Wedding Planning 101

The average length of engagement is 14.5 months. Seem like a long time to you, too?! I always thought I would get engaged at Christmas and get married the following summer (which would be about a six month engagement). When Ryan (my fiancé) and I began planning our wedding, we quickly learned that being engaged for less than 6 months would force us to settle for a venue that neither of us loved… which just wouldn’t feel right!!! We decided to be patient and have a year long engagement so we could get married on a dock in the summertime.

I know not everyone is engaged or even likes weddings… but I really do love weddings, which is why I wanted to share a bit with y’all about our planning process!!! 

Since I am smack dab in the middle of planning a wedding (and loving most of it!), I thought I’d share some of the things I’ve learned so far.

Disclaimer: This schedule is how I went about wedding planning, and so far it’s worked out well. BUT, it’s not the end all be all! For example, you don’t necessarily need to book your DJ immediately, but since this was a huge priority for us, we booked ours ASAP. If you know a caterer that you have to have at your wedding, then I’d suggest booking them in the first few months after you get engaged.

I generally tried to follow The Knot‘s schedule, but I pretty much just kept in touch with vendors and booked who I felt most comfortable with (and who didn’t break the bank haha.) Anyways, here’s the general schedule that I stuck to.

Wedding Planning 101

Phase 1:

• Make a prelim guest list. 
• Determine a budget and who’s paying for what.
• Find your perfect venue.
• PSA: The guest count is something to roughly figure out right away. That number governs where you can party and how much it’ll cost.

         Time frame: immediately

Phase 2:

• Book your photographer
• Book your DJ
• Find your wedding dress.

         Time frame: 12 – 9 months before the big day

Phase 3:

• Reserve hotels/cabins/houses for the week/weekend
• Order save the dates
• Decide on your bridal party / buy gifts
• Reserve rehearsal dinner location
• Research and try-out caterers
• Research hair and make up salons

         Time frame: 6 – 9 months before the big day

Phase 4:

• Book your caterer and florist
• Decide on bridesmaids dresses and groomsmen suits
• Order wedding invitations
• Brainstorm ceremony & reception decorations
• Research hair & make up salons and schedule your trial
• Book your honeymoon!!!

         Time frame: 3 – 6 months before the big day

Phase 5:

• Reach out to guests that haven’t responded yet 
• Make a day-of timeline and send to everyone involved in the wedding
• Delegate day-of tasks (and make sure those people know their tasks!)
• Finalize centerpieces (zero to three months before the big day)
• Decide if you and your groom are giving gifts

Time frame: 0-3 months before the big day

I am super excited to share more with y’all about how I planned our wedding! There’s so much to do when it comes to planning for the big day, so I’m hoping I can give you some insight and prep you for what’s to come.

If you’re feeling at all stressed out, here are some tips I found helpful!

Just remember: This day is about marrying the love of your life. Even if it rains, or if Aunt Betty starts some drama with Uncle Joe, or if the cake is buttercream instead of vanilla, you’ll still be married to your other half at the end of the day. <3