This guide breaks down the key tasks by months to help ensure a smooth and stress-free planning process.
12+ Months Before the Wedding
⬜️ Set Your Budget: Determine how much you’re willing to spend and allocate funds for each aspect of the wedding.
⬜️ Hire a Wedding Planner: If you’re planning to work with a wedding planner, book them early. This is crucial for staying organized and on track. We recommend hiring our team before you start your venue search. Having an expert to guide you to the right venues, ask all the questions, and provide a detailed analysis of each venue can make your life SOOOOO much easier!
⬜️ Select a Date and Venue: Choose a wedding date and secure your venue. Popular venues book up quickly, so this should be one of your first priorities. Plus, you can't book much without a date and location!
⬜️ Create a Guest List: Start drafting your guest list to get a rough idea of the number of people you will want to invite.
9-12 Months Before the Wedding
⬜️ Book Key Vendors: Secure your photographer, videographer, caterer, hair and makeup team, and entertainment (band or DJ).
⬜️ Shop for Attire: Begin shopping for your wedding dress and the groom’s suit or tuxedo. Allow ample time for fittings and alterations.
⬜️ Create a Wedding Website: You want to have a wedding website so you can put it on your Save-the-Dates. The website can just be a landing page that we add details to as we plan! It will save you a ton of time and energy-- instead of responding to every single question from guests, you can simply respond "Check the website!".
⬜️ Send Save-the-Dates: Once your guest list and venue are confirmed, send out save-the-dates, especially if you’re having a destination wedding. You don't need to have all the details figured out for Save-the-Dates-- the date and location is fine! If you have a lot of guests traveling, providing information about nearby airports and suggested hotels is great, but not a requirement!
⬜️ Plan Engagement Photos: Schedule your engagement photo session with your photographer.
⬜️ Research Accommodations: If you have out-of-town guests, research nearby accommodations and consider booking a block of hotel rooms. ⬜️ Choose Your Wedding Party: Ask your bridesmaids, groomsmen, and other attendants to be a part of your big day.
6-9 Months Before the Wedding
⬜️ Design: We will start working on the design for your wedding day at about 10 months out. We'll conceptualize the event, come up with color palettes, floral inspiration, and tabletop details.
⬜️ Book Florist: After the design is set, we will book your florist and start working on the floral design details.
⬜️ Book Rentals: We will want to get your rentals (tables, chairs, linens, table top items, tent, stage, etc.) reserved. We will continue to make adjustments as the design evolves and make final edits once all RSVPs are in.
⬜️ Book Transportation: Reserve transportation for the wedding day for you, the wedding party, and guests, if necessary.
⬜️ Order Bridesmaid Dresses: Choose and order bridesmaid dresses to allow plenty of time for fittings and alterations.
⬜️ Start Planning the Honeymoon: Decide on your honeymoon destination and book travel and accommodations.
4-6 Months Before the Wedding
⬜️ Finalize Guest List: Finalize your guest list and start collecting addresses for invitations.
⬜️ Send Invitations: Mail out wedding invitations 3-4 months before the wedding, with an RSVP date about 4-6 weeks out.
⬜️ Order Wedding Rings: Choose and order wedding bands.
⬜️ Menu: Finalize your menu with the caterer. Choose your Signature Drinks and wine/beer selections.
⬜️ Hire a Signage Artist: If you're using a different company than your invitations, start working with the designer on day-of paper goods like Welcome Sign, Menus, Table Numbers, Table Assignments, and Bar Signage.
⬜️ Register for Gifts: Create your wedding registry and include a variety of price points for guests to choose from. Add your registry to your wedding website.
⬜️ Plan Your Rehearsal Dinner and/or Welcome Party: Choose a venue/restaurant that can accommodate your families and wedding party (+ any other additional guests you want to extend the invite to). Add the details to your wedding website.
2-4 Months Before the Wedding
⬜️ Create a Day-Of Timeline: Work with your wedding planner to create a detailed timeline for the day of the wedding.
⬜️ Finalize Decor: Confirm your decor details with the venue, florist, and rental companies.
⬜️ Order Favors: If you’re giving out wedding favors, order them now.
⬜️ Make a Playlist: Curating a playlist of your likes and the music vibe that you want for the different parts of the wedding (ceremony, cocktail, dinner, dancing) will help guide your DJ or band in the right musical direction.
⬜️ Personal Details: Start thinking of things like the guestbook, if you want to purchase a cake knife and server, toasting flutes, and other personal details you may want to incorporate into the day.
⬜️ Make a Marriage License Appointment: You have 90 days to solemnize your marriage after obtaining your license, so plan accordingly! (Hint: San Francisco City Hall books up with appointments fast!).
1-2 Months Before the Wedding
⬜️ Confirm Vendor Details: Touch base with all vendors to confirm final details, delivery times, and any remaining balances.
⬜️ Get Your Marriage License: Apply for your marriage license according to your state’s requirements.
⬜️ Attend Final Dress Fitting: Go for your final dress fitting and ensure you have all your accessories ready. Ask the tailor or seamstress how to bustle your dress and what the best way to get stains out is (Shout wipes, cold water, etc.). Take videos and notes!
⬜️ Create Seating Chart: Finalize your seating chart based on RSVPs.
2-4 Weeks Before the Wedding
⬜️ Prepare Final Payments: Organize final payments and tips for vendors to be distributed on the wedding day.
⬜️ Review the Final Timeline: Go over the final timeline with your wedding planner and confirm it with your vendors.
⬜️ Pack for the Honeymoon: If you’re leaving shortly after the wedding, start packing for your honeymoon.
⬜️ Break in Your Shoes: Wear your wedding shoes around the house to avoid blisters on the big day.
⬜️ Prepare a Wedding Emergency Kit: Include items like safety pins, a small sewing kit, stain remover, and breath mints.
1 Week Before the Wedding
⬜️ Confirm Guest Count with Caterer: Provide your final headcount to the caterer.
⬜️ Delegate Day-Of Tasks: Assign tasks to your wedding party, such as creating a killer playlist for getting ready, ordering breakfast/lunch, and keeping track of the timeline.
⬜️ Rehearse the Ceremony: Hold your rehearsal and go over any last-minute details.
⬜️ Relax and Enjoy: Take time to relax and enjoy the days leading up to your wedding. Trust in the planning you’ve done.
The Wedding Day
⬜️ Stay Calm: Take deep breaths and enjoy every moment. This is your day!
⬜️ Follow the Timeline: Stick to the timeline as closely as possible, but be flexible if things don’t go exactly as planned.
⬜️ Celebrate: Focus on celebrating your love and the start of your new life together!
This timeline is a guideline to help you stay organized and ensure you don’t miss any important details. With intentional planning and our guidance, your wedding day will be a beautiful and memorable experience for everyone involved.
Feel free to save this image to keep track of your own wedding planning timeline!
If you need help planning the perfect wedding, don’t hesitate to reach out to us at Hand & Heart Events. We’re here to support you through your wedding planning journey and create a day your guests will talk about for YEARS!