# The 3–6 Month Wedding Checklist

> Your 3–6 month wedding checklist: design and order invitations, finalize the menu and drinks, shop for wedding rings, choose music and plan for wet weather.

Source: https://readytoweddy.com/wedding-checklist/3-to-6-months
Publisher: ReadyToWeddy (https://readytoweddy.com) · Last updated: 2026-09-17

Three to six months out, plans turn into specifics. Invitations get designed and ordered, the menu is settled, and rings, music and flowers get finalized. If you’re starting late, this is where to focus first.

## What should you do 3–6 months before your wedding?

Three to six months before your wedding, design and order your invitations, finalize your menu and drinks, and [start shopping for wedding rings](https://readytoweddy.com/guides/buy-wedding-rings) about 3–4 months out, or 4–6 months for custom designs. Finalize flowers and décor, confirm transport, choose key music moments, book hair and makeup trials, decide how guests will share photos and agree on a [wet-weather plan](https://readytoweddy.com/guides/agree-weather-plan). Optional extras include vows, speeches, signage, favors and pre-wedding parties.

## Checklist (18 tasks)

### Design and order your invitations

- When: 3–5 months before (3–6 Months Before)
- Category: Invitations & Stationery
- Priority: Essential
- Link: https://readytoweddy.com/wedding-checklist/3-to-6-months#design-invitations

Design and order your wedding invitations about 3–4 months before the wedding, agreeing the wording and RSVP method, so there’s time to proof, print and send them 6–8 weeks before the day.

**Why it matters:** Invitations usually go out about 6–8 weeks before the wedding, or 8–12 weeks ahead for destination weddings, and design, proofing and printing can take several weeks. Starting about 3–4 months out leaves room for changes. It’s also when you decide how guests will RSVP, what information to collect, and how to word things like dress code, children and plus-ones clearly.

**Steps:**
- [ ] Decide between printed, digital or a mix.
- [ ] Agree on wording, including hosts, names and spellings.
- [ ] Include date, time, venue, dress code and website.
- [ ] Choose an RSVP method and deadline.
- [ ] Ask for meal choices, dietary needs and access needs.
- [ ] Order proofs and check every detail twice.
- [ ] Confirm print dates and check postage costs.

**Helpful questions:**
- “What’s the latest date we can approve proofs and still send on time?”
- “What do we need guests to tell us when they RSVP?”
- “How should we word it if children aren’t invited?”

**Tips:**
- Often forgotten: Couples often forget to ask for dietary and access needs on the RSVP.
- Set the RSVP deadline about 3–4 weeks before the wedding, and at least a week before your caterer needs final numbers.
- Order a few extra invitations for late additions and keepsakes.

**Best done after:** Draft your guest list in three tiers; Collect guest addresses and contact details

### Finalize your menu and tasting

- When: 2–5 months before (3–6 Months Before)
- Category: Food & Drink
- Priority: Essential
- Link: https://readytoweddy.com/wedding-checklist/3-to-6-months#finalize-menu

Finalize your wedding menu about three months before the wedding, ideally after a tasting, including dietary alternatives, children’s meals and any late-night food.

**Why it matters:** The menu is one of the biggest line items and one of the things guests remember most. Settling it now gives your caterer time to order ingredients, plan staffing and confirm service times. It also lets you add meal choices and dietary questions to your invitations, so you collect everything you need in a single round of RSVPs.

**Steps:**
- [ ] Book a tasting with your caterer or venue.
- [ ] Choose courses, portions, service style and staffing.
- [ ] Agree vegan, vegetarian, allergy and children’s meals.
- [ ] Add vendor meals and any late-night food.
- [ ] Confirm cake service and any cutting fee.
- [ ] Check service times against your timeline.
- [ ] Get menu, pricing and final-count deadline in writing.

**Helpful questions:**
- “How do you label and serve allergy-safe meals?”
- “When do you need final meal choices and numbers?”
- “What happens to leftover food at the end of the night?”

**Tips:**
- Often forgotten: Vendor meals and late-night food are easy to leave off the menu until the final invoice arrives.
- Eat something small before the tasting so you judge the food, not your hunger.
- Take photos of each dish to remember presentation.

