First things first!

✓ CELEBRATE YOUR ENGAGEMENT

Before we get to all the planning, congratulations on your engagement! It’s time to celebrate this special moment in your life. Your significant other proposed with an amazing engagement ring and you said yes! Share your exciting news with family and friends with an announcement on social media or mail. Throw an engagement party and toast to your future. Start planning ideas for your engagement photoshoot session.

Engagement Announcements, Party and Decor

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12 Months Out

✓ Set your budget

First things first. How much can you afford to spend on your wedding? What’s a priority and what’s not? Work out your rough numbers and keep track of your spending as you go along the way.

✓ Who’s Coming?

You would love to invite everyone you know but that may be difficult. Think about how much you can afford and how many people your wedding venue can hold.

✓ Pick your Date & Wedding venue

What is your dream location? Your venue will help you decide your wedding color theme, the type of flowers you use…everything. Now just cross your fingers your venue is available for the date you would like. :)

✓ Select Your Caterer if Your Venue doesn’t Have One

This is a fun one. Schedule wedding tastings and decide what you want on your reception menu. Think about themed cocktails and deserts.

✓ PROPOSE TO YOUR BRIDESMAIDS

Your girls have been with you through thick and thin with you. You want to do something really special when you ask your maid of honor and bridesmaids to be a part of your bridal party. It’s a big deal and it would be nice to ask them in a special way. Read about our favorite bridesmaid box ideas.

✓ PICK YOUR GROOMSMEN

For some men, picking your groomsmen might be easy—but for others, narrowing it down to your magic number might be difficult. After you decide on your best men, you need to ask them in style. Read about our favorite groomsmen proposal ideas:

11 Months Out

✓ Hire Your Wedding Vendors

Lock in the talented vendors that will make your wedding extra special—Photographer, Videographer, Band or DJ.

✓ PICK YOUR WEDDING THEME

How do I pick my wedding colors? It’s a big decision but don’t overthink it. You can narrow it down by determining what season you are getting married and your wedding venue. For instance, if you are getting married in spring and the venue has beautiful garden landscaping, you can pick soft pinks and greens to represent spring blooms and lush greens.

Popular Wedding Color Schemes

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✓ CREATE YOUR WEDDING REGISTRY

Register soon after your engagement. Friends and family may want to select something from your registry as an engagement gift.

10 Months Out

✓ Book Hotel Room Blocks for Guests

Make sure your guests visiting from out of town have a nice place to stay. Pro tip: guests will let loose and have more fun dancing if they know they don’t have to drive home after the wedding. :)

✓ Create your wedding website

You need to create your website before you send out your save the dates. Include registry details, photos and event details. Your guests can easily check the website with any event details that change along the way. Minted offers FREE wedding website templates.

✓ SeND YOUR SAVE THE DATES

It's time to start planning the main event - your wedding! But before you begin, you need to send out your Save The Dates! Save the Dates are not only a great way for everyone to know when your big day is, but they can also set the tone for your event! We found a wide range of Save the Date ideas, from creative to minimal, lux to budget friendly and everything in-between!

✓ SHOP FOR YOUR WEDDING DRESS

Have you been dreaming of your wedding dress since you were 7 and know exactly what you want? Or do you have no idea what style you want? If it’s the later, we can help walk you through all the wedding dress options you have to choose from.

What Dress Styles Are Trending?

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✓ SHOP FOR BRIDAL ACCESSORIES

After you have your wedding gown, what else do you need? A lot! :) Hair accessories, veils, bouquets, jewelry, shoes, garter set, undergarments, robes and more! We put together our favorite accessories to inspire you to put the finishing touches on your wedding look.

9 Months Out

✓ Talk to local florists

You will need more flowers than you think so choose a florist that has experience with weddings. You will need bride & bridesmaid bouquets, flower girl petals, groom & groomsmen boutonnieres, corsages for parents & grandparents, ceremony arrangements, cocktail hour arrangements, reception centerpieces, food station arrangements and a tossing bouquet.

✓ SHOP FOR BRIDESMAID DRESSES

Bridesmaid dress shopping online has made a challenging task easier. Shop styles from the comfort of home and request color swatches and fabrics sent to you. Ship dresses to your girls for home try ons. Learn more about some popular online stores.

