12-16 Months Before

12 Months Before

• Announce your engagement to family and friends and plan an engagement party
• Place an engagement announcement in your local newspaper
• Sign up for a wedding website to keep your guests informed about event details, area information, etc.
• Work on the budget
• Consider purchasing wedding planning software to organize everything, or hire a wedding planner to help secure contracts, etc.
• Choose a wedding date - select a few days in case your first choice is booked
• Choose a location and reserve your ceremony and reception site(s)
• Begin a rough guest list and compile current addresses
• Decide on who you'd like to have as your attendants, including your maid of honor and best man
• Begin shopping for your wedding gown
• Attend a local bridal show or two and jot down notes about any vendors you really liked
• Purchase a wedding planning organizer or calendar to keep track of important dates and appointments (fittings, showers, etc.)

6-9 Months Before

6-9 Months Before

• Research and choose one or more bridal gift registry
• Order your wedding gown and buy undergarments that you will wear with it (bring these to all fittings)
• Order other bridal accessories - shoes, gloves and veil
• Begin shopping for bridesmaids dresses
• Find an officiant who will perform your ceremony
• Research vendor websites and blogs, schedule appointments and bookceremony musicians, a wedding band or DJ, photographer, videographer,caterer and florist

4-6 Months Before

4-6 Months Before

• Select and order your wedding invitations, invitation envelopes and thank-you cards
• Hire a calligrapher, if desired (check with a local stationery store for referrals)
• Select and purchase wedding favors and wedding favor accessories - boxes, personalized wedding ribbon, labels, etc.
• Purchase any desired ceremony and reception decorations - unity candles, vases, aisle runner, etc.
• Start researching wedding cake pictures and local bakeries for ideas
• Book your honeymoon and verify that you have any necessary travel documents including passports and visas
• Book a room for your wedding night, if you will be leaving for your honeymoon the next morning
• Book hotel rooms or arrange other accommodations for out-of-town guests
• Finalize your guest list and send out save-the-date cards, if using
• Print out directions to the ceremony, reception, rehearsal dinner and hotel(s) for guests
• Compile a list of area information and things to do for out-of-town guests
• Reserve transportation for you and your wedding party to and from the wedding, as well as a bus or trolley for your guests (if necessary)

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