

Submit Your Final Guarantees To Your Wedding Venue

This is the final number of guests attending your wedding. Check the exact date on which you have to submit the final count. 

Typically, you cannot reduce the numbers from here on, and you must pay this minimum even if some guests don’t show up.

2 Days Before Your Wedding

Drop Off Any Items At The Wedding Venue

If your wedding venue can safely store your escort cards, programs, favors, gift bags for overnight guests, etc., drop them off before your wedding day so you have less to carry and worry about on the day of your wedding.

This way, the wedding venue folks will also get a head start and don’t have to look for any items on the wedding day if they are in charge of setting them up.

However, you should never drop off your bridal dress at the venue in advance, even if it is more convenient.  

Prepare Envelopes With Cash Or Checks To Pay Vendors And Tips

If you have any vendors that need to be paid on the day of your wedding and if you are tipping anyone, put together envelopes ahead of time with their payments.

The proper etiquette for tipping people at your wedding is that gratuities are usually given to musicians, DJs, makeup artists, hairstylists, catering, and banquet managers. If you are considering hiring a wedding planner, consider tipping them, too.