During the months leading up to your wedding, you'll have a lot of planning to do for the ceremony and
reception. You should begin making wedding preparations about a year before you wedding. Use this
wedding planning calendar to keep on track with your wedding planning:

The ceremony and reception venue are the first wedding planning tasks to take care of. The wedding
locations should be booked at least one year before the wedding, however, if your wedding falls in the
height of summer or on a holiday, you may need to reserve it up to two years ahead. At this time, you
should also choose who you want in the wedding party. Many brides also buy their wedding dress and
accessories, and choose the gowns for their bridesmaids at this time. Think about your wedding theme
and colors, and start noting possible favor and decor ideas.

Around nine months before the wedding, you need to book your reception DJ, florist, and caterer. Any
rental professional – whether it's a wedding videographer or a tent company – should be booked at this
time. You will have spent a lot of time deciding on centerpieces and bouquet ideas, so meet with the
florist to discuss what you've chosen and to view past work.

Most couples wait until around the six month mark to start booking hotels for out of town guests. This
is the time to book your own transportation for the wedding day as well – reserve the limo, classic car
or horsedrawn carriage that you want! If you're planning a honeymoon, reserve flights and
accomadations for the two of you. Choose your bridal registry and create your list so that guests can
begin purchasing wedding gifts.

Between two and four months before the wedding, pick a wedding cake and make arrangements with
the bakery. Wedding favors should be ordered at this time, and all of the reception items like the guest
list and cake topper. Send your wedding invitations two months before the wedding, unless it's a
destination wedding – guests should know about one year in advance to make travel and budget
arrangements. The groom should rent tuxedos for pickup two days before the wedding, and meet his
groomsmen at the shop for a fitting.

You need to confirm all of these details one month before the wedding. Call the caterer, florist and
bakery and make sure that your order is correct, and also that the companies have all of the location and
delivery information. Now's the time to make your hair and makeup appointment, and to go for a trial
session to try out different styles.

As the wedding draws near, finalize the guest list and let your caterer know exactly how many people
are coming. You should do this one week before the wedding, in case of last minute guest changes. On
the night before the wedding, enjoy the rehearsal dinner and relax! When you get home, pack your
suitcase for your honeymoon if you're leaving immediately after the wedding. Also, pack your wedding
shoes and accessories in a separate bag, along with makeup for touch ups and a bridal emergency kit
for anything unexpected.