The Ultimate Guide: When To Begin Wedding Planning

Most experts recommend starting wedding planning a year in advance to give ample time to plan and enjoy being engaged. However, some people prefer longer engagements and enjoy the planning process. The average time to plan a wedding is 15 months, but this can vary depending on other life events and seasonal preferences. Couples should discuss their general vision and priorities before starting the planning process, which experts recommend waiting a month after getting engaged to do.

Time to enjoy being engaged

Congratulations on your engagement! It's important to take the time to enjoy being engaged and to get used to the 'engaged' title before diving into the logistics of planning. Most weddings are a year or eighteen months after the engagement, so it's recommended to start planning a year in advance. This will give you ample time to plan and take time to enjoy just being engaged for a couple of weeks before planning. While still allowing the much-needed time to prepare. You’ll be able to enjoy the process of touring wedding reception venues. Figuring out what you two love or dislike about different places makes getting married a fun adventure. While a year is one of the recommended options, it may still be enough time for some. Some people enjoy longer engagements, which will provide more than enough time to start planning.

There are tasks that need to be completed before the actual planning process begins. Couples should discuss their general vision for their wedding and their priorities during this time. You might be tempted to start planning your big day immediately after the proposal (and perhaps you've even done some casual planning before the question was even popped!)—but unless you're working with a super-tight timeline, Gopal recommends waiting a few weeks before jumping into the planning process. Brides.com suggests that most weddings are a year or eighteen months after the engagement and that you wait three weeks or a month after the engagement before you jump into planning a wedding. Your wedding planning timeline will also vary according to other things going on in your life, such as waiting until a graduation or relocation. Wanting a wedding in a certain season – such as a Halloween or Christmas season wedding – may also affect your wedding planning timeline.

Discuss general wedding vision

A year in advance is what most experts recommend for starting wedding planning. This will give you ample time to plan and enjoy being engaged for a couple of weeks before planning. While still allowing the much-needed time to prepare. You’ll be able to enjoy the process of touring wedding reception venues in Suffolk, VA. Figuring out what you two love or dislike about different places makes getting married a fun adventure. While a year is one of the recommended options, it may still be enough time for some. Some people enjoy longer engagements, which will provide more than enough time to start planning.

There is no real rule of thumb about when you should get married after you get engaged. Brides.com suggests that most weddings are a year or eighteen months after the engagement. That’s why so many engagements happen in the winter months, they said. They also suggest you wait three weeks or a month after the engagement before you jump into planning a wedding. Your wedding planning timeline will also vary according to other things going on in your life, such as waiting until a graduation or relocation. Wanting a wedding in a certain season – such as a Halloween or Christmas season wedding – may also affect your wedding planning timeline.

Couples should discuss their general vision for their wedding and their priorities during this time. “My advice is for couples to at least wait a month after getting engaged to start planning their wedding,” she says. However, there are tasks that need to be completed before the actual planning process begins. People will start asking you those decision-based wedding questions immediately but it's great to take a beat and actually feel engaged before jumping in (even if you've already started a Pinterest board pre-engagement)!

The Knot Real Wedding Study says that the average time to plan a wedding is 15 months—but remember that this is just an average, and you can certainly plan your big day in less or more time. Yes, you might be tempted to start planning your big day immediately after the proposal (and perhaps you've even done some casual planning before the question was even popped!)—but unless you're working with a super-tight timeline, Gopal recommends waiting a few weeks before jumping into the planning process.

Start casual planning

A year in advance is what most experts recommend when it comes to starting the planning process for your wedding. This will give you ample time to plan and take time to enjoy just being engaged for a couple of weeks before planning. While still allowing the much-needed time to prepare. You’ll be able to enjoy the process of touring wedding reception venues in Suffolk, VA. Figuring out what you two love or dislike about different places makes getting married a fun adventure. While a year is one of the recommended options, it may still be enough time for some. Some people enjoy longer engagements, which will provide more than enough time to start planning.

There is no real rule of thumb about when you should get married after you get engaged. Brides.com suggests that most weddings are a year or eighteen months after the engagement. That’s why so many engagements happen in the winter months, they said. They also suggest you wait three weeks or a month after the engagement before you jump into planning a wedding. Your wedding planning timeline will also vary according to other things going on in your life, such as waiting until a graduation or relocation. Wanting a wedding in a certain season – such as a Halloween or Christmas season wedding – may also affect your wedding planning timeline.

“My advice is for couples to at least wait a month after getting engaged to start planning their wedding,” she says. However, there are tasks that need to be completed before the actual planning process begins. Couples should discuss their general vision for their wedding and their priorities during this time.

The Knot Real Wedding Study says that the average time to plan a wedding is 15 months—but remember that this is just an average, and you can certainly plan your big day in less or more time.

Yes, you might be tempted to start planning your big day immediately after the proposal (and perhaps you've even done some casual planning before the question was even popped!)—but unless you're working with a super-tight timeline, Gopal recommends waiting a few weeks before jumping into the planning process.

Wait before diving into logistics

Most experts recommend starting wedding planning a year in advance to give you ample time to plan and take time to enjoy just being engaged for a couple of weeks before planning. Brides.com suggests that most weddings are a year or eighteen months after the engagement. The Knot Real Wedding Study says that the average time to plan a wedding is 15 months.

However, there is no real rule of thumb about when you should get married after you get engaged. Couples should discuss their general vision for their wedding and their priorities during this time. Some people enjoy longer engagements, which will provide more than enough time to start planning.

You should wait three weeks or a month after the engagement before you jump into planning a wedding. People will start asking you those decision-based wedding questions immediately but it's great to take a beat and actually feel engaged before jumping in (even if you've already started a Pinterest board pre-engagement!).

You might be tempted to start planning your big day immediately after the proposal (and perhaps you've even done some casual planning before the question was even popped!)—but unless you're working with a super-tight timeline, Gopal recommends waiting a few weeks before jumping into the planning process.

Recommended planning timeline

Most experts recommend starting wedding planning a year in advance to give you ample time to plan and enjoy being engaged. However, some people enjoy longer engagements, which will provide more than enough time to start planning.

There is no real rule of thumb about when you should get married after you get engaged. Brides.com suggests that most weddings are a year or eighteen months after the engagement. That’s why so many engagements happen in the winter months, they said. They also suggest you wait three weeks or a month after the engagement before you jump into planning a wedding.

The Knot Real Wedding Study found that the average time to plan a wedding is 15 months, but remember that this is just an average, and you can certainly plan your big day in less or more time.

Couples should discuss their general vision for their wedding and their priorities during the first few weeks after getting engaged. People will start asking you those decision-based wedding questions immediately but it's great to take a beat and actually feel engaged before jumping in (even if you've already started a Pinterest board pre-engagement).

Gopal recommends waiting a few weeks before jumping into the planning process unless you're working with a super-tight timeline.

Frequently asked questions