If you’ve ever wondered “What wedding planning timeline should I follow?” or “How early do I need to hire a wedding planner?” you’re not alone. As a wedding planner, one of the first questions my couples ask is when to start booking certain vendors and making key decisions. The truth is, timing matters. Popular venues and vendors can book out more than a year in advance, and spacing out your to-dos keeps the process fun instead of stressful.

Here’s my wedding planning timeline, a month-by-month guide for what to do, when to do it, and how to set yourself up for the wedding day you’ve been dreaming of!

18+ Months Out

1. Hire Your Wedding Planner

I may be biased, but I truly believe hiring your planner first is the smartest move you can make. A full-service wedding planner brings industry knowledge, trusted vendor recommendations, and guidance that will help you align your vision, budget, and priorities from the very beginning.

2. Secure Your Venue & Date

Popular venues (and churches) can book out 1–2 years in advance, so locking in your date early gives you the best options and sets the tone for your wedding style, capacity, and vibe.

12 Months Out (The Big 4)

1. Photography & Videography

Book early to secure your dream team! This is one of the most important investments that you can make so making sure you find a photographer whose style and personality match your vibe is major. Keep in mind that both photographers and videographers can only take on so many weddings in a month, which means that popular dates book up fast.

2. Catering

Food is a huge part of any wedding and one that eats up most of your budget, so it’s best to book as soon as possible. 

Some wedding venues provide in-house catering or a preferred vendor list, so that’s a great place to start if you aren’t sure where to begin.

By starting your search 12 months in advance, you will have ample time for tastings and menu building. Then depending on what type of packages you cater offers, you may have to look at renting place settings, linens, and tables. Knowing this early on will help keep you organized when booking your decor!

3. Entertainment

The thing you want to decide first is if you want a band or a DJ, which totally sets the tone of your reception and also helps with the flow. Once you have that figured out, you can start looking at available options.

Let’s not forget about ceremony music either! There are a variety of different options you can select for ceremony music, from a live musician to a string quartet.

Just like photography and videography, popular DJs, bands, and performers will book up quickly, that is why we suggest booking early.

4. Florist

Flowers can absolutely transform your ceremony and reception spaces into your dream spaces!! You don’t need your full design locked in yet – just your general color palette and vibe.

9–12 Months Out

1. Hotel Blocks

If you have guests from out of town, securing hotel blocks early ensures they’ll have convenient (and possibly discounted) lodging.

It’s best to do this early, particularly if your wedding is during a popular time or in a popular location. Having secure blocks allows enough time for guests to plan their travel and secures the best rates and availability!

2. Attire

Wedding attire can take a long time to get made, so you’ll want to start shopping early. Book your dress shopping appointment early, that way you don’t have to feel rushed (or face rush delivery fees).  If you are wanting anything custom-made like suits, you want to start the process a minimum 6-9 months before the big day.

For anyone wearing suits or tuxes you’ll have a little more flexibility here and we’ll cover your specific order dates later on in the blog. For anyone wearing a dress, once you find who you plan on ordering the dress from you’ll then want to schedule a date to try on your dress. 

3. Hair & Makeup

This is probably the most debated “when to book” vendor – so many places have you booking hair and makeup closer to the wedding date, but in my experience this is a vendor you want to book farther out, as they tend to book up quickly. However, larger beauty companies with several stylists on their team can often accommodate multiple weddings per date.

4. Cake & Desserts

Possibly the best vendor in my opinion – who doesn’t love a cake tasting? There’s nothing better than picking flavors and finalizing your design.

Speciality bakers fill up fast as they only take a certain number of cakes per weekend so this is another great vendor to secure early.

6–9 Months Out

1. Transportation

Not one of the fun vendors to book, but logistically, transportation is super important as vehicles can be limited in certain cities.

Always consider your guest list when determining the type and quantity of transportation needed, as well as your venue. (Ask yourself the important questions like can a large coach bus reach a mountain top venue?) 

While it’s not necessary for every wedding, it might be for yours. You are never required to offer transportation to your guests, but it is a way to go the extra mile and it is always appreciated! 

2. Officiant

Officiants can be hard to find in general, so if you don’t have one at the church or you don’t have someone in your life that you’d like to marry you, beginning the search for an officiant around 6-9 months out is ideal.

3. Wedding Bands

This gives you time to think about the style and design. If you’re having your bands custom made, you’ll need extra time for the jeweler to craft them and make any necessary adjustments. 

Just like with your dress, by starting the process early you’ll avoid the pressure and potential delays associated with waiting until the last minute. 

4. Invitations

Even though you are not mailing invites until 2-3 months out, booking a stationer 6-9 months out is an ideal time to start talking about design, production times, and assembly 

If you are not going the custom route, it is still a good time to start the research, since your invitations play a huge role in the overall feel of your day – it is the first thing guests receive to get an indication of the wedding vibe!

3 Months or Less

1. Marriage License

In Virginia, you should apply for your marriage license about a month and a half before your wedding date. This allows ample time to obtain the license and it is only valid for 60 days after issuance.

2. Final Fittings

The final fitting for a wedding dress should ideally be scheduled two to three weeks before the wedding day.

This timeframe allows for any necessary last minute adjustments while ensuring the dress fits perfectly as we approach the big day!

3. Signage & Favors

Finalize seating charts, menus, programs, welcome bags, and wedding party gifts around 4-6 weeks out. This timeframe balances finalizing plans with the need for a buffer against possible unexpected delays.

Remember, this wedding planning timeline is a guide, not a hard-and-fast rule.

I’ve helped couples plan incredible weddings in as little as six months and as long as over two years. 

When it comes to booking vendors, my rule of thumb is the sooner, the better – especially if you have your heart set on someone. 

Wherever you are in your wedding planning timeline, the key is to stay organized, set realistic priorities, and you don’t have to do it alone. Reach out to tackle this timeline together!