The 12 Month Wedding Countdown                                      printable version: 12 Month Countdown

Congratulations on your engagement! Your will, wit, organizational skills, and humor will soon be put to the test. Weddings take a lot of planning and you will likely spend hundreds of  hours either on the phone, visiting with vendors, planning, or chasing after details. To help you get off to a good start, we've put together a complete outline of the things you'll need to do for your wedding and the approximate timeline for getting those things done. You will need six months to one year to arrange a large wedding in a popular city, at a trendy site or during the favorite wedding months of June, August, September, October, and December. However, you can plan a wedding in a much shorter time span than this, but you may not get your first pick of ceremony or reception sites, dress, photographer, etc. Use our local wedding vendors list and its many different categories to save you time. Good luck and happy planning!

Six to Twelve Months Before Your Wedding

____ Select a Wedding Date and Time
____ Schedule engagement portrait with your fiancé
____ Announce your engagement in the newspaper
____ Plan an engagement party with family and friends
____ Talk with a bridal consultant or wedding coordinator
____ Find out what bridal shows are in the area and plan on attending
____ Discuss and agree on a preliminary wedding budget
____ Decide who will pay for what and how expenses will be shared
____ Call your church or synagogue for an appointment with the Officiant
____ Consider and ask friends and family to serve as wedding attendants
____ Get organized! Start a planning system.
____ Start your wedding guest list.
____ Start thinking about ideas or themes for your reception and catering plans
____ Determine what type of entertainment you want to have for your reception
____ Decide the type of wedding you would like to have think about the size, formality, and setting.
____ Select your wedding color scheme
____ Look at getting pre-marital counseling
____ Start health and fitness plan if you're not already in one! Look at our beauty countdown.
____ Start thinking about traditions and customs that you wish to include in your wedding.
____ Select your ceremony location
____ Select your reception location
____ Select your photographer
____ Select your videographer
____ Select your caterer
____ Select Musician or Disc Jockey
____ Select your florist
____ Shop together for your wedding rings
____ Select wedding dress and headpiece, and set a date for fittings and delivery
____ Select your bridesmaids' dresses and accessories
____ Choose a honeymoon and location
____ Start talking about where you are going to live after the wedding.
____ Contact important out-of-town guests to let them know to save your date.

Four Months Prior To The Wedding

____ Check the requirements for marriage license
____ Select and discuss your color schemes with the florist.
____ Again consider pre-marital counseling
____ Reserve your wedding day rental equipment
____ Decide on a gift registry and select your gift choices at a variety of stores
____ Order your invitations and related stationery like thank you notes
____ Start shopping for the men's wedding attire
____ Reserve your wedding day transportation
____ Select readings for ceremony
____ Make music selections for ceremony and reception
____ Decide upon and order favors
____ Select your baker, then choose your cake, and groom’s cake
____ Help both mothers coordinate and find their wedding day attire.
____ Review your contracts with all of your vendors and service providers
     

Two Months Before Your Wedding

____ Mail out wedding invitations and announcements
____ Decide on the men's wedding attire
____ Arrange and plan your rehearsal dinner
____ Arrange attendants' parties
____ Purchase your wedding day accessories
____ Prepare accommodations for out-of-town attendants and guests
____ Book hotel for your wedding night.
____ Consider a hairdresser and/or makeup artist and book appointments
____ Finalize all honeymoon plans
____ Begin working on your wedding program
____ Book rehearsal dinner site
____ Begin working on your vows, especially if you are writing your own

One Month Left!

____ Attend bridal showers and write out those thank you notes!
____ Final wedding dress fitting
____ Do your big day run though for hair and makeup
____ Have formal bridal portrait taken
____ Final fitting for your wedding attendants
____ Obtain marriage license
____ Update and/or add to gift registry list
____ Have your attendants' parties
____ Create a calendar of events for the wedding day.
____ Make sure your accessories are in order the rings, pillow, garter, etc.
____ Purchase your going-away outfit
____ Choose a present for your fiancé from you on the big day.
____ Go shopping for honeymoon clothing

Two Weeks Remaining!

____ Finalize arrangements with the entertainers
____ Provide a list of music you would like played or not played
____ Finalize music during special events such as first dance, dance with dad, etc.
____ Pick up your wedding rings and make sure that the engravings are correct
____ Make sure the rings fit!
____ Contact the guests who you have not heard from
____ Prepare toasts for the rehearsal dinner and reception
____ Finalize Vows
____ Finish and print out programs

One Week To GO!

____ If you can, take the week, or part of the week off from work!
____ Make sure your marriage license is in order
____ Prepare seating arrangements, if necessary
____ Purchase travelers checks, confirm honeymoon reservations, pick up tickets
____ Pack your luggage for your honeymoon
____ Have your wedding ceremony rehearsal
____ Instruct your wedding party on what they will be doing on the day of the wedding
____ Have your rehearsal dinner
____ Keep up with those thank you notes!
____ Make sure all wedding attire fits properly
____ Give the best man the amounts your vendors are to be paid on the day of the wedding
____ Inform your caterer of the total guest count
____ Confirm out-of-town guests have transportation and sleeping accommodations
____ Check with your florist to make sure they will arrive when scheduled.
____ Make an emergency kit for the wedding day.
____ Arrange to move belongings to your new home.
____ Be sure wedding announcements are in order and ready to be mailed.

Your Wedding Day! It is finally here..

____ Your primary goal today is to get married! Have fun!
____ Relax, enjoy yourself, and remain calm!
____ Allow at least two hours for dressing
____ Allow plenty of time to apply your makeup and style your hair
____ If professionals are doing your hair and/or makeup, determine the time they need
____ If photographs are to be taken before the ceremony, allow plenty of time for that!
____ Remember to bring the rings and marriage license
____ Seat guests as they arrive
____ The groom’s parents should be seated about 5 minutes before start time
____ Mother of the bride is normally seated last
____ Take a deep breath, don't worry, be HAPPY and SMILE!