**Best done after:** Book your caterer

### Plan the bar and drinks

- When: 2–5 months before (3–6 Months Before)
- Category: Food & Drink
- Priority: Recommended
- Link: https://readytoweddy.com/wedding-checklist/3-to-6-months#plan-drinks

Plan your wedding bar about three months ahead: choose a drinks package or supplier, add good alcohol-free options, and confirm licensing and service rules with your venue.

**Why it matters:** Drinks can shift your budget significantly depending on the package, hours and guest count. Planning now lets you compare options, check whether the venue allows outside alcohol, and make sure a licensed service is in place where one is needed. Thoughtful alcohol-free choices also help every guest feel included, whatever their reasons for not drinking.

**Steps:**
- [ ] Check the venue’s alcohol policy and bar rules.
- [ ] Choose open bar, limited bar, cash bar or a mix.
- [ ] Pick drinks for the toast, meal and evening.
- [ ] Add two good alcohol-free options and water stations.
- [ ] Confirm licensing, insurance and bar hours.
- [ ] Agree glassware, ice, bar staff and any corkage fees.

**Helpful questions:**
- “Can we bring our own drinks, and is there a corkage fee?”
- “Who is licensed to serve alcohol at our venue?”
- “How do you charge if we run over time?”

**Tips:**
- Often forgotten: Couples often forget to plan water and ice for outdoor or summer weddings.
- A signature cocktail with a matching alcohol-free version keeps things simple.
- Keep water easy to find all evening, especially in warm weather.

**Note:** Rules vary by location — confirm with the official authority where you marry.

### Finalize flowers and décor

- When: 2–5 months before (3–6 Months Before)
- Category: Flowers & Décor
- Priority: Recommended
- Link: https://readytoweddy.com/wedding-checklist/3-to-6-months#finalize-flowers-decor

Finalize your wedding flowers and décor about three months before the wedding, confirming quantities, setup, cleanup and whether any arrangements will move between spaces.

**Why it matters:** Florists and décor suppliers need firm quantities to order stems and materials, and many flowers are seasonal. Confirming details now keeps costs predictable and avoids last-minute substitutions. It is also the right time to plan how ceremony pieces can be reused at the reception, which can stretch your budget and reduce waste.

**Steps:**
- [ ] Confirm bouquets, buttonholes and personal flowers.
- [ ] Finalize ceremony pieces and centerpieces per table.
- [ ] Confirm lighting, linens and furniture.
- [ ] Decide which pieces move to the reception, and who.
- [ ] Agree setup, cleanup and rental pickup with the venue.
- [ ] Check candle, confetti and installation rules.
- [ ] Get an updated quote in writing.

**Helpful questions:**
- “Which flowers are in season for our date?”
- “Can you move the ceremony arrangements to the reception?”
- “What happens to the flowers at the end of the night?”

**Tips:**
- Often forgotten: Someone needs to be responsible for moving ceremony flowers to the reception, and it is rarely agreed in advance.
- Keep centerpieces low or tall so guests can see across the table.

**Best done after:** Book your florist

### Confirm transportation details

- When: 2–5 months before (3–6 Months Before)
- Category: Transportation
- Priority: Recommended
- Link: https://readytoweddy.com/wedding-checklist/3-to-6-months#confirm-transportation

Confirm wedding transportation details about three months ahead, giving the company every address, pickup time, passenger estimate and a wedding-day contact who isn’t you.

**Why it matters:** Transport runs on precise information. Drivers need exact addresses, times and passenger numbers to plan routes and vehicles, and any access needs should be known well in advance. Sharing details now gives the company time to flag problems, such as tricky parking or timing clashes, while you still have room to adjust.

**Steps:**
- [ ] List every journey with addresses and access notes.
- [ ] Add pickup and return times and passengers per trip.
- [ ] Note accessibility needs and parking or drop-off rules.
- [ ] Name a main and backup contact for the day.
- [ ] Send everything to the transport company in writing.
- [ ] Ask for a written confirmation of the schedule.

**Helpful questions:**
- “What happens if a vehicle breaks down on the day?”
- “How long do you allow for waiting time?”
- “Will the driver have a direct contact number?”

**Tips:**
- Often forgotten: Couples often list themselves as the transport contact, which means their phone rings during the ceremony.

