Wedding Planning Timeline: 12 Months to the Big Day
A month-by-month countdown covering every major wedding milestone from venue booking to the last dance. Organized chronologically so nothing slips through the cracks.
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12-9 Months Out: Foundations
Set a total wedding budget with all contributing parties
Sit down with everyone who's contributing financially and agree on a hard number before booking anything. Couples who skip this step overspend by an average of 20-45%. Write it down and track every expense from day one.
List all income sources (savings, family contributions, financing)
Allocate percentages by category (venue 40-50%, food 25-30%, etc.)
Create a shared spreadsheet or use a budget tracking app
Draft a preliminary guest list
Start with everyone you'd invite if space were unlimited, then cut ruthlessly. The guest count drives your venue choice, catering cost, and invitation order. A difference of 20 guests can shift your budget by $3,000-$6,000.
Get names from both families
Set a target headcount range
Choose a wedding date (or 2-3 backup dates)
Saturday evenings in May-October are peak season and cost 20-40% more than off-peak dates. Friday evenings and Sunday afternoons offer major savings with minimal guest inconvenience. Check for holiday weekends and major sporting events that could affect attendance.
Book the ceremony and reception venue
Popular venues book 12-18 months out, especially for peak-season Saturdays. Visit at least 3 venues and ask about capacity, catering restrictions, noise curfews, setup/teardown windows, and whether they charge a site fee or require minimum spend. Get everything in the contract.
Schedule site visits at your top 3-5 venues
Compare costs including hidden fees (service charges, overtime rates)
Sign the contract and pay the deposit
Hire a wedding planner or day-of coordinator
A full planner costs 10-15% of your total budget. A day-of coordinator costs $1,500-$3,000 and handles logistics the final 4-6 weeks plus the wedding day itself. If you're on a tight budget, a day-of coordinator is the single best investment for stress reduction.
Start researching and booking key vendors
Photographers, videographers, and popular bands/DJs book 9-12 months ahead. Get at least 3 quotes per vendor category. Ask every vendor for references from recent weddings, and actually call those references.
Book a photographer
Book a videographer (if desired)
Book a DJ or band
Book an officiant
Choose your wedding party
Ask in person or with a thoughtful gesture, not a group text. Be clear about expectations: financial commitments (attire, bachelor/bachelorette party), time commitments (fittings, rehearsal), and day-of responsibilities.
Start shopping for wedding attire
Bridal gowns take 4-8 months from order to delivery, plus 1-2 months for alterations. Start trying on dresses early to narrow your preferred silhouette. Bring no more than 2-3 trusted people to appointments — too many opinions cause decision paralysis.
8-6 Months Out: Major Decisions
Book the caterer and schedule a tasting
A tasting for 2 people is typically free or $50-$150. Taste the actual menu options, not a special tasting-only spread. Ask about per-person pricing tiers, whether alcohol is included, and how they handle dietary restrictions (count on 10-15% of guests having at least one).
Compare 3 catering proposals
Decide on service style (plated, buffet, family-style, stations)
Finalize the menu after the tasting
Book the florist and discuss arrangements
Bring photos of arrangements you like, but trust the florist's guidance on seasonal availability. In-season flowers cost 30-50% less than imported varieties. Repurpose ceremony flowers at the reception to stretch your floral budget further.
Provide inspiration photos and color palette
List all arrangements needed (bouquets, centerpieces, ceremony arch, boutonnieres)
Order invitations and stationery
Order 15-20% more invitations than your guest count to cover mistakes, last-minute additions, and keepsakes. Proofread everything 3 times and have someone outside the couple proof it too. Inner envelopes are optional and save about $1 per invitation.
Finalize the invitation design
Collect accurate mailing addresses for all guests
Order save-the-dates if not already sent
Book hotel room blocks for out-of-town guests
Negotiate a group rate at 2 hotels — one mid-range, one budget-friendly — within 15 minutes of the venue. Most hotels offer complimentary room blocks with no financial obligation; you just reserve a set number of rooms at a discounted rate. Include booking info with invitations.
