When Should You Start Wedding Planning After Getting Engaged?

Getting engaged is one of the most exciting moments in a couple’s life. While it may be tempting to dive into wedding planning right away, it’s important to take a step back and enjoy the moment. You want to ensure you and your partner have enough time to celebrate your engagement before jumping into the wedding planning frenzy. The length of time before you start planning depends on how long you have until the big day.

The First Conversation to Have

Immediately after your engagement, you and your partner should discuss whether you want a long or short engagement. The length of your engagement affects your wedding planning schedule. This doesn’t mean you need to set your wedding date or start the actual planning process. The estimated timeframe is a good topic to chat about right away.

More Than 18 Months Until the Wedding

If you have more than 18 months until the wedding, take your time to relax and enjoy the engagement. Spend at least a month celebrating without pressure to start wedding planning. A long engagement means you can enjoy planning your wedding with slow and leisurely pace, have a wider range of vendors to choose from, and make decisions with less stress.

A Year or More Until the Wedding

If you have a year or more until the wedding, wait about three weeks before diving into wedding planning. That gives you enough time to revel in your engagement but not so long as to lose momentum. You can start with setting a budget, estimating the guest count, and researching venues at your own pace.

Less Than a Year Until the Wedding

If your wedding is less than a year away, you may feel the pressure to start planning immediately. However, you should wait about two weeks before starting. Ban any wedding talk and brush off any questions from friends and family. Take that time to relax and bask in that post-engagement glow before jumping into the specifics.

Six Months Until the Wedding

If your wedding is in six months, don’t worry about your shorter timeline. Instead, take a few days to relax and enjoy your engagement, then get started on the wedding planning process. Check out a six-month wedding planning timeline to help get you started.

Three Months Until the Wedding

If you’re planning a wedding with a last-minute timeline of three months or less, take a couple of days to get your bearings. Jump into wedding planning as soon as you’re ready. You can even plan the wedding in a week or less if you’re organized.

The Wedding Planning Process: First Steps

Once you’re ready to start wedding planning, there are several first steps to take. Choose whether you want a destination or local wedding, set your budget, and decide on your wedding style. Additionally, create an estimated guest list, hire a wedding planner, choose your wedding party, select a wedding venue and set the date, and hire your vendors. Lastly, create your wedding website as a hub for guest information.