**Best done after:** Book transport for the two of you

### Buy your wedding rings

- When: 2–6 months before (3–6 Months Before)
- Category: Rings
- Priority: Essential
- Link: https://readytoweddy.com/guides/buy-wedding-rings

Start shopping for your wedding rings about 3–4 months before the wedding to leave time for sizing, engraving and insurance. Allow 4–6 months for custom designs or engraving-heavy orders.

**Why it matters:** Rings often need more time than couples expect. Sizing, engraving and custom designs can each add weeks, and a second adjustment is not unusual. Buying now gives you room for fittings, fixes and any delays, and time to add the rings to your insurance before the wedding.

**Steps:**
- [ ] Agree a budget for both rings.
- [ ] Pick metal and width alongside any engagement ring.
- [ ] Get you both sized, ideally at different times of day.
- [ ] Get production, engraving and pickup dates in writing.
- [ ] Proofread engraving wording and spelling carefully.
- [ ] Check the return and resizing policy before you pay.
- [ ] Arrange insurance and safe storage.

**Helpful questions:**
- “How long do sizing and engraving take?”
- “Is resizing free if the fit changes?”
- “Can this metal be resized later?”

**Tips:**
- Often forgotten: Couples often forget to add the rings to their insurance before the wedding day.
- Try rings on at the end of the day, when fingers are often slightly larger.

### Plan signage and on-the-day stationery

- When: 2–5 months before (3–6 Months Before)
- Category: Invitations & Stationery
- Priority: Optional
- Link: https://readytoweddy.com/wedding-checklist/3-to-6-months#plan-signage

Plan wedding signage and on-the-day stationery about three months ahead, deciding which signs guests actually need, such as a welcome sign, directions, menus and table numbers.

**Why it matters:** Good signage quietly answers guests’ questions so nobody has to ask you. Planning the list now lets you match the style of your invitations, leave time for design and printing, and hold back items like the seating chart until your RSVPs are in. It also keeps you from ordering signs you don’t need.

**Steps:**
- [ ] List the moments where guests may need direction.
- [ ] Choose welcome, direction and parking signs.
- [ ] Add menus and table numbers.
- [ ] Add a program or photo-sharing sign if you like.
- [ ] Decide who will design and print them.
- [ ] Mark items, like the seating chart, that wait on RSVPs.
- [ ] Check who provides easels and stands.
- [ ] Plan who places and collects signs on the day.

**Helpful questions:**
- “Does the venue provide easels or sign holders?”
- “Where are guests most likely to get lost?”

**Tips:**
- Keep wording short and readable from a few steps away.

**Optional:** If your venue is simple to navigate and your guest list is small, a single welcome sign is plenty.

### Decide how guests will share photos

- When: 1–5 months before (3–6 Months Before)
- Category: Photo Sharing
- Priority: Recommended
- Link: https://readytoweddy.com/guides/decide-photo-sharing

Decide how guests will share wedding photos about three months before the wedding, choosing one simple method, such as a shared album or QR-code upload, so candid shots end up in one place.

**Why it matters:** Guests capture moments your photographer never sees: getting-ready chaos, the dance floor, relatives catching up. Without a plan, those photos scatter across messaging threads and phones, and many are never shared. Choosing a method now gives you time to set it up, add it to your website and signs, and tell guests before the day.

**Steps:**
- [ ] Talk about what you want from guest photos.
- [ ] Compare a few collection methods.
- [ ] Check video support, no guest account, full quality.
- [ ] Consider guests less comfortable with technology.
- [ ] Choose one main method and set its privacy.
- [ ] Set when uploads close and how you’ll download them.
- [ ] Note where the link will appear.

**Helpful questions:**
- “Do we want videos as well as photos?”
- “Who should be able to see the gallery?”
- “Will our older guests find this easy?”

**Tips:**
- Often forgotten: Couples often forget to decide how they’ll download everything afterward, before files start expiring.
- One method is easier for guests to remember than three.

### Decide on an unplugged ceremony

- When: 1–5 months before (3–6 Months Before)
- Category: Ceremony
- Priority: Optional
- Link: https://readytoweddy.com/wedding-checklist/3-to-6-months#decide-unplugged-ceremony

Decide whether you want an unplugged ceremony, where guests put phones away, about three months ahead so you can tell guests kindly and plan where photos will come from.

