So, after bingeing Say Yes to the Dress, you are engaged (or about to be engaged, or are on a marriage researching tangent)-whatever the way, congrats! It’s such an exciting time in your life to be engaged, it’s only so long that instead of husband or wife, your significant other has the “fiancé” title, and you’re going to want to enjoy every minute of it. But there is still one huge question: where on earth do you start when it comes to planning your wedding?
Zola is our favourite resource to streamline the process of wedding planning, which allows you to design your wedding website, plan your dream registry, and create all in one place your Save the Dates and wedding invitations. Zola makes engaged couples’ lives much easier with hundreds of affordable options for your website and invitations, and over 500 brands to register with.
By offering free shipping and price matching on your registry to make gifting easier, Zola can also help your guests (and a gift tracker and thank you note manager to make the pressure off of the dreaded thank you notes, so you can start off enjoying newlywed life instead of rummaging through scribbled lists of who go you what).
It should be exciting, not stressful, the year leading up to your marriage, so we broke down the 12 months leading up to it to make it feel do-able (so you can enjoy your pre-bridal glory without ending up as the family bridezilla your cousins talk about for the next 10 years).
Twelve months
It can feel like a lot of time, but it can go by in the blink of an eye in wedding planning time. You’re a year out. Here are some of the large image items that should start to be checked off your list:
Set a budget for weddings and prioritise the most important things
Draft the guest list for your wedding
Tour and book the venue for your wedding
Set up a date
Create your Pinterest board for your wedding
Book a coordinator’s planner or day (if in budget)
Photographer Book a Photograph
Try wedding dresses, order for 10 months (this allows the dress to be delivered for up to 6 months, any delays, and plenty of time for alterations); try to buy your veil at the same time so that you can try it on with the dress and finish the whole ‘look’
9 months Nine months, 9 months
Some of the details of your big day should be sorted out for around 9 months, such as booking a florist and photographer, choosing your wedding party, and creating your registry and wedding website.
Zola can help make your registry and website feel less of a task, and rather like something you want to do, because you can make it so tailored to the wishes of your fiancé and you. Zola will make this part of your schedule a breeze with hundreds of beautiful website designs, super easy setup, and even online RSVP.
The finest part? Zola combines your registry and website so that guests can get all the details of your wedding, RSVP, and purchase your gift in one place.
Book a videographer for the
Book a florist by booking
Book and make any pre-marital counselling appointments with an officer (if required)
Pick a wedding party and ask them to be part of your big day.
Take photos for engagement
Setup your registry for your wedding (doing it early gives access to both shower guests and wedding guests)
Creating a website for weddings
Book blocks for hotels (usually two differing price ranges)
Book a hotel for your wedding night
Start researching caterers and meeting with them
Start to compile addresses for guests
6 months, 6 months,
You’re out for six months, which means it’s time for your hair appointments to be booked, your guest list finalised, and Save the Dates! To set the tone for your wedding, you’re going to want your Save the Date, and be consistent with the invitation that’s going to come shortly after.
From the text, to the paper type, to even the corner types, your Save the Date will be exactly what you have pictured (and have the option of a free, matching wedding website!). Zola offers over 200 Save the Date designs, all of which are completely customizable.
Book your leases (linens, plates, cuttlery, chairs, lighting, tents, etc.)
Book artists with hair and makeup
Book a caterer for caterers
Complete your guest list for your wedding
Send Save the Dates out
Start designing wedding and suite invitations
Decide on the attire of the bridesmaid; send them the details and a final date to order by (pad this date for your sanity)
Start your honeymoon planning
Discuss dates and places for the bachelorette party with the maid of honour; send her a rough guest list to assist with planning.
4-5 months Within 4-5 months
Your wedding is coming so near! You’ll have started getting some gifts at this point, will have dress fittings, and will be looking for honeymoon accommodations, so exciting!
Book the venue of the rehearsal dinner (unless relatives are handling)
Book the music or the DJ
Order your invitations to weddings
Ordering your cake
Start with bridal dress fittings (make sure you bring any underwear you wear on your wedding day, bra, spanks, panti-hose, etc.)
