[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":479},["ShallowReactive",2],{"blog-index":3},[4,241,367,457],{"id":5,"title":6,"body":7,"description":230,"extension":231,"meta":232,"navigation":233,"path":234,"publishedOn":235,"seo":236,"status":237,"stem":238,"updatedOn":239,"__hash__":240},"posts\u002Fposts\u002F12-month-wedding-planning-timeline.md","The 12-month wedding planning timeline, from someone who lived it",{"type":8,"value":9,"toc":217},"minimark",[10,14,22,27,30,49,53,70,74,91,95,112,116,130,134,148,152,166,170,181,185,196,199,206],[11,12,13],"p",{},"This is the timeline I actually used. I broke my own wedding planning into\nbuckets — not exact dates, because wedding planning doesn't run on exact\ndates — and worked through each one before moving to the next. It kept me\nfrom the two things that make planning feel chaotic: doing things out of\norder, and not knowing what \"on track\" even looks like.",[11,15,16,17,21],{},"A note before you start: none of this has to happen on this exact schedule.\nShorter engagements compress it; longer ones stretch it. What matters is the\n",[18,19,20],"em",{},"order"," — book your venue before you order invitations, set your guest list\nbefore you finalize a seating plan. Use this as a shape, not a countdown.",[23,24,26],"h2",{"id":25},"_12-months-out-the-big-decisions","12+ months out: the big decisions",[11,28,29],{},"This is where you make the choices everything else depends on.",[31,32,33,37,40,43,46],"ul",{},[34,35,36],"li",{},"Set a realistic budget, and agree with whoever's contributing on who's paying for what",[34,38,39],{},"Draft your guest list (even roughly — you'll refine it later)",[34,41,42],{},"Choose your wedding date, or a short list of dates",[34,44,45],{},"Research and book your venue",[34,47,48],{},"Start a vendor short list for your highest-priority categories (photographer and caterer usually book up first)",[23,50,52],{"id":51},"_612-months-out-lock-in-your-vendors","6–12 months out: lock in your vendors",[31,54,55,58,61,64,67],{},[34,56,57],{},"Book your photographer and videographer",[34,59,60],{},"Book your caterer, florist, and music\u002Fentertainment",[34,62,63],{},"Choose your wedding party and ask them",[34,65,66],{},"Start shopping for your dress or attire",[34,68,69],{},"Send save-the-dates, especially if you have out-of-town guests",[23,71,73],{"id":72},"_36-months-out-the-details-take-shape","3–6 months out: the details take shape",[31,75,76,79,82,85,88],{},[34,77,78],{},"Finalize your menu and cake with your caterer\u002Fbaker",[34,80,81],{},"Order invitations",[34,83,84],{},"Book hair and makeup trials",[34,86,87],{},"Reserve rentals (tables, chairs, linens) if your venue doesn't provide them",[34,89,90],{},"Start planning your seating chart layout, even before you have RSVPs",[23,92,94],{"id":93},"_13-months-out-paperwork-and-confirmations","1–3 months out: paperwork and confirmations",[31,96,97,100,103,106,109],{},[34,98,99],{},"Send invitations (give guests real time to RSVP)",[34,101,102],{},"Apply for your marriage license",[34,104,105],{},"Finalize the guest count with your caterer and venue",[34,107,108],{},"Confirm final details with every vendor — timing, arrival, contact person",[34,110,111],{},"Break in your wedding shoes",[23,113,115],{"id":114},"_24-weeks-out-tighten-everything","2–4 weeks out: tighten everything",[31,117,118,121,124,127],{},[34,119,120],{},"Finalize your seating chart based on RSVPs",[34,122,123],{},"Confirm final headcount and any special meal requests",[34,125,126],{},"Draft your day-of timeline and share it with your vendors and wedding party",[34,128,129],{},"Pick up or finalize any last alterations",[23,131,133],{"id":132},"_12-weeks-out-last-confirmations","1–2 weeks out: last confirmations",[31,135,136,139,142,145],{},[34,137,138],{},"Reconfirm arrival times and contacts with every vendor",[34,140,141],{},"Prepare final payments and tip envelopes",[34,143,144],{},"Pack for your honeymoon if you're leaving right after",[34,146,147],{},"Delegate day-of tasks to your wedding party or helpers — decide who's doing what",[23,149,151],{"id":150},"the-week-of","The week of",[31,153,154,157,160,163],{},[34,155,156],{},"Do a final walkthrough at your venue if