The ideal Wedding Planning timeline
Being engaged is such an exciting time in your story. You’re traversing the bridge between the richness of the past and all its wonderful experiences, and the incredible opportunities of your life together as a married couple. It’s filled with reflection of a love shared, relationship grown, anticipation of the adventures ahead, of growing together as a couple and as individuals, and the beauty of the decision to spend the rest of your life building, nurturing, honouring, growing and strengthening your connection.
But now what? You have a wedding to plan and as an experienced Perth wedding planner I have written this blog to help you navigate your wedding planning journey and avoid the overwhelm. You can also download my comprehensive wedding checklist.
Of course, this is just a general guide to get you started and you’ll need to adapt as the details of your wedding emerge and you onboard your wedding vendor team.
First Things First: Visualise your Wedding
Sit together and define your wedding vision.
Consider your desired wedding vibe – is it fun and party, elegant and classy etc.?
Choose five words to describe your wedding style.
Describe how you want to feel and how you want your guests to feel.
Describe how you want your wedding to be remembered.
Source inspiration images that communicate your aspirations for your wedding and home in on your exact style by selecting the most fitting images and create a mood board with those. This can also include an image of your dream venue. You can also incorporate your chosen words or a description about what you are planning to bring to life.
Later, you can elaborate on each element of your wedding by creating more detailed mood boards for hair and makeup, the ceremony, reception and cocktail hour, wedding attire, flowers etc. You can send these to your vendors when seeking their availability and quotes.
Decide on your wedding budget, discuss the approximate number of guests, preferred location/types of venue/s, preferred reception meal service. Discuss your wedding entertainment. Will children be invited to your wedding? Do you want a cake? Prioritize what's most important to you both, whether it's the venue, the food, or the music, and allocate your budget accordingly.
This is an exert from my blog post: Mastering Stress-Free Wedding Planning in Perth: Top Tips to Help you Enjoy your Experience
Your Wedding Planning Timeline
Now that you have a sound understanding of your wedding vision, you can start building your dream wedding vendor team. (I would highly recommend you read my bog: Curate your Dream Team: Top Tips for Booking your Ideal Wedding Vendors).
Below is a general guide for the journey you may take in planning your wedding. Knowing your priorities and focusing on one task at a time will also ensure you swiftly and effectively flow through your experience. You’ll be amazed at how securing one detail, can organically lead to the next.
If you are starting your journey sure of a few vendors you would like to book, lock them in as soon as you can.
Reach out to vendors/businesses with as much of your wedding details or anticipated details, as possible – your name, your partner’s name, your contact details, date, number of guests, venue/location preference, budget, information specific to the service they are providing, the package you are interested in, what you need from the vendor to bring your wedding to life.
12 – 18 months:
Wedding venue
Wedding planner and designer
Catering
Photographer and videographer
10 – 12 months:
Wedding dress
Finalise your Wedding Design
Celebrant
Florist
Wedding party invitations
Music – duo, band, DJ
8 – 10 months:
Emcee
Bar service
Other wedding entertainment
Cars
Decor and furniture hire
Honeymoon
Accommodation
6 – 8 months:
Hair and makeup
Cake
Other styling items
Photo both
Bridesmaids dresses
Suits/formalwear
Stationery – Save the dates and invitations
Jewellery
<6 months:
Shoes and accessories
Bridal party gifts
Lingerie
Beauty services
Gifts
Hens and busks party
Being clear on your vision, what matters most to you both and giving yourself more time rather than less will set you up for an enjoyable wedding planning process and incredible wedding celebrations.
Request my Comprehensive Wedding Planning Checklist
Fill out the form below to request my wedding planning checklist and start mapping out your wedding planning timeline.
Guidance and Attention to Detail By an Experienced Perth Wedding Planner for Stress-Free Weddigng Planning
Of course (especially if you have had a look at my 19-page comprehensive wedding checklist), wedding planning can be overwhelming.
As a seasoned Perth wedding planner, I prioritise minimising stress for you and your partner. My curated wedding planning and design process, expert project management skills and open communication ensure that you feel inspired and at ease throughout the entire journey.
You will work with me throughout the planning and design process, and my team and I will be there, to ensure your wedding is styled and coordinated seamlessly.
All my packages include month-of liaison with your vendors, assistance with your floor plans and run sheet and access to an online planning lounge with:
Live, comprehensive and customisable checklist to guide you through the corresponding stages of the planning journey
Run sheet and floor plan builder
Vendor contact section to store contract and contact details
Notes section, with notes templates and prompts
If you are a full-service client, you will also have access to the:
Guestlist builder, RSVP tracker and seating tool
Budget tool with payment tracker
Wedding website builder
Full-wedding live, customisable planning checklist
And me, to plan, design, style and coordinate your day including sourcing and liaising with your vendors, drafting your run sheet and developing your floorplans
Photographer: Event by Tori, Venue: WA Shipwrecks Museum, Planner, Designer and Stylist: Refine Events, Florist: Maple and Wren, Furniture: The Original Event Company, Makeup and Hair: Salena Makeup and Hair, Candles: Caduree Candles, Wedding Gowns and Veils: Samantha Wynne, Pearl Jewellery: Pearls of Australia, Content Creation: Behind the Day, Stationery: Paper and Ink Studio, Suit: Brittons Formal Wear, Hire: The Vintage Table Perth, Models: Sierra Bathurst, Harrison Tyler