This post concludes my very special Wedding Planning Timeline–enjoy!

The Day of Your Wedding

Present your parents and one another with any gifts you have to give.

Give your wedding bands to the Best Man and Maid of Honor.

Give the Best Man the Officiant’s fee envelope to be handed off after the ceremony.

Bring light snacks and water to keep yourself satiated throughout the day. This is very important! Many brides get so busy that they forget to eat and stay hydrated—take care of yourself

Breathe—this is a special day. The planning is over and whatever will happen will happen—so let go and enjoy, enjoy, enjoy.

Stay tuned! We’ll be doing another post with a timeline specific to working with your photographer with details about how we typically work with our wedding couples here at LMD.

As you get closer to your wedding, no doubt part 4 of the LMP Wedding Planning Timeline will prove helpful to you. Have additional tips? Let us know!

The Month of Your Wedding

Review your RSVP list and contact anyone who has yet to respond.

Meet with your photographer a week or two prior to go over the specific details of what you want and how they will photograph the wedding/ceremony, etc. You’ll want to provide them with a Must-Have list of shots. (More on this in a later post.)

Have a pre-wedding haircut (and color, if applicable) about two weeks prior. This is true for the bride AND the groom—you don’t want to be getting this done too close to the wedding day.

Give your venue and caterer a final guest count. Make sure to include the vendors who will also be present the day of your wedding—photographers, band members, DJs, etc.

Plan the reception seating chart. Don’t wait until the last minute to do this!

Attend your bachelor and bachelorette parties. We recommend that you avoid holding these the night before the wedding (consider 2-3 days out instead).

Press and/or steam your wedding gown, if necessary.

The groom should have a final fitting and pick up his formalwear. Always try it on before you leave the store—sometimes pieces are missing or sleeves are the wrong length. Find out before you go so corrections can be made.

Ask the Best Man and Groomsmen to attend fittings as well.

Hand off place cards, table cards, menus, favors, and any other items for the tables to your caterer and/or reception site manager. They’ll take care of this for you.

Call your transportation company to confirm pick up times and locations.

Ask friends and relatives to help collect out-of-town guests at the airport.

Deliver the welcome bags or baskets to the hotel concierge. Avoid individualizing your welcome packages—while it may be a nice touch for your guest, it proves difficult for the hotel check-in staff when they have to find the right bag for the right guests!

Have a mani/pedi a day or two before your wedding. Enjoy the time to just relax.

Pay off any final balances to vendors prior to the wedding day—you don’t want to be worrying about this the day of your wedding.

Attend your rehearsal ceremony/dinner. Let everyone know what time they need to be ready for the photographer and where they need to be—this is especially important if your formals will be done before the service. You don’t want to rush your photos because someone is missing from the wedding party.

Hand off your marriage license to your Officiant.

If you have gifts for your attendants, give these to them the night before the wedding—especially if it’s something to be worn during the wedding.

Two Months Before Your Wedding

Send out your wedding invitations about eight weeks before the wedding date. Give your guests an RSVP about two to three weeks out.

If you’ll be writing your own vows, do this about two months out. You’ll need some time to think about everything you want to say about your soon-to-be husband or wife.

Acquire any little gifts you may wish to give to your parents, attendants, or to one another.

Have a trial run with your hair and makeup artists.

Make time to breathe. The next month or so is going to feel like a whirlwind—don’t forget to take care of yourselves and each other as the big day approaches.

One Month Before Your Wedding

Apply for your marriage license.

Have a phone review with your photographer.

Have a final fitting for your wedding gown—and bring your Maid of Honor! She’ll need to understand how to get you into your gown and make sure you look beautiful the day of the wedding.

Buy all of your accessories—make sure you have jewelry, two pairs of nylons (if you’re wearing them), shoes, try on Spanx if you’ll be wearing it, etc. It seems silly, but you want to make sure that all of your undergarments are comfortable and fit properly.

Break in your shoes!

Confirm with your bridesmaids that they have their dresses and accessories.

Create a wedding program for your guests.

Plan out welcome bags or baskets for out-of-town guests. (You may want to include some aspirin if you think you’ll be partying hard the night of the wedding.)

Pro Tip: IF you are tanning, don’t overdo it.

Six to Nine Months Before Your Wedding

Plan an engagement session with your photographer.

Create and send out Save the Date cards. Many brides and grooms choose to use one of their engagement photos for this, so it’s important to communicate with your photographer and give yourselves plenty of time for the shoot, photo editing, printing, and mailing.

Find and order bridesmaid dresses. Just like the wedding gown, your bridesmaids will need time to get alterations completed.

Order invitations and develop a wedding website. This ensures that your guests will have all of the pertinent information, including location, attire, accommodations, and more.

Begin planning the honeymoon! You’ll want to make sure your passports are up to date and flights and accommodations are all booked.

If you wish, begin taking dance lessons. You’ll need the time to get smooth on your feet!

Three to Six Months Before Your Wedding

Find a rehearsal dinner venue. Depending on how many people are coming, you may want to give yourself plenty of time to find the right place.

Begin confirming with all of your vendors. It’s never a bad idea to touch base and make sure that everyone is on the same page, from florists, to photographers, bands, DJs, caterers, and more.

Shop for men’s formalwear.

Find and hire wedding day transportation—limousines, trolleys, etc.

Attend your wedding shower—usually planned by your close friends and family.

About three months ahead of time, order your wedding cake.

Two to three months out, have a deep-cleanse facial. (You never want to do this too close to your wedding—a deep cleanse can bring out toxins and make your skin look a little worse before it looks better.)

We all know that after the engagement glow is over and the wedding planning begins, everything can seem a little daunting. With over 25 years of experience working with brides and grooms as they make their way toward their wedding days and down the aisle, I have plenty of advice to give to make sure that you get through it all.

One Year or More Out

First things first: find a venue site.

Most vendors will not book a wedding couple unless they have a venue chosen and committed. The reason is that without a venue, there could still be a change in the date—we need to know that we’re 100% committing to a certain day to ensure we are available on your wedding day.

Ask friends and relatives to be in the wedding party.

Begin looking for a photographer. You’ll want to find someone who matches your personality, style, and price range. This will involve meeting with photographers, reviewing portfolios, and then the planning. (More on the photographer in a later post!)

Nine Months to a Year

Pick a theme. Know the style of the wedding you want. This will help you when choosing the other key details of your wedding, from the gown to flowers to yes, even the right photographer.

Hire an Officiant.

Start looking for the right wedding gown. With the time it can take to find the “right one” to the time needed for alterations, you don’t want to wait too long.

Begin a proper hair, nails, skin care, and exercise routine. Brides and grooms want to look their best on their wedding day, and that means getting yourself started early on. Do you want your hair grown out for your wedding? Make sure you give it enough time!

Find the right hair stylist and makeup artist—vendors book up early, especially if your wedding date falls during the busy wedding season (May to October).

Research and find florists, bands, DJs, caterer (if not included in venue), and more. Again, vendors will book up quickly! You do not want to wait too long. Remember to consider your ceremony and cocktail hour as well—do you want someone playing during that time? They’ll need to know.

Your venue may take care of tents, linens, tables, etc. for you, but make sure that’s the case. If not, or if you’re doing this yourself at home, you’ll want to reach out to rental companies early on.

Have an engagement party—remember to register for gifts!

Research and reserve accommodations for out of town guests. Most hotels will book room blocks for your wedding at a special rate—make sure to contact them early to make sure they have the availability.

Fun Tip: A lot of brides and grooms seek inspiration from Pinterest—set up your boards early on and start pinning ideas that could bring your perfect day together.