you can",[34,158,159],{},"Confirm your rehearsal dinner details",[34,161,162],{},"Pack your day-of emergency kit",[34,164,165],{},"Get some sleep — easier said than done, but worth protecting",[23,167,169],{"id":168},"the-day-before","The day before",[31,171,172,175,178],{},[34,173,174],{},"Rehearse the ceremony",[34,176,177],{},"Drop off any items your venue or vendors need in advance",[34,179,180],{},"Do something that has nothing to do with the wedding, even for an hour",[23,182,184],{"id":183},"day-of","Day-of",[31,186,187,190,193],{},[34,188,189],{},"Hand off your timeline to someone who isn't you — a helper, a coordinator, a family member",[34,191,192],{},"Eat something",[34,194,195],{},"Let the plan you already made do the work",[197,198],"hr",{},[11,200,201,205],{},[202,203,204],"strong",{},"Why this order works:"," each bucket depends on the one before it. You\ncan't finalize a seating chart before you have a guest list. You can't\nconfirm a headcount before RSVPs are in. Planning out of order is one of the\nbiggest sources of \"wait, I have to redo this\" — and redoing things is what\nmakes twelve months feel like it wasn't enough.",[11,207,208],{},[18,209,210,211,216],{},"Be Your Planner turns this exact timeline into a real, assignable checklist\n— pre-populated, organized by these same buckets, with deadlines and an\nowner for each task. It's still in development. If you'd like to know when\nit's ready, ",[212,213,215],"a",{"href":214},"\u002F","join the waitlist",".",{"title":218,"searchDepth":219,"depth":219,"links":220},"",2,[221,222,223,224,225,226,227,228,229],{"id":25,"depth":219,"text":26},{"id":51,"depth":219,"text":52},{"id":72,"depth":219,"text":73},{"id":93,"depth":219,"text":94},{"id":114,"depth":219,"text":115},{"id":132,"depth":219,"text":133},{"id":150,"depth":219,"text":151},{"id":168,"depth":219,"text":169},{"id":183,"depth":219,"text":184},"A month-by-month wedding planning checklist, organized the way I actually organized my own wedding — not a generic list I found online.","md",{},true,"\u002Fposts\u002F12-month-wedding-planning-timeline","2026-08-02",{"title":6,"description":230},"published","posts\u002F12-month-wedding-planning-timeline",null,"b67Up-TNKjKMrvUvnoDgL-fiwHTePz_RYEuQwbXAE2g",{"id":242,"title":243,"body":244,"description":361,"extension":231,"meta":362,"navigation":233,"path":363,"publishedOn":235,"seo":364,"status":237,"stem":365,"updatedOn":239,"__hash__":366},"posts\u002Fposts\u002Fquestions-to-ask-every-venue-before-you-sign.md","Questions to ask every venue before you sign",{"type":8,"value":245,"toc":354},[246,249,253,270,274,288,292,306,310,324,328,342,344,347],[11,247,248],{},"Your venue decision shapes almost everything else — your date, your guest\ncount, your vendor options, a huge share of your budget. It's worth walking\ninto every tour with the same list of questions, so you're comparing venues\nagainst each other and not just against your memory of how each one felt.",[23,250,252],{"id":251},"cost-and-whats-actually-included","Cost and what's actually included",[31,254,255,258,261,264,267],{},[34,256,257],{},"What's the base price, and exactly what does it include — tables, chairs, linens, setup and teardown, staffing?",[34,259,260],{},"Is there a required minimum spend (common for venues that require in-house catering)?",[34,262,263],{},"What's the deposit, and what's the payment schedule?",[34,265,266],{},"What's the cancellation and rescheduling policy?",[34,268,269],{},"Are there fees that aren't in the headline price — cleaning fees, overtime fees, cake-cutting fees, corkage?",[23,271,273],{"id":272},"capacity-and-layout","Capacity and layout",[31,275,276,279,282,285],{},[34,277,278],{},"What's the maximum guest capacity — and does that number change for a seated dinner versus a reception with dancing space?",[34,280,281],{},"Can I see (or sketch) how tables and a dance floor actually fit for my guest count?",[34,283,284],{},"Is there a rain plan, and what does it look like in practice, not just in theory?",[34,286,287],{},"Is the space ADA accessible, and how do guests with mobility needs move between areas?",[23,289,291],{"id":290},"vendors-and-restrictions","Vendors and restrictions",[31,293,294,297,300,303],{},[34,295,296],{},"Do