Plan the honeymoon and book travel
International flights are cheapest 3-6 months before departure. If you're leaving the day after the wedding, book a late-morning flight — you will be exhausted. Some couples opt for a mini-moon right after the wedding and a longer trip 2-3 months later.
Choose a destination and dates
Book flights and accommodations
Check passport expiration (must be valid 6+ months past travel dates)
Register for gifts
Register at 2 price points: one higher-end and one accessible. Include items from $25 to $250+ to give guests options. A cash fund or honeymoon registry is increasingly common and perfectly acceptable. Have your registry live before invitations go out.
Book the cake or dessert vendor
Schedule a tasting and bring your color palette and inspiration photos. A tiered cake for 150 guests costs $600-$1,200 on average. A smaller display cake plus a sheet cake in the kitchen saves 30-40% while looking identical to guests.
5-3 Months Out: Details and Logistics
Mail invitations 6-8 weeks before the wedding
Include a response deadline 3-4 weeks before the wedding. Use RSVP cards with stamped return envelopes — response rates drop significantly when you ask guests to find their own stamps. Track RSVPs in a spreadsheet as they arrive.
Schedule dress fittings and alterations
Plan 2-3 fittings spaced 2-3 weeks apart. Bring the exact shoes, undergarments, and accessories you'll wear on the wedding day. Final fitting should be 1-2 weeks before the wedding. Budget $300-$700 for alterations on top of the dress cost.
First fitting (4-6 weeks before the wedding)
Second fitting (2-3 weeks before)
Final fitting and pickup (1-2 weeks before)
Finalize ceremony details
If writing your own vows, agree on a format: similar length (1-2 minutes each), similar tone (both funny, both sincere, or a mix). Practice reading them aloud at least 3 times so delivery feels natural.
Write or select vows
Choose ceremony readings and readers
Plan the processional order and music
Confirm details with the officiant
Plan the reception timeline with your coordinator or DJ
A standard 5-hour reception: cocktail hour (1 hr), dinner (1.5 hrs), toasts during dinner, first dance, parent dances, open dancing (2 hrs), bouquet/garter toss, last dance. Build in 15-minute buffers between events — everything runs late.
Arrange transportation for the wedding day
Guest shuttles between the hotel block and venue dramatically reduce drunk driving risk and parking headaches. A 30-passenger bus costs $400-$800 for 4-5 hours — split across guests, that's negligible per person.
Book transportation for the wedding party to the ceremony
Arrange a getaway car or ride for the couple
Organize guest shuttle if venue is far from hotels
Purchase wedding bands
Order rings 2-3 months before the wedding to allow time for sizing adjustments. Custom or engraved rings need 4-6 weeks. Both partners should try on rings together to see how they look as a set with the engagement ring.
Apply for the marriage license
Requirements vary by state and county. Most require both parties in person with valid IDs. Some states have a waiting period of 1-5 days between license issuance and the ceremony. Licenses expire in 30-90 days, so time it right.
2 Weeks to 1 Week Out: Final Confirmations
Confirm final headcount with the caterer and venue
Chase down every non-respondent by phone — expect 10-15% of guests to ignore your RSVP card. Give the caterer your final count 10-14 days before the wedding. Most contracts charge per the guaranteed minimum, so accuracy saves money.
Create the seating chart
Start with must-seat-together groups (families, close friend groups), then fill gaps. Put outgoing, social guests at tables with people who don't know many others. Keep exes apart. Place elderly guests away from the speakers and close to exits.
Draft table assignments based on final RSVP count
Print place cards or escort cards
Confirm all vendor arrival times and logistics
Create a one-page contact sheet with every vendor's name, phone number, arrival time, and setup location. Give copies to your coordinator, maid of honor, and best man.