**Why it matters:** An unplugged ceremony keeps guests present and keeps phones out of your photographer’s shots of the aisle. Deciding early lets you mention it on your website, plan clear wording for the officiant or a sign, and point guests toward a way to share photos from the rest of the day instead.

**Steps:**
- [ ] Talk about whether phones at the ceremony bother you.
- [ ] Decide if it covers the ceremony or the whole day.
- [ ] Add a short note to your wedding website.
- [ ] Choose friendly wording for a ceremony sign.
- [ ] Ask your officiant to make a short announcement.
- [ ] Say when phones are welcome and where to share photos.

**Helpful questions:**
- “Would we rather see faces or phones when we look up the aisle?”
- “Do any guests need their phones for childcare or on-call work?”

**Tips:**
- Something like “We’d love you to be fully present – our photographer has this covered” keeps it warm.

**Optional:** If you’re happy for guests to take photos throughout, there’s no need to go unplugged.

### Choose your key music moments

- When: 1–5 months before (3–6 Months Before)
- Category: Music & Entertainment
- Priority: Recommended
- Link: https://readytoweddy.com/wedding-checklist/3-to-6-months#choose-music-moments

Choose the music for your key wedding moments about three months ahead, including the processional, recessional, first dance and last song, so musicians have time to prepare.

**Why it matters:** A handful of songs carry most of the emotional weight of the day. Choosing them now gives live musicians time to learn arrangements and gives your DJ or band clear cues. It also leaves time to check whether your ceremony venue has any restrictions on music, which some religious and civil settings do.

**Steps:**
- [ ] List ceremony moments, from arrival to recessional.
- [ ] Add your entrance, first dance and last song.
- [ ] Shortlist a few options for each moment.
- [ ] Check music rules with your officiant or venue.
- [ ] Confirm timing and edits, such as shortened tracks.
- [ ] Share the final list with your musicians or DJ.

**Helpful questions:**
- “Can you shorten this track or fade it at the right moment?”
- “Are there any music restrictions at our ceremony venue?”

**Tips:**
- Time your walk down the aisle and pick a section of the song that fits.

**Best done after:** Book your band or DJ

### Schedule hair and makeup trials

- When: 1–5 months before (3–6 Months Before)
- Category: Beauty & Grooming
- Priority: Optional
- Link: https://readytoweddy.com/wedding-checklist/3-to-6-months#schedule-beauty-trials

Schedule hair and makeup trials about 2–3 months before the wedding, ideally after choosing your outfits, so you can test the look and adjust it in good time.

**Why it matters:** A trial lets you see how a look feels, photographs and lasts before the day itself. It is also a chance to agree timings with your stylist, so your getting-ready schedule is realistic. Booking now leaves space for a second trial if the first doesn’t feel quite right.

**Steps:**
- [ ] Book trial dates with your stylist or artist.
- [ ] Gather reference photos and mention skin sensitivities.
- [ ] Wear a similar neckline and bring your accessories.
- [ ] Photograph the result in different lighting.
- [ ] Wear the look for a few hours if you can.
- [ ] Confirm time needed per person on the wedding morning.
- [ ] Note the touch-up products you’ll need on the day.

**Helpful questions:**
- “How long will each person take on the morning?”
- “What do you need from us at the venue, such as light or power?”

**Tips:**
- Book your trial on a day with plans afterward to see how the look lasts.

**Optional:** If you’re doing your own hair and makeup, a relaxed practice run at home works just as well.

**Best done after:** Book hair and makeup

### Decide on wedding favors

- When: 1–5 months before (3–6 Months Before)
- Category: Guest Experience
- Priority: Optional
- Link: https://readytoweddy.com/wedding-checklist/3-to-6-months#decide-on-favors

Decide whether you want wedding favors about three months ahead. Many couples skip them entirely; if you do give favors, choose something guests will genuinely use or enjoy.

**Why it matters:** Favors are a small tradition, not a requirement. Deciding early saves you from buying something in a rush that guests leave behind. If you do want them, this leaves time to order, personalize and assemble them, or to choose an alternative such as a donation or late-night treat.

**Steps:**
- [ ] Decide whether favors matter to either of you.
- [ ] If yes, set a small per-guest budget.
- [ ] Choose something edible, useful or meaningful.
- [ ] Check ingredients for allergies if favors are edible.
- [ ] Order one each plus spares, early if personalizing.
- [ ] Allow time to assemble them.
- [ ] Plan how they’re displayed and who sets them out.