I have to use in-house catering, bar, or other vendors — or can I bring my own?",[34,298,299],{},"Is there a list of approved outside vendors, and are there fees for using someone off that list?",[34,301,302],{},"What's the alcohol policy — can I bring my own, and is there a corkage fee?",[34,304,305],{},"Are there restrictions on decor — candles, confetti, hanging items from the ceiling?",[23,307,309],{"id":308},"timing","Timing",[31,311,312,315,318,321],{},[34,313,314],{},"What's my actual access window — when can vendors start setup, and when does everything have to be cleared out?",[34,316,317],{},"Is there a hard end time, and what happens if the event runs over?",[34,319,320],{},"Is there a separate space for getting ready, and is it included?",[34,322,323],{},"How much time is built in between ceremony and reception if they're in the same space?",[23,325,327],{"id":326},"the-practical-stuff-people-forget-to-ask","The practical stuff people forget to ask",[31,329,330,333,336,339],{},[34,331,332],{},"Is there enough parking, and is it free?",[34,334,335],{},"What's the backup plan if a key piece of equipment fails (sound system, lighting)?",[34,337,338],{},"Who's my point of contact on the actual wedding day — is it the person I'm touring with, or someone else?",[34,340,341],{},"Has anything changed about the venue (renovations, ownership, policies) that isn't reflected in reviews I've read?",[197,343],{},[11,345,346],{},"Write your answers down for every venue you tour, side by side — it's much\neasier to compare four venues on the same list of questions than to try to\nremember which one had the better parking situation three tours later.",[11,348,349],{},[18,350,351,352,216],{},"Be Your Planner is built to hold exactly this kind of side-by-side vendor\ncomparison — quotes, pros and cons, and your notes, all lined up per\ncategory. It's still in development. If you'd like to know when it's\nready, ",[212,353,215],{"href":214},{"title":218,"searchDepth":219,"depth":219,"links":355},[356,357,358,359,360],{"id":251,"depth":219,"text":252},{"id":272,"depth":219,"text":273},{"id":290,"depth":219,"text":291},{"id":308,"depth":219,"text":309},{"id":326,"depth":219,"text":327},"The questions I actually asked every venue I toured — the ones that catch the costs and conflicts you don't find out about until it's too late.",{},"\u002Fposts\u002Fquestions-to-ask-every-venue-before-you-sign",{"title":243,"description":361},"posts\u002Fquestions-to-ask-every-venue-before-you-sign","mpZFAB6LcFhTAXPIYzw5QpEJzjeBlPfvjRKvY9XShH0",{"id":368,"title":369,"body":370,"description":451,"extension":231,"meta":452,"navigation":233,"path":453,"publishedOn":235,"seo":454,"status":237,"stem":455,"updatedOn":239,"__hash__":456},"posts\u002Fposts\u002Fwedding-budget-you-will-actually-keep.md","How to set a wedding budget you'll actually keep",{"type":8,"value":371,"toc":442},[372,375,379,382,386,389,393,400,404,411,415,418,422,425,429,432,434],[11,373,374],{},"Most wedding budgets fail for the same reason: they're set once, at the\nstart, before anyone knows what anything actually costs — and then never\nlooked at again until the number is already wrong. Here's the approach that\nactually held up for me.",[23,376,378],{"id":377},"_1-start-with-whos-contributing-not-what-things-cost","1. Start with who's contributing, not what things cost",[11,380,381],{},"Before you price a single vendor, write down everyone who's putting money\ntoward the wedding — you, your partner, family, anyone else — and what\nthey've pledged. This is your real budget ceiling. It's tempting to start\nfrom \"what should a wedding cost,\" but that number is disconnected from your\nactual funding, and it'll just stress you out.",[23,383,385],{"id":384},"_2-build-your-category-list-before-you-shop","2. Build your category list before you shop",[11,387,388],{},"List every category you expect to spend in: venue, catering, photography,\nattire, flowers, music, invitations, rentals, and so on. Don't skip the\nsmall ones — invitations, favors, and day-of miscellany add up faster than\npeople expect, precisely because no single line feels big.",[23,390,392],{"id":391},"_3-price-ranges-not-exact-numbers-at-first","3. Price