🌟 Just Engaged? Your 12-Month Wedding Planning Guide
A calm, realistic way to plan your wedding without the stress
January is officially engagement season and if you’ve recently said “Yes!”, congratulations! 💍
Whether the proposal happened over Christmas, New Year, or during a cosy winter moment, this is such a special time in your life.
If you’re feeling excited and slightly overwhelmed already - don’t worry. That’s completely normal. Wedding planning doesn’t need to be rushed, stressful, or all-consuming. This guide breaks things down into a gentle 12-month timeline, so you can enjoy the journey and make confident decisions at your own pace.
💍 First Things First: Enjoy Being Engaged (Month 1)
Before you plan anything - pause.
Celebrate together. Tell friends and family. Take photos. Soak it all in.
There’s no rush to book everything immediately, even if social media makes it feel that way.
✨ Top tip:
Use this month to talk about your vision:
What kind of wedding do you want?
Formal or relaxed?
Big celebration or intimate gathering?
Local or destination?
No spreadsheets required - just conversations.
📍 Months 2–3: Venue & Date
Once you have a rough idea of your style, the venue is usually the next step.
This is where attending a wedding show can really help. Seeing venues and suppliers in person often makes decisions feel much clearer.
Focus on:
Season preference (spring/summer/autumn/winter)
Location
Guest numbers (rough estimate)
✨ Top tip:
Don’t compare your plans to anyone else’s - your wedding should reflect you.
🧡 Months 4–6: Your Core Suppliers
Once your venue and date are secured, it’s time to book your key suppliers:
Photographer / videographer
Entertainment (band, DJ, musicians)
Florist
Bridalwear
Caterer (if not included)
Meeting suppliers face-to-face, especially at wedding shows, helps build trust and confidence.
Meg Higginson Photography
Robert Watson Photography
🎨 Months 7–9: Styling & Personal Touches
This is the fun part where your wedding starts to come to life:
Colour palette & styling ideas
Stationery & signage
Dress fittings
Décor & table styling
Cake design
You’ll likely feel much more relaxed by this stage, the big decisions are already made.
🕊 Months 10–11: Final Details
Now it’s about fine-tuning:
Final guest list
Seating plan
Timings
Final payments
Beauty trials
Order of the day
✨ Top tip:
Keep a simple checklist - no need to overcomplicate things.
Zoe Nikola Photography
💫 Month 12: The Final Countdown
This is your time to enjoy the build-up:
Delegate where possible
Trust your suppliers
Focus on yourselves
Remember why you’re doing this 💕
Your wedding day is about celebrating your love - not perfection.
💒 Start Planning with Confidence
One of the easiest ways to kick-start your planning is by attending a wedding show. It’s relaxed, inspiring, and gives you the chance to meet trusted suppliers all in one place.
Whether you’re just starting out or already planning, we’d love to welcome you.
MORE GREAT WEDDING PLANNING TIPS!
Wedding Suppliers We Think You’ll Love!
Wedding Fayres We Think You’ll Love!
