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- Christina Hubeli
The Difference Between a 12-Month and 6-Month Planning Timeline
If your new year was met with a new piece of jewelry symbolizing your lasting love, then you might be excited to jump right into planning your wedding! One of the first tasks you’ll tackle is figuring out a date, or at least narrowing down the time of year you’d like to get married.
If you’ve had your heart set on a summer wedding and are wanting to get married in 2022, you have six or so months to plan an entire wedding. But is that doable? And how does that impact your planning timeline?
Let’s start by taking a look at how Burst’s planning process works based on a 12-month engagement. On average, this is the typical engagement length our couples have, but there are certainly couples that plan on a shorter or longer timeline. For a 12-month or longer planning period, we follow a phase-based approach:
Phase 1 (ends ~9 months prior to the wedding)
Venue(s)
Photographer
Caterer
Videographer
Entertainment
Officiant
Between phases, couples have a 30-day break so that planning doesn’t consume their entire lives. This is a great time to reconnect as a couple and focus on what really matters. If you’re planning on a timeline longer than 12 months, you may opt to make this break longer.
Phase 2 (starts 7 months prior to the wedding; ends 4 months prior)
Design & Logistics Meeting
Florist/Decorator
Stationer
Rentals
Cake
Hair & Makeup Artist
Transportation
Room Blocks
Followed by a 30-day break.
Phase 3 (starts 3 months prior to the wedding)
Begin Reconciliation Phase as scheduled
Phase 4: Wedding Day!
Now, we’ve said it before and we’ll say it again: While we absolutely have a process we guide our clients through, customize this order how it makes sense for YOU. If there is a vendor you’ve been following and your wedding day wouldn’t be the same without them, go ahead and book them. But when in doubt, this booking order should give you some guidance on who to talk to next.
For a 6-month planning timeline, this process is of course going to be a bit quicker and more condensed. But it is absolutely doable! Now, I will say that with a year like this one, where we’re dealing with ever-changing COVID numbers and guidelines as well as a higher number of weddings, hiring a wedding planner in some capacity will make this process easier on you. If you’re aiming to plan a summer 2022 wedding, reach out to some planners to chat about your vision and priorities to see if this is a realistic goal for you.
With a 6-month planning period, this is the process that we recommend:
6 Months Prior
Venue(s)
Photographer
Caterer
Room Blocks
Logistics Meeting / Timeline
5 Months Prior
Videographer
Entertainment
Officiant
Design Concept Finalization
4 Months Prior
Florist/Decorator
Stationer
Rentals
Cake
Hair & Makeup Artist
Transportation
3 Months Prior
Begin Reconciliation Phase as scheduled
While your decision on when to get married may be impacted by a number of factors, make sure to consider your personal lifestyle – do you have the time and resources to plan your wedding in 6 months? If you have a hectic work schedule, for example, it might not be realistic for you to take this on, at least without some professional help.
Wondering if you need a Wedding Planner?