ranges, not exact numbers, at first",[11,394,395,396,399],{},"Early on, put a ",[18,397,398],{},"range"," against each category based on quick research, not\na single guess. You'll tighten these into real numbers as you actually get\nquotes. A range keeps you from anchoring too hard on a number you picked\nbefore you knew anything.",[23,401,403],{"id":402},"_4-track-every-quote-against-the-pledge-total-live","4. Track every quote against the pledge total, live",[11,405,406,407,410],{},"The moment you get a real quote, log it — even before you book. This is the\nstep people skip, and it's the one that actually keeps a budget honest: you\nwant to see your running total against your contribution total ",[18,408,409],{},"before"," you\ncommit to anything, not after.",[23,412,414],{"id":413},"_5-separate-booked-and-paid-booked-and-owed-and-not-yet-booked","5. Separate \"booked and paid,\" \"booked and owed,\" and \"not yet booked\"",[11,416,417],{},"A budget that only tracks what you've spent hides half the picture. You\nalso need to know what you're committed to but haven't paid yet (deposits,\nbalances due before the wedding) and what's still an open category. All\nthree numbers matter for knowing what's actually left.",[23,419,421],{"id":420},"_6-build-in-a-buffer-a-real-one","6. Build in a buffer — a real one",[11,423,424],{},"Something will cost more than you planned. Not might — will. Whether it's a\nshipping fee, an extra rental, or a last-minute headcount change, build a\nbuffer into your budget from day one rather than discovering you need one\nunder pressure two weeks before the wedding.",[23,426,428],{"id":427},"_7-revisit-it-monthly-not-just-when-something-feels-off","7. Revisit it monthly, not just when something feels off",[11,430,431],{},"The budgets that survive are the ones people actually look at on a\nschedule, not just when they're worried. A short monthly check — what's\nbooked, what's paid, what's left — catches problems while they're still\nsmall and fixable.",[197,433],{},[11,435,436],{},[18,437,438,439,216],{},"Be Your Planner is built to do steps 4 through 7 automatically: log a\npledge, log an expense or vendor payment, and see your real remaining\nbudget update itself — no separate spreadsheet to keep in sync. It's still\nin development. If you'd like to know when it's ready, ",[212,440,441],{"href":214},"join the\nwaitlist",{"title":218,"searchDepth":219,"depth":219,"links":443},[444,445,446,447,448,449,450],{"id":377,"depth":219,"text":378},{"id":384,"depth":219,"text":385},{"id":391,"depth":219,"text":392},{"id":402,"depth":219,"text":403},{"id":413,"depth":219,"text":414},{"id":420,"depth":219,"text":421},{"id":427,"depth":219,"text":428},"A practical way to build a wedding budget that survives contact with real vendors, real deposits, and real surprises — not just a number you picked once.",{},"\u002Fposts\u002Fwedding-budget-you-will-actually-keep",{"title":369,"description":451},"posts\u002Fwedding-budget-you-will-actually-keep","9bNueqKUWyVoCIjyEmcBbYJRIfe56o5BSZx8m3j9bjM",{"id":458,"title":459,"body":460,"description":473,"extension":231,"meta":474,"navigation":233,"path":475,"publishedOn":235,"seo":476,"status":237,"stem":477,"updatedOn":239,"__hash__":478},"posts\u002Fposts\u002Fwelcome-to-be-your-planner.md","Welcome to Be Your Planner",{"type":8,"value":461,"toc":471},[462,465,468],[11,463,464],{},"I planned my own wedding without a tool that actually kept everything straight, so I\nbuilt one: guests, budget, vendors, seating, the whole checklist. It worked, and now\nit's becoming Be Your Planner — for anyone planning a wedding, on their own or with a\nplanner's help.",[11,466,467],{},"This blog, and this site, are placeholders while the product gets built. There's nothing\nto sign up for yet — but if you leave your email on the homepage, we'll let you know when\nthat changes.",[11,469,470],{},"More soon.",{"title":218,"searchDepth":219,"depth":219,"links":472},[],"I built these tools for my own wedding because nothing else kept it together. Here's what's coming.",{},"\u002Fposts\u002Fwelcome-to-be-your-planner",{"title":459,"description":473},"posts\u002Fwelcome-to-be-your-planner","Sr2RSFpJn8_8qZJZHwutkbcgAuArTf4xf_GmHS6Zgls",1786075992961]