Shop Bridesmaid Dresses Online

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8 Months Out

✓ Hire an Officiant

Your officiant might have the most import job of all—don’t forget them! :)

✓ BOOK THE REHEARSAL DINNER LOCATION

Pick your favorite restaurant or celebrate at a family member’s house with a buffet style dinner. Traditionally, the groom’s family plans/pays for the rehearsal dinner.

7 Months Out

✓ BOOK Transportation for bridal party & guests

Does your hotel provide transportation to the venue? Research limousine’s, trolley cars and other fun ideas for the bridal party.

6 Months Out

✓ PLAN YOUR HONEYMOON

The honeymoon is the prize at the end of your wedding planning. :) You have a lot of options to choose from. Read 6 Stunning Honeymoon Destinations for Every Travel Style to help you narrow it down.

5 Months Out

✓ SHOP FOR GROOM AND GROOMSMEN ATTIRE

Are you having a formal, casual or destination themed wedding? That will help you determine if your groomsmen will wear tuxedo’s or suits. Finish off their looks with accessories that match your bridesmaid colors.

Groomsmen Attire and Accessory Ideas

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4 months out

✓ premarital counseling

✓ PURCHASE YOUR WEDDING BANDS

Engagement rings are the stars of the show but don’t forget your two wedding bands. Shop Etsy, Catbird and Zales.

3 Months Out

✓ write your wedding vows

✓ Create Menu with Caterer and pick your wedding cake

✓ SHOP FOR Wedding Invitations

Shopping for wedding invitations can be challenging. You are looking for the perfect style invitation that represents your formal, casual or destination wedding. You are searching for a modern, rustic, vintage, floral or bohemian style. To help you find the invitation design you are searching for, we put together our favorite six websites that offer a variety of features.

6 Best Wedding Invitation Websites

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✓ Shop for wedding favors

Wedding favors are a great way to say thank you to friends and family for taking party in celebrating your wedding day. You want to gift them something useful that you know they’ll love to use after your reception. Everyone loves treats like popcorn and chocolates they can take back to their hotel room or snack on for the drive home. How about coffee and tea packages they can enjoy the next morning and remember all the fun they had at your wedding? Candles and soaps are other unique favor ideas that can be customized with special labels. There are so many fun ideas.

2 months Out

✓ send wedding & Rehearsal dinner invitations

✓ WEDDING DRESS FITTING

✓ GET YOUR MARRIAGE LICENSE

✓ BUY WEDDING PARTY GIFTS

✓ PICK YOUR RECEPTION MUSIC

✓ bachelorette & Bachelor parties

The bride-to-be's bachelorette party is one of the most exciting parts of getting married. It may be the last time all the girls will get together for a special weekend to remember for years. Planning the bachelorette party and making sure everyone has a great time can be challenging. You can’t go wrong with fun by the pool or beach. You can travel somewhere fun and party by the hotel pool or stay local and celebrate at a friends pool. We've put together some great pool ideas to get you started.

✓ Wedding day signs, programs & table decor

Get creative with ceremony and reception welcome signs, seating charts, programs and table decor. You’ll want to plan two months out so you have time for printing, shipping and assembly of your decorations.

Wedding Day Signs, Programs and Table Decor

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1 Month Out

✓ Give music selections to dj

✓ Pay vendors

✓ check missing Rsvps

✓ bridal shower

The party before the big party. Great food, fun games and watching the bride open gifts surrounded by friends and family. The bridal shower is usually held between two to six months before the wedding. Who throws a bridal shower? Usually the maid of honor, close friends, parents and bridesmaids. Send out fun invitations and pick out the best bridal shower favors.

Wedding Week

✓ assemble seating charts, place cards and programs

✓ Put tips in envelopes

✓ final dress fitting check

✓ pack overnight and honeymoon bags

✓ rehearsal dinner

✓ Do you have the wedding bands?

✓ Manicure, pedicure, hair, makeup

After Your Wedding

✓ thank you cards

Your amazing wedding day has passed. All the time you spent planning paid off big time. What a wonderful day! Your photographer has released your photos and you are reliving every moment. You only have one job left to do. Send your thank you cards. We’ve gathered our favorites options. Postcards, folded cards, magnets and DIY options below. You are at the finish line of your wedding journey. Finish strong! :)