Send a day-of timeline to every vendor
Confirm setup and breakdown times
Provide vendor meal count to the caterer
Prepare final vendor payments, tips, and envelopes
Tip guidelines: coordinator $500-$1,000, photographer/videographer 10-15%, caterer 15-20% of food bill (check if gratuity is already included), DJ/band $50-$150 per member, officiant $100-$500. Put each in a labeled envelope and designate someone to distribute them.
Hold the rehearsal and rehearsal dinner
Schedule the rehearsal 1-2 days before the wedding, ideally at the actual venue. Walk through the full ceremony twice. Assign someone to manage the rehearsal dinner guest list and logistics so the couple can relax.
Run the ceremony rehearsal at the venue
Distribute wedding party gifts at the rehearsal dinner
Pack for the wedding night and honeymoon
Pack your honeymoon luggage before the wedding week — you won't have time or mental energy later. Leave a separate bag with your wedding-night essentials at the hotel: comfortable clothes, toiletries, phone charger, snacks.
Pack a change of clothes for the wedding night
Pack honeymoon luggage
Arrange for someone to return rented items after the wedding
Wedding Day Logistics
Eat a real breakfast and stay hydrated
Nerves kill appetite, but skipping meals leads to lightheadedness, headaches, and emotional crashes. Eat protein and complex carbs (eggs, toast, fruit). Drink water throughout the day — dehydration shows in photos (dull skin, dark under-eyes).
Allow 3-4 hours for hair and makeup
Schedule the bride last so her look is freshest for photos. Build in a 30-minute buffer for delays. Do a hair and makeup trial 1-2 months before the wedding with the same products and timing to avoid surprises.
Take all pre-ceremony photos on schedule
Give your photographer a shot list for family formals and share it 1 week in advance. Designate a family member to wrangle relatives for group photos — it saves 20-30 minutes of the photographer hunting people down.
Getting-ready photos (bride and groom separately)
First look photos (if doing a first look)
Wedding party photos
Family formal photos
Designate a point person for day-of decisions
This is your coordinator, maid of honor, or a trusted friend who fields all logistical questions so you don't have to. Vendor running late? Missing centerpiece? They handle it. Brief this person 2-3 days before with your priorities and dealbreakers.
Enjoy the reception — let the plan run itself
Visit every table during dinner to greet guests — plan 2-3 minutes per table. Eat your food (ask the caterer to set aside plates if the timeline is tight). Dance. The day goes by in a flash, so pause periodically and take it in.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does it take to plan a wedding?
The average wedding takes 12-16 months to plan, though 6-month engagements are doable with a flexible venue and fewer custom elements. Destination weddings need 14-18 months for guest travel logistics. The first 3 months are the busiest — securing the venue, setting the budget, and booking the photographer account for 60% of the major decisions.
What should be done 12 months before a wedding?
At the 12-month mark, lock in your venue, set the total budget, hire a photographer and videographer, and choose the wedding party. These four items are time-sensitive because the best vendors book a year out during peak season (May-October). Also open a shared planning document or app to track decisions, contracts, and deadlines in one place.
When should wedding invitations be mailed?
Mail invitations 6-8 weeks before the wedding, with an RSVP deadline 3-4 weeks before the event. For destination weddings, send 10-12 weeks early so guests can book flights and hotels. Save-the-dates go out 6-8 months ahead — 10-12 months for destination weddings. Allow 2-3 weeks for printing and addressing before your planned mail date.
What is a realistic wedding planning schedule for a 6-month engagement?
A 6-month timeline works if you move fast in the first 2 weeks: book the venue, photographer, and caterer immediately. Month 2 handles attire shopping (off-the-rack dresses have 2-3 month alterations), florist, and DJ. Month 3-4 covers invitations, cake, and rentals. Month 5 focuses on details like favors, seating charts, and timeline finalization. Month 6 is final confirmations and rehearsal.