Planning A Wedding: When To Start And What To Know

Planning a wedding can be a stressful experience, so it's important to take the time to enjoy being newly engaged before diving into the details. Wedding planners recommend starting the process 10-16 months in advance, but this can vary depending on your preferences and circumstances. If you're eager to get started, creating a wedding planning checklist and dividing tasks between you and your partner can help reduce stress and ensure a smoother planning process.

Enjoy the moment

It's important to take some time to enjoy the moment when you first get engaged. You don't need to start planning your wedding straight away. In fact, wedding planners recommend waiting a little while before you start actively planning. Enjoy the rest of the day with your new spouse-to-be and savour the feeling of being newly engaged. You can always start calling vendors and looking for venues the next day.

Wedding planning can be stressful, so it's a good idea to keep the elated feeling of being newly engaged in your back pocket for when you need a pick-me-up. Knowing what the reward is will help keep you motivated and in good spirits.

Most weddings start the planning process about 10-16 months in advance, which tends to be a sweet spot. This gives you enough time to make decisions without feeling rushed, but it's not so long that you become indecisive or overwhelmed. If you enjoy the wedding planning process, a longer timeline might appeal to you. However, this can quickly become a con if you are indecisive or become overwhelmed easily.

To make the planning process smoother, sit down with your partner and create a wedding planning checklist. Divide the tasks between you, rather than one person tackling the whole list. This will help reduce the stress of planning overall and prevent any unnecessary strain on your relationship.

Share the load

Wedding planning is a big task, and it's important to share the load between both partners. It's a good idea to start planning as soon as you can, but don't rush off to start making phone calls right away. Enjoy the moment and the rest of the day with your new spouse-to-be. The next day, you can start calling vendors and looking for venues.

It's a good idea to sit down with your partner and create a wedding planning checklist. Dividing the tasks between you will help to reduce the stress of planning and prevent any unnecessary strain. It will also ensure that you're both involved in the process and that one person isn't taking on all the work.

Most weddings start the planning process about 10-16 months in advance, which is often considered the sweet spot. This gives you enough time to make decisions without feeling rushed. However, if you're indecisive or easily overwhelmed, a longer planning timeline might be beneficial. It's important to consider your own timeline and the pros and cons of different planning durations.

Remember, wedding planning isn't easy, but keeping the motivation and enjoying the process will help you through it.

How much time you have

If you're the kind of couple who enjoys the wedding planning process, a longer timeline might be appealing. This gives you more time to make decisions and consider all your options. However, if you're indecisive or easily overwhelmed, a longer timeline might become a burden.

It's important to take some time to enjoy being engaged before diving into wedding planning. Savour the moment and the feelings that come with it, and use that elated feeling as motivation when you do start planning. You can start by having an important conversation with your partner about the kind of wedding you both want.

When you do start planning, create a checklist and divide tasks between you and your partner to reduce stress and prevent strain.

Pros and cons of a longer timeline

The length of your wedding planning timeline is an important consideration. While it's recommended to start planning your wedding as soon as possible, it's also important to take the time to enjoy being engaged and to savour the moment.

For couples who enjoy the wedding planning process, a longer timeline can be appealing. The biggest benefit is that it gives you more time to make decisions. This can be particularly helpful if you're planning a large or complex wedding with many moving parts. A longer timeline can also reduce the stress of planning, as you won't feel rushed to make decisions or tackle a long to-do list.

However, there are also potential drawbacks to a longer timeline. If you or your partner are indecisive, having too much time to make decisions can lead to overwhelm and procrastination. It's important to consider your personalities and planning styles when deciding on a timeline.

Additionally, a longer timeline may not be feasible for all couples, especially those who are planning a wedding on a shorter timescale due to personal or family circumstances. In these cases, a shorter timeline can be more efficient and help keep the planning process focused and streamlined.

Ultimately, the decision of how long to make your wedding planning timeline depends on your personal preferences, planning style, and circumstances. It's important to weigh the pros and cons and choose a timeline that works best for you and your partner.

When to start calling vendors

Wedding planning can be a stressful process, so it's important to take the time to enjoy being engaged before diving into the planning process. However, it's also important to start planning as soon as possible, especially if you want to secure your dream vendors.

A good rule of thumb is to start planning your wedding about 10-16 months in advance. This gives you enough time to make decisions without feeling rushed, but it's not so far in advance that you'll feel overwhelmed or lose interest. If you're the type of couple who enjoys the planning process, you may want to give yourself even more time. However, if you're indecisive or easily overwhelmed, sticking to this timeframe is probably best.

So, when should you start calling vendors? Well, that depends on your wedding planning timeframe. If you're planning a wedding within a year, you'll want to start calling vendors and looking for venues as soon as possible. Vendors can book up quickly, especially during peak wedding season, so it's important to get a head start.

If you're planning a longer engagement, you may want to wait a few months before starting to call vendors. This will give you time to enjoy being engaged and to do some initial research and planning. However, don't wait too long, as you don't want to risk losing your top choices to other couples. A good rule of thumb is to start calling vendors about a year in advance, even if you're not planning on getting married for another 18 months or so.

Ultimately, the best time to start calling vendors is when you feel ready. Wedding planning should be an exciting and enjoyable process, so don't rush it if you're not feeling prepared. Take the time to do your research, create a budget, and make a list of your must-have vendors. Then, when you're feeling confident, start making those calls and securing your dream team for your big day.

Frequently asked questions