**Helpful questions:**
- “Would our guests actually take this home?”

**Optional:** “Not for us” is a great answer – guests rarely notice when favors aren’t there.

### Choose a guest book or keepsake

- When: 2–5 months before (3–6 Months Before)
- Category: Guest Experience
- Priority: Optional
- Link: https://readytoweddy.com/wedding-checklist/3-to-6-months#choose-guest-book

If you’d like a keepsake of guests’ messages, choose a guest book or alternative about 3 months ahead and decide who looks after it on the day.

**Why it matters:** A guest book gives you something personal to look back on, often long after the details of the day blur. There are many formats, from a classic book to recorded audio messages or instant photos, and some need ordering, setup or equipment. Choosing now leaves time for delivery and personalization, and deciding who looks after it means it actually gets used and makes it home safely.

**Steps:**
- [ ] Decide what kind of keepsake you’d like.
- [ ] Order it with time for delivery or personalization.
- [ ] Pick a table or stand near the entrance or bar.
- [ ] Add pens that suit the surface and a short sign.
- [ ] Charge or test any equipment it needs.
- [ ] Ask someone to invite guests to sign and take it home.

**Helpful questions:**
- “Where will guests naturally pause long enough to sign?”
- “Who will bring it home after the celebration?”

**Tips:**
- Often forgotten: Couples often forget to assign someone to bring the guest book home, and it gets left on the table.
- Options include a classic book, message cards in a box, an audio guest book, an instant-photo album or a signature item such as a print, a globe or a board game.
- Try the pens on the actual surface; some smudge on glossy pages.
- A short prompt, such as your favorite memory with us, helps guests write more than their names.

**Optional:** A guest book is entirely optional; if it isn’t your thing, your photos and cards are keepsake enough.

### Write your vows

- When: Up to 5 months before (3–6 Months Before)
- Category: Ceremony
- Priority: Optional
- Link: https://readytoweddy.com/guides/write-vows

Start writing your wedding vows about 2–3 months before the wedding, after checking what your officiant allows, so you have time to draft, rest and revise without pressure.

**Why it matters:** Personal vows are easier to write when there is no deadline breathing down your neck. Starting early gives you room to draft, set it aside, and come back with fresh eyes. It also lets you check with your officiant whether personal vows are allowed, how long they can be, and what legal wording must be included.

**Steps:**
- [ ] Ask your officiant what’s allowed or must be included.
- [ ] Agree a rough length and tone with your partner.
- [ ] Jot down memories, promises and phrases.
- [ ] Write a first draft and set it aside.
- [ ] Revise, then read it aloud and time it.
- [ ] Write a clean, readable copy for the ceremony.
- [ ] Decide who holds the vows until you need them.

**Helpful questions:**
- “Do we want to share our vows with each other beforehand?”
- “Are there words we must include for the ceremony to be legal?”

**Tips:**
- Write for your partner, not the audience.
- Print the vows in a large font or copy them into a small booklet.

**Optional:** Traditional or officiant-led vows are just as meaningful, so personal vows are completely optional.

### Decide who will give speeches

- When: 1–5 months before (3–6 Months Before)
- Category: Reception
- Priority: Optional
- Link: https://readytoweddy.com/guides/plan-speeches

Decide who will give wedding speeches about three months ahead, and let each speaker know their slot, order and a suggested length of a few minutes.

**Why it matters:** Speakers appreciate time to prepare, and a clear plan keeps speeches warm rather than long. Deciding now avoids surprises on the day, helps your caterer time food service around them, and lets you gently set expectations about length and tone before anyone starts writing.

**Steps:**
- [ ] Decide how many speeches feel right.
- [ ] Choose speakers and ask them personally.
- [ ] Suggest a length and give a gentle time limit.
- [ ] Agree the speech order and timing around the meal.
- [ ] Confirm who introduces each speaker.
- [ ] Check microphone arrangements with the venue or DJ.

**Helpful questions:**
- “Would you feel comfortable giving a short speech?”
- “Do we want to say a few words ourselves?”