Purchase or lease the attire of the groom
Decide on attire for groomsmen; send them the information and order a final date by (pad this date for your sanity)
Finalize the accommodation and honeymoon
As you receive presents, send thank you notes so that you are not overwhelmed.
Make sure you have all the legal documents you need for a honeymoon and a marriage certificate. If your passport is due to expire in less than 6 months, many nations will not allow you entry, so look at the expiration dates. Knowing now provides you with plenty of time to order any new documents.
3 months 3 months 3 months
Officially, it is crunch time. When it gets to the point that you’re a couple of weeks away from your wedding, you’re not going to want to worry about any of the big plans you have left, so now is the time to do it. It will make the last two months much more enjoyable before you start finalising details and developing a timeline for the big day.
Transportation for books
Finalize your caterer’s menu with
Finalize your officiant’s ceremony details
Finalize your design for florals
Purchase your rings for your wedding
Send out invitations for your wedding (between 6-8 weeks before)
Start planning music for the reception ceremony and (first dances, processional, etc.)
Ordering any required paper products (ceremony programs, menus, place cards, table numbers, etc.)
Create a timeline for the wedding day, including wedding party arrival, vendor arrival and family arrival times.
Buy gifts for your bridesmaids, groomsmen, and parents to thank you.
Buy wedding dress shoes (the final fit will be to determine the length and you can’t do this without shoes!), even if you plan to switch to more comfortable reception shoes, go ahead and order them as well!
Talk to your stylist about your wedding hair: treatments to do in advance, extensions, coloring/highlighting, trims, and what they think the correct timeline is based on your experience with them. Book those appointments.
2 months, 2 months
Your wedding is only a few weeks away, so it’s time to prepare yourself for the day.
Buy or make plans for any accessories for weddings (jewelry, hair accessories, garter, family heirlooms, etc.)
Touch base with all your vendors to confirm details, payment date, and insure that they have the contact information of your coordinator for the day of payment.
Send as many final payments as you can, usually all payments are due 30 days before the marriage, so get as many payments done in advance.
Check to insure that all wedding parties have received their clothes, make plans for modifications, and have the appropriate accessories (shoes, ties, pocket squares, etc.)
Do your research and test it out now if you’re planning to get a spray tan. A spray tan applied by a specialist is recommended rather than at-home treatments or an automated booth. Take note of what worked, what didn’t work, and how many days you enjoyed your tan the most.
1 month, 1 month
All your big planning should be done at this point, so it’s time to start writing your vows (yay!), get your hair and make-up test done, and talk to your photographer about wedding photos. And as tempting as it may be, don’t go try to make your co-worker swears that life-changing laser treatment will make you absolutely glow for your wedding, stick to your normal skincare regime that you know works for you.
Get the final count RSVP (call anyone you have not heard from)
Book your hair and makeup for trial
Book the final fitting dress
Break off your wedding boots
Get your licence for marriage
Give this to your caterer, bar tenders, and rental company once you have a final RSVP headcount to insure you have enough (usually 2 weeks before the date)
Create your chart for seating
Send out invitations to rehearsal dinners (unless relatives are handling)
Purchase your outfit for the rehearsal dinner and shoes
Send your timeline day to all your suppliers (unless wedding coordinator is handling)
Meet your photographer to talk about plans for the day and a must-have shot list
Write your promises
Get your wedding party together for the wedding day to discuss roles and responsibilities
Do NOT attempt new beauty treatments or regimens this month under any circumstances. Stick to items you’ve used before and no treatments you’ve not yet tried.
Week of Marriage
Here it is at last! It has paid off with all your hard work and planning, and it’s time to enjoy the days until your wedding.
Send the timeline day to everyone at the wedding party and parents
Have the jeweller clean your engagement ring
Book any waxing maintenance appointments around 7 days prior to
Pack a bag for the day and double check that it contains everything you need (make sure in addition to everything you need to get ready it also contains wedding bands and your marriage certificate)
Get your manicure for the wedding
Ensure that you have payment day
Weddings ideas 