Wedding Planning Timeline | Dallas Wedding Photographers

Wedding Planning Timeline

Here is a wedding planning timeline to help keep you on track so you know what needs to be complete and what other tasks you need to do. This wedding planning timeline is based off 12 months. If you are planning on a shorter engagement, read this helpful blog post.

12 Months Before:

• Get organized. Put together a binder for all your wedding information. It also helps to create a wedding email to keep all vendor information and details from getting lost in your personal email account. 
• Create a budget. Talk to your families, if they’re contributing funds, and sit down and figure out how much you can spend.
• Determine your style. Figure out what colors you’d like to use and the vibe you want your wedding to have: Classic? Modern? Whimsical? This is where that wedding Pinterest board may come in handy. 
• Pick the date. Only choose a date and time once you’ve cleared it with your most important guests, like immediate family. 
• Start that guest list. Your first list will probably be long, but write down everyone you’d like to invite.
• Begin looking at ceremony and reception sites.
• Build your wedding website. You can start with the “How We Met” story and the story of your engagement and add more details, like venue and hotel information, as you have them.
• Interview and choose a wedding coordinator. This may seem non-essential, but a planner/coordinator can be a huge help when it comes to booking vendors and keeping everything running smoothly. 

9-11 Months Before:

• Reserve your date with a venue and/or church
• Book any must-have vendors. Photographers book up fast and should be right after your date is locked in.
• Choose an officiant. If the minister at your chosen religious venue won’t be marrying you, contact and book the person who is. 
• Figure out who’s in. Choose bridesmaids and groomsmen, as well as the flower girl and ring bearer, and any other roles for family and friends, like ushers or guest book attendants. 
• Find good food. Book a caterer and figure out an estimated cost per person. This is also a good time to start planning your menu.
• Start looking for the dress.
• Look into potential vendors and start booking them.

6-8 Months Before:

• Order your wedding dress. It will most likely have to be altered, so you want plenty of time for fittings.
• Register for gifts. Create a registry at a minimum of three different stores to give your guests options.
• Determine ceremony details. Talk to your officiant about how you want the ceremony to go. This is also a great time to set up premarital counseling, if that’s required.
• Book all your other vendors. Cake, bar service, transportation, DJ, Florist, hair & makeup artist, videographer, caterer, etc.
• Get your engagement photos taken.
• Start researching and planning the honeymoon. 
• Figure out your hairdo. Look at possible hairstyles and start interviewing hair and makeup artists. 
• Choose bridesmaid dresses. And don’t forget to let your girls know, so they can schedule their own fittings.
• Book hotel rooms. Make sure to reserve some rooms at several hotels for out-of-town guests. This info should also go on your wedding website. 
• Order save-the-dates and invitations. Your save-the-date cards should be mailed about six-eight months before the wedding. The invites can wait until 3 months out.

4-5 Months Before:

• Finalize flowers. Make sure all your blooms are set with your florist.
• Choose outfits for the men.
• Book your honeymoon. Make all your travel reservations, from flights to hotel rooms. And be sure your passports are up to date and don’t expire soon.
• Address invitations. Plan not to do these all at once, especially if you’re doing them yourself. Save your writing hand and space them out.
• Book a wedding night hotel room.
• Finalize your rehearsal dinner menu.

2-3 Months Before:

• Choose shoes and sparkle. Make sure your bridesmaids have their footwear and any jewelry.
• Take care of the details. Buy or rent any additional decorations, like program baskets or garlands. 
• Order wedding bands.
• Mail invitations. These should go out at the three-month mark. Make sure your RSVP’s are numbered so you know who it belongs to and they have stamps on them.
• Choose wedding favors.

1 Month Before:

• Get your marriage license. In Texas, you can get your license in any county.
• Pick up wedding rings.
• Go to final dress fitting. Bring your shoes and accessories to get the full look. 
• Create and print programs.
• Track down anyone who hasn’t responded to your invite.
• Approve the timeline. Your photographer and/or DJ will give you a timeline if you don’t have a coordinator.
• Narrow down the music. Give your song list to your DJ or band. Be sure to include special song requests and any specific songs you don’t want to hear on your big day. 

2 Weeks Before:

• Confirm date and times with your vendors. If you have a coordinator, they will do this part.
• Get one last pre-wedding haircut. Don’t do anything different but a trim is always helpful.

1 Week Before:

• Know the number of guests. Make sure your caterer has the final head count. Don’t forget to include vendors that are working hard.
• Breathe. It’s all done. Relax as much as you can and enjoy your day.