Can we let you in on a little secret? You don't have to start planning your wedding the moment you get engaged. Trust us, you'll have enough to think about once you actually get down to business. But for now, it's all about being in the moment, sharing your news with loved ones and taking some shameless ring selfies. Here are 10 important wedding planning to-dos you can wait to get started on.
1. CHOOSING YOUR WEDDING PARTY
Of course, they were probably some of the first people you called after the proposal, but pause before asking all your besties to be in your wedding party. Drama has a habit of popping up in the early stages of engagements, so wait for the initial, "Oh my goodness—you're engaged!" phase to die down before asking your pals to stand at the altar with you. A few weeks after your engagement, you'll have a better idea of who's excited to dive into wedding planning with you and who might have a better time at your wedding as a guest.
2. BUYING YOUR DRESS
Browse magazines, social media and galleries to your heart's content, but consider holding off before actually purchasing your wedding dress. After a few weeks of looking online and trying on dresses, your taste might change in a surprising way (same goes for your accessories). But don't sit on the decision for too long—you don't want to find yourself a month from the wedding date without a dress. We recommend buying your gown six to eight months before your wedding to leave enough time for shipping and fittings.
3. YOUR SEATING CHART
You'll want to figure out a rough estimate of your guest list so you can plan things like your budget and book your reception venue, but don't worry about deciding specific seating assignments yet. That can wait until after you've received your RSVPs and finalized your reception setup. By the way, you can track RSVPs through your wedding website with The Knot—how cool is that?
4. PICKING YOUR FIRST-DANCE SONG
Your first dance song—and all of your wedding music—is one of those details you can keep tweaking closer to your wedding day (especially if you're hiring a DJ). So there's no need to stress. Find tons of inspiration from classic first-dance songs or modern, wedding-worthy hits.
5. CHOOSING YOUR BRIDESMAID DRESSES
Your wedding party attire is one of the most impactful ways to carry out your overall wedding style. But, similarly to your wedding gown, it's likely your theme or colors will evolve during your planning process. Save bridesmaid dress shopping for when you've decided on a final look and feel for your wedding, and preferably do it after you've found your wedding dress.
6. PLANNING YOUR HONEYMOON
Fewer couples than ever jet off on their honeymoons immediately following their wedding, so it's okay if you need more time to plan your trip carefully—even if that means waiting a few weeks after your wedding to go. If you do want to leave for your honeymoon the day after your wedding, book your honeymoon travel plans six to eight months in advance.
7. CHOOSING YOUR FLOWERS
Book your florist early on (you'll want to pin down the best flower pro—one whose overall style and prices match yours), but you don't actually have to specify what flowers you want until a few months before your wedding. So start setting aside photos of wedding flowers that you love and have a conversation with your florist about which blooms will be available for your wedding date—but don't worry about narrowing it all down just yet.
8. ALL THOSE LITTLE DETAILS
Tiny details, like your linens, table settings, favors and escort cards, don't need to be dealt with until well after making the bigger decisions, like your reception venue and photographer. If you've got the itch to plan right now, focus on the fun stuff, like tasting appointments with your caterer and cake baker or choosing your wedding colors.
9. BUYING ANYTHING EDIBLE
You might have already found the perfect chocolate wedding favors, but don't buy them just yet. Plan to purchase of edible as close to your wedding date as possible (no more than a month in advance) to get the freshest goodies for your guests.
10. THE LEGAL STUFF
You should be getting manicures and showing off your ring—not getting paper cuts on your fingers from all the documents you're filling out. Other than filing for a marriage license and signing it before saying "I do", changing your name, combining bank accounts, updating tax forms can all wait until after the wedding.
