Photos by: Meredith Kirk Photography

We are almost at 3 months out until the big day, and now it is getting so real. All of the big vendor stuff has been booked and now it gets into all of the fun and creative stuff which I can’t wait for. I did not do a 6-9 month out post because I have been pretty busy with work and doing a lot of the wedding preparation. I will highlight some of the areas that I just got done with that you will see below that cover some of these. Be sure to check out the wedding prep: 10-12 months out post I did. The 6-9 months out is a large focus on the save the date design and getting your guest list which I will highlight below.

Wedding Prep Tips: 3-6 Months Out

• Order All Attire: I ordered my wedding dress back in August so it is actually a 9 month out task for me, but my bridesmaids just ordered their dresses. James also recently picked out his tuxes for his groomsmen and we have our moms and then flower girls/ring bearers outfits picked out as well. My dress actually came in and I just went to start the alterations conversations. I would plan to drop your dress off for alterations 4-6 weeks out if possible.
• Book All Vendors: The first vendors that I booked were the photographer and florist. I had my same photographer also take our save the date photos which I liked so we would get to know her as well as keep the same overall aesthetic. We also just recently booked our wedding party transportation and had booked our DJ, videographer and baker at the 6-9 month out mark.
• Order and Mail Save the Dates: You will want to order save the dates which are so great for out of town guests or if you are having a destination wedding. You will want to get these in the mail at the 6 month mark. We decided to do our save the dates more formal with a wedding crest that we had designed. The aesthetic is going to look super similar to our actual invitations, but with a photo of us on the back. Some people decide to do just a photo magnet or post card kind of paper, so it is totally up to you if you do decide to do one or not.
• Finalize Wedding Theme and Overall Aesthetic: If you have not already, you need to nail down your theme, colors, and overall aesthetic. This will help with the reception decor, cake design, and of course flowers.
• Reserve Hotel Room Blocks & Day Of Area: You will want to have a couple of different hotel options for your wedding guests at various price points close to your venue. We decided to go with 3 different options that are all within a 5 minute drive. Depending on your venue, you will want to determine where you will be getting ready with your bridal party and also reserve where you will be staying on your wedding night.
• Complete Your Registry: It is also a good time to have your wedding registry created and updated as you go. Some couples are opting for online stores and some have a honeymoon fund. I registered for all of my items primarily online, but did go into the store for some to check out and physically touch the products. This was particularly helpful for my dinnerware set.
• Plan/Book Honeymoon: James is planning our honeymoon and going to surprise me for the destination. This is the time that you will want to 100% make sure your passports are all updated and start thinking of how long you would like to be gone for as well.
• Shop for Wedding Rings: This is still one of our to do’s and something we will be doing over the next couple of weeks as we plan. It is one of the more exciting things that will be with you way after your wedding.
• Plan Rehearsal Dinner: Restaurants and venues surprisingly fill up very fast and also depending on the time of year for your wedding. You will want to get this booked and determine if you will have any out of town guests as well at the dinner. We booked ours a couple of months ago after visiting a few locations in November. The menu does not have to be determined until it gets closer to the wedding, but plan to do this during this time frame as well.
• Determine Bachelorette Weekend/Bridal Shower Dates: This is a time where your MOH/Bridesmaids will want to finalize the bachelorette date and also where people will want to start thinking of bridal shower dates as well. We just determined my bachelorette weekend and it is going to be the cutest Southern destination! I also just gave the shower invite list as well so my hosts can plan.
• Start Researching Songs and Hair/Makeup: During this 3 month mark you will want to start thinking of songs you would like the DJ/band to play or not play. Also start thinking for the first dance, daddy/daughter, etc. It is also a good idea to start researching hair and makeup ideas and get an idea of companies that are available to come for your bridal party as well.
• Complete Reception Tasting: We will be determining our food and beverages next month which will be the 3 month mark. Our venue luckily has a catering department which makes it easy to have everything together. I am excited for this fun milestone! The food and beverage is typically one of the largest budget categories as well which will really determine the final realistic cost.
• Design/Prepare Wedding Invitations: I am starting to prepare the invitations and will have them sent for printing at the 3 month mark and mail them at the 2 month mark. You will want to have this started at the 4 month out mark to give time if you use a calligrapher, do any custom design, have a logo made, etc.

I can’t wait for this next month and to start the 3 month out milestone. This is now the time to start any beauty/health routines and it is about to be all about the little details. All of the big stuff is taken care of and the time is starting to get prepared to be a blushing bride!