Wedding Timeline

Wedding Planning: 10-24 Months Before

At this point you'll be doing wedding planning basics. Basic research, budgeting, choosing your date.

Your first major commitment in planning the wedding (aside from choosing your groom-(grin) is choosing your venue.

For most brides, this takes place, on the average, 10-12 months prior to the wedding date.

And the average bride takes about a month and visits 4 locations before making her choice. But many venues are booked two years out or more. So if you have a specific venue in mind, its best to reserve your place as quickly as possible.

In some ways this is your largest step because your venue sets the tone for everything to follow. And your venue cost (including costs for food, beverage, catering) will be your largest outlay. (And if your venue does not include an in-house caterer, you'll need to secure that service as well).

Although most people immediately think of a banquet hall, hotel ballroom, or country club as venue choices, a wedding reception can take place at an outdoor garden (you'll probably want a tent to protect from the elements if necessary), an elegant mansion, even a winery(!)

Many museums and historic buildings rent out their premises for events. In Philadelphia, for example, the grand 30th Street Train station, Franklin Institute, a tall ship turned restaurant called the Moshulu.

I recently entertained at a wedding reception held on the Spirit of Philadelphia which takes its passengers on a cruise of the Delaware river where they can watch the Philadelphia and Camden skylines, enjoy a wonderful buffet meal and dance.

You'll spend less money and improve availability and service by keeping this in mind when choosing your wedding date:

Demand for certain products and services are higher at certain times of the year.

Some examples: Dates near Valentine's Day, Mother's Day, and Christmas affect the cost of flowers for example. Saturdays in December is a peak time for venues, catering, and entertainment. Travel may be affected around Christmas, New Year's and Thanksgiving.

You'll want to choose a theme.

The theme may be as simple as your color scheme, your flowers, a particular pattern, or something more encompassing such as the “Old West.” You can suggest a theme with a few decorative items, a particular color or pattern and style of dress for the wedding party. Or you can go all out and have a set designed and rent period costumes.

Your decorator or coordinator can assist you or create it for you.

Should you hire a wedding planner?
Consider this. A wedding planner's role can be as limited or as extensive as you need. She can coordinate and put everything together for you. She can be brought in for certain aspects of the planning that you prefer not to handle. Or you can use her as a sounding board or just have her on board to guide things on the day of the event.

A competent wedding planner knows the local venues and the local vendors so she can direct you to those who deliver. Because she knows the ins and outs, she can save you time and money. Many claim that if you are on a budget, it makes particularly good sense to consult with them since they know how and where to get things done efficiently.

Wedding Planning: 9 Months Before

You've already finalized the site of the ceremony and reception, secured your caterer.By the time you reach your 9 month benchmark you'll also want to have secured arrangements with your DJ or band, photographer and videographer.

Wedding Planning: 6-9 Months Before

If international travel is part of your wedding or honeymoon plans, make sure your passports are in order.

Now is the time to select and order invitations, wedding cakes, musicians for your ceremony.

Start shopping for wedding attire. This includes your wedding gown, dresses for bridesmaids, etc.

4-6 Months Before

Book your honeymoon travel and accommodations.

Finalize your guest list. If you have out-of-town guests, now is the time to book their hotel rooms and rental cars if needed.

Finalize your menus with the caterer.

Hire your florist if you haven't already.

Make sure dresses for bridesmaids are chosen.

Book your hotel accommodations for your wedding night.

Talk to hairstylists and make-up artists.

Shop for wedding ring.

Hire miscellaneous entertainment such as caricature artists, walk-around magicians, Tarot readers.

Wedding Planning: 2-4 Months Before

Grooms should reserve their tux.

Secure arrangements for rental items such as tents, linens, tables, chairs, stage, etc.

Many vendors coordinate with each other.Party and tent rental companies often have relationships with caterers. Caterers have relationships with rental companies. Decorators have relationships with these vendors also. And so on and so forth.

