So, you have recently become engaged and are busy with wedding planning. Congrats! If you know how to plan a wedding and had a rough timeframe in mind then you are more likely to be successful and get it all right. Creating a timeline will not only provide a countdown to the big day, it will also ensure you get everything done in a timely manner.
Months 12 – 10
With twelve months to go, it is essential you work out your budget. The average wedding costs around £25,000 so this certainly isn’t cheap by any stretch of the imagination. If you don’t have this to hand then you will need to plan how to achieve this amount. If you plan on taking out a loan then make sure you have a high credit score. This will mean you are more appealing to lenders and won’t be charged a fortune to make the repayments.
Now eleven months, it is time to write down your guest list and eliminate anyone who doesn’t necessarily need to be there. Engage with your other half as there may be people that you don’t agree on.
Ten months now, it’s time to sort out your dates and look deeper into the venues you are interested in. Make a list of these and then you can start whittling down which one is more suitable for your wants and needs.
Remember, if planning your wedding is too much for you then you can always hire a wedding planner. They will do all the research and legwork for you, so you don’t have to.
Months 9 – 7
When you have nine months to go, there isn’t long left. It is time to book vendors and pay deposits so you are definitely booked in. This could be the photographer of your choosing, DJs, bands, and potentially videographers. The great ones typically get booked up rather quickly.
Months seven and eight, it is the exciting time of sorting out dresses and suits. If you stress about this step then you tend to overthink everything and will be less likely to say yes, even if you do find it. Doing this step well in advance gives time for alterations to be made by expert seamstresses.
If you are doing engagement photos then now is the chance. You can create a wedding registry and place one or two of these photos on the website or social media page you are using. This is where you will place the items you would like for gifts, so that you don’t have to tell all of the attendees what you want. Having a list in one place can ensure you get everything you dream of.
Months 6-4
Half way through the year, and the big day is creeping in ever so closer. With six months to go it is time to choose your wedding party, this includes bridesmaids, groomsmen, ushers, and flower girls. They need enough notice to say yes/no and buy any outfits they need for the big day.
Now is also time to plan your honeymoon, check passport expiration dates, and book any flights needed for either the honeymoon or the wedding. Speak to your other half as there may have always been somewhere romantic you have wanted to go. Top destinations for honeymoons include New York, Maldives, or Australia.
You will also need to finalise any invitations you are sending, get the design and place your order. The same goes for any and all catering you are going to be ordering, including your wedding cake. You don’t want to leave this too late otherwise bakeries and chefs won’t have availability on your chosen dates.
Months 3 – 2
When you have three months to go until your wedding, send out your invites and wait for those RSVPs to come back. Not everyone will be able to attend your wedding so knowing final numbers will be a huge help.
With only a couple of months to go, it is time to head to the jewelry shops and buy your wedding bands. You don’t want to leave too long to buy these, just in case you fluctuate in sizes.
Create a run sheet for any and all musicians or DJs you are having at your wedding. Make sure you inform them of any music or artists that you don’t like, or any time frame you wish to avoid.
Now is also a great time to book yourself in for makeup and hair trials before the big day. You don’t just want to wing it on the day as you will be pushed for time.
1 Month To Go
Wow, you made it through the year, hopefully without too many wedding hiccups or disagreements.
You will now need to provide your caterer with final numbers of guests who are coming to help you celebrate your big day. If you have received maybe’s from your invites then give them a call, message, or email to find out if they are coming.
In relation to this, you can also create your seating plan so you don’t have any last minute panics about uncle Rob and aunty Beth sitting together when they aren’t the best of friends.
Confirm with all of your vendors that they are still okay to attend and cover your wedding dates. You don’t want to just leave this with no confirmation as there could be some last minute disasters on the day.
One final thing that you must not forget and it can be done with around a month to go is apply for your marriage license. You need to check your local laws to see what the legal timeframe is for this.
So there you have it, a play by play of your monthly countdown to say I DO. Follow this and you won’t go wrong in pulling off the most epic wedding of the century.
LL x
*This is a contributed post. As ever, all opinions are my own.
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