Many women dream of walking down the aisle one day, with the love of their life teary-eyed, waiting at the end of it. On this day, all eyes will be on them, and everyone will celebrate what would be considered the culmination of their single lives before they are joined with their partner in matrimony.
However, the road to get to that point is long and winding. It can be a true test of patience for couples because wedding preparations bring out the best and worst in people. Sometimes, the longer it takes to prepare a wedding, the harder it is for people to stay sane and level-headed.
That’s why some couples mutually agree to forego the entire ceremony and get the marriage over with in a city hall. As long as they are willing to commit to one another and a couple of witnesses by their side to make the marriage valid, they won’t need the whole event.
But for most people, a marriage is a once-in-a-lifetime event. That’s why they can’t be blamed for wanting to experience everything — from the cake tasting to making the seating arrangement and all the planning it comes with. So, if you want a quick overview of what is bound to happen, here’s a rough timeline of events for your wedding preparation that’s spread over a year:
9 – 12 Months before the Wedding
The very first thing you have to make after deciding to prepare for a wedding is your budget. Even if you can do without a wedding budget, you should consider making one so that you won’t overspend on a single event, especially not when you have the rest of your married lives ahead of you.
Once you’ve settled on a budget, you need to start looking for possible wedding venues and dates because those need to be booked in advance. You won’t want to stress yourself about your venue too close to the wedding date because that will be a series of disasters in the making.
This is also the time to start building your guest list. You won’t have to finalize anything until a month or two before the wedding, but this is a simple task that you can cross off your list from the get-go. So, sit down with your soon-to-be spouse and discuss who you’re going to invite to your wedding.
6 – 8 Months before the Wedding
At this point, you’ll need to start looking for caterers that can accommodate your wedding date. Create different menus for the ceremony just so you’ll have options if one thing becomes unavailable near the event. Also, don’t settle for the first caterer you see; shop around for options and hire the best one.
Speaking of shopping, this is when you should start looking for wedding gowns. Spending your afternoons at boutiques and getting drunk on champagne with your closest friends or family is a rite of passage. Don’t miss out on the chance of a lifetime and find the perfect dress, but make sure it won’t break your bank in the process.
3 – 5 Months before the Wedding
When you’ve found the right gown, the next thing you need to cross off your list is your wedding bands. But keep in mind that this is something you have to do with your soon-to-be spouse. Share the responsibility of finding the wedding bands that you’ll both be wearing on your fingers for the rest of your lives.
This is also the right time to finalize the program for the ceremony and practice the vows you’ll be saying to one another. If possible, consider memorizing your vows so that you won’t have to read them from a piece of paper during the ceremony. Speaking from memory will feel more natural and heartwarming, after all.
If you want specific flower arrangements for the aisle and the reception area, this can be the time to do it. Of course, you’ll have to take the season into account because the flowers you want might not be available during that time, so you need to be flexible when it comes to your decorations.
1 – 2 Months before the Wedding
Two months before the big day is when you should be sending out your wedding invites so that you can start finalizing your guest list. That should be enough time to confirm who will be present during the day, plus it can help you finalize your seating arrangement for the reception.
Your final dress and suit fitting should happen a month before, so you’ll still have enough time to make adjustments. Afterward, you need to communicate with your caterers, bakers, and other vendors to ensure that everything is set for the wedding. Double-checking can eliminate problems before they arise.
Once you’ve crossed off all the tasks and errands from your list, the only thing left to do will be to wait for the big day to arrive. Of course, if you don’t have a year to prepare for the wedding, you’ll need to readjust your timelines. But the sequence of events and tasks remain. So, be ready for a roller coaster ride that’s full of ups, downs, twists, and turns, just like marriage.
Meta title: Here’s a Timeline to Help You Plan Your Wedding
meta desc: Planning a wedding can be stressful and overwhelming, but it doesn’t have to be. Here’s a quick rundown of everything you need to accomplish months before your wedding day.