You can use them not only to get a source for referrals, but sometimes, if they don't have the service in-house, they may subcontract so you don't have to.

Book your wedding limo.

Make sure measurements and reservations for clothing for male attendants are finalized.

Pick up your gown. Make sure you have all accessories.

Finalize details about music and musicians. If you are using a DJ at the reception, they should have list of songs to play-- and not to play.

Reserve restaurants or clubs for Bachelor and Bachelorette parties, pre-wedding lunches or dinners, rehearsal dinners…

Get blood tests.

Make arrangements for babysitters, petsitters or other arrangements to handle the home front while you're away-and for the day of the event.

Wedding Planning: 1-2 Months Before

Gown should be final fitted.

Send wedding announcements to local newspapers, colleges, etc.

Write out your wedding vows.

Finalize wedding transportation for wedding party, out-of-towners. Include times they need to arrive.

Hire valet for valet parking if venue doesn't have adequate parking.

Walk through your reception site with your photographer and videographer. Discuss what photos you'd like.

Don't turn your wedding day into a photo shoot.Vendors such as caterers and photographers have timelines. Make sure they coordinate so that you're not being pulled out for photos in the middle of dinner.

Discuss your requests with the photographer to ensure that he or she can accomplish what is desired in a reasonable time frame.

Designate a special assistant to help with errands on the wedding day.

Call home and auto insurance agents to make sure your policies reflect the changes in your living arrangements.

Finalize any loose ends with your vendors, performers or venues.

Wedding Planning: 1 Month to 2 Weeks Before

Mail out rehearsal dinner invites.

Pick up marriage license and blood test results.

Wear your shoes for a couple hours to make sure they are tolerable.

Finalize all duties with the wedding party. Make sure they have all of their clothing and accessories.

If moving to a new residence, call utilities. movers, etc, to make arrangements for the move.

Buy gifts for special people such as Mom, Dad, spouse, etc.

Buy place card holders if you don't already have them.

Wedding Planning: 2 Weeks to 2 Days Before

Call any guests who have not RSVP'd and give head count to caterer.

Give final seating chart to caterer or reception hall manager.

Create timeline for the wedding day and give it to the wedding party, parents, and Officiant.

Call all vendors and performers and make sure everything is on-target..

Have someone to greet vendors and performers and direct them to places for their set up.

Meet with photographer and give him or her a final list of shots you must have.

Confirm all reservations: hotels, restaurants, limos.

Prepare envelopes for payment for the ceremony, reception hall, DJ, musicians, performers.

Make sure you have at least one credit card with room to take with you on the honeymoon.

Groom picks up tuxedo.

Make sure limo drivers have list of schedules and addresses.

Finalize delivery arrangements of your wedding cake with the bakery.

Pack for honeymoon. Don't forget travel documents.

Coordinate with your assistant to collect all gifts on the wedding day. Have tape available to tape cards to gifts so you know where they came from.

Assistant should have list of all phone numbers of vendors and entertainers.

Wedding Planning: The Day Before

Finish packing. See to any last minute details for the honeymoon.

The bride sees her hairdresser, makeup artist, and manicurist.

Do a run through with the wedding party and the Officiant.

Hand out wedding party gifts at rehearsal dinner.

Give tip envelopes to your assistant.

Stash water and a snack in the car taking you from the ceremony to the reception.

Wedding Planning: Your Wedding Day

Get up nice and early. An early start will ensure that your schedule will run smoothly.

To see how your wedding day will go, here is a description of a common format of a wedding reception.

Related Articles

• Common Format of a Wedding Reception

• A Wedding Timeline.

• Choosing a Wedding Date

• Destination Weddings: Interview with Gurus Denise and Alan Field

• Wedding Resources

• Wedding Planning

• Hire a Musician

• How to Hire a DJ for your Wedding

• Caricature Entertainment: A Surefire Way to Liven up Your Wedding

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