Planning a Wedding 6 Months or Less

So you’re not a fan of long engagements, or for personal reasons, you need to speed up your wedding planning process. Don’t fret! You can totally plan your wedding in under six months without going crazy. The key here is of course, get organized from the beginning. I’ve planned clients’ weddings in two months before so I can say from firsthand experience, anything is possible. Without further ado, I’m sharing a six month planning guide.

Six Months Out

  • Put together a checklist of all the things you need to get done. If you’re not working with a wedding planner, you can search for lists on A Practical Wedding and The Knot, or purchase bundles on Etsy.

  • Figure out your budget. If you don’t have a budget in mind, you’re going to have trouble narrowing down your vendors and even save time. For example, you may not be able to have a videographer once you look at your numbers and that’s one less area to research.

  • Find your venue. Without a venue, it’s hard to do anything else. Consider days of the week. Are you flexible to a Thursday, Friday or Sunday? You may be able to get a discounted rate.

  • If your venue doesn’t have catering in-house, book your caterer. You won’t need to pick an exact menu this far in advance, so just finding a vendor that fits your vibe or cuisine type is a great first step.

  • Reach out to the other main vendors: photographers, florists and djs or bands.

  • If you are buying a made-to-order dress, this is the time to start your search. If you’re comfortable with off-the-rack, you have some time and can check out companies like Reformation or BHLDN!

Five Months Out

  • Put together your guest list and send save the dates. For paper, I recommend using Minted. You can use the code WEDPLSMALLSHINDIGS for 35% off! If you’re going the digital route, Paperless Post is awesome.

  • Ask your wedding party to be part of your day. If you have a specific vision in mind for attire, give your bridesmaids and groomsmen plenty of time to find what they need.

  • If you are going to book a wedding planner for day-of or month-of coordination, do your outreach! Many planners will wait until the 4-6 month timeframe to book for these services, so you should have your pick.

  • Book an engagement shoot session. Lots of photographers include this with your pricing and it’s a great way to get comfortable with professional photos and bond with your photographer!

  • Suit shopping. Custom suits can take a while (though usually not as long as wedding dresses)! Suit Supply has locations across the US and has options for both bespoke and off-the-rack.

Four Months Out

  • Plan your bachelor and bachelorette parties! Pick the weekend and destination and enlist help from your best friends to help execute.

  • Hire other vendors like hair and makeup, transportation (if needed) and dessert.

  • Think about what you want to do in terms of other decor. Do you want to DIY anything? Give yourself plenty of time so you aren’t scrambling at the last minute.

  • Order invitations. It will take your invitations a few weeks to arrive and if you’re self-addressing, you’ll want to do a few at a time.

  • Buy your wedding bands! Lots of jewelry stores customize each band so it could take a few months to actually receive them.

Three Months Out

  • Menu tasting with your caterer. If you aren’t doing a tasting, talk to your caterer about what will be seasonal and make your menu selections.

  • Send your invitations. Give people 4-6 weeks to RSVP so that you can give your caterer proper headcount.

  • Put together your registry! Zola is super user-friendly and customizable.

Two Months Out

  • Go on your bachelor and bachelorette parties. Take some time to relax and enjoy all of the planning you’ve been doing.

  • Do a hair and makeup trial. Trust me, you don’t want to be surprised with your look on your wedding day.

  • Order favors and assemble welcome bags if you’re doing them. For Your Party has fun personalization options like match boxes and napkins.

One Month Out

  • Get your marriage license. Visit your county clerk! Every office is different and some require appointments. Often there is a 24 hour waiting period before the ceremony can happen so plan accordingly.

  • Put together your floor plan and seating chart. You can use programs like Canva to make a table board and then get it printed at Staples or Kinkos.

  • Make sure your ceremony is set with processional order, songs and any special readings.

If all of this still feels overwhelming, I’m planning weddings in the Bay Area and New York!

Sarah Carroll