**Tips:**
- Three to five minutes per speech is a comfortable guide for most speakers.

**Optional:** If speeches aren’t your style, a single short toast or none at all is perfectly fine.

### Buy shoes and accessories

- When: 2–5 months before (3–6 Months Before)
- Category: Attire
- Priority: Recommended
- Link: https://readytoweddy.com/wedding-checklist/3-to-6-months#buy-shoes-accessories

Buy wedding shoes and accessories about three months before the wedding, so you can bring them to your first fitting and your outfit is altered to the right length.

**Why it matters:** Hem lengths and trouser breaks are set with your shoes on, so fittings go much more smoothly when you already have them. Buying accessories now also gives you time to see everything together, return anything that doesn’t work, and break in your shoes before the day.

**Steps:**
- [ ] List what you need, like jewelry, ties or cufflinks.
- [ ] Consider a veil or headpiece and an evening wrap.
- [ ] Check fitting dates with your tailor or boutique.
- [ ] Buy shoes you can comfortably stand in for hours.
- [ ] Choose undergarments that suit your outfit.
- [ ] Keep receipts until everything is confirmed.
- [ ] Bring everything to your first fitting.

**Helpful questions:**
- “What will we need for the fittings?”
- “Is the venue surface grass, gravel or stone?”

**Tips:**
- Consider a comfortable second pair of shoes for dancing.

### Plan bachelor and bachelorette parties

- When: 1–6 months before (3–6 Months Before)
- Category: Wedding Party
- Priority: Optional
- Link: https://readytoweddy.com/wedding-checklist/3-to-6-months#plan-pre-wedding-parties

Plan bachelor and bachelorette parties about 2–3 months ahead, scheduled at least a few weeks before the wedding so everyone has time to rest and recover.

**Why it matters:** Pre-wedding parties are a chance to celebrate with friends before the busiest weeks. Planning with enough notice helps guests budget and book time off, especially for trips. Holding them well before the wedding keeps the final weeks free for last details and leaves a buffer for tiredness or minor mishaps.

**Steps:**
- [ ] Share what kind of celebration you would enjoy.
- [ ] Agree who is organizing and who is invited.
- [ ] Pick a date at least a few weeks before the wedding.
- [ ] Keep costs, including travel and stays, comfortable.
- [ ] Share plans early so guests can budget and book.

**Helpful questions:**
- “What would a great celebration look like for you?”
- “Is the cost realistic for everyone invited?”

**Optional:** A relaxed dinner, a joint party or no party at all are all great choices.

### Agree on a wet-weather plan

- When: 2–6 months before (3–6 Months Before)
- Category: Backup Plans
- Priority: Essential
- Link: https://readytoweddy.com/guides/agree-weather-plan

Agree on a wet-weather plan about three months ahead, confirming an indoor or covered backup, any tent or heating costs, and how guests will stay comfortable in rain, wind or heat.

**Why it matters:** Weather is the one thing nobody can book. A clear backup means a rainy forecast becomes a change of room rather than a crisis. Planning now gives you time to reserve tents or covered space, check costs and deadlines with the venue, and think about umbrellas, shade and heating before suppliers are fully booked.

**Steps:**
- [ ] Ask the venue about indoor or covered backup space.
- [ ] Check tent booking, cancellation terms and deadlines.
- [ ] Arrange heating, fans or shade as needed.
- [ ] Plan umbrellas, blankets, flooring and covered paths.
- [ ] Map every outdoor moment and pick backup photo spots.
- [ ] Share the backup with your vendors.

**Helpful questions:**
- “How many guests does the backup space hold comfortably?”
- “When do we need to confirm a tent?”
- “Is there extra cost for switching spaces?”

**Tips:**
- Often forgotten: Couples often plan a rain option for the ceremony but forget drinks, photos and walkways between spaces.
- Visit or view photos of the backup space set up, not empty.
- Suggest suitable footwear to guests if the ground may be grass or mud.


## FAQ

### What should be done 3–6 months before a wedding?

Design and order your invitations, finalize the menu and drinks, confirm transportation, shop for your rings, finalize flowers and décor, and agree on a backup plan for bad weather. Hair and makeup trials and vow writing often happen about 2–3 months out.

### Can you plan a wedding in 3 months?

Yes. Book the venue first, then the few vendors you care most about, and send invitations soon after your date is fixed, ideally at least 6–8 weeks before. Consider venues with in-house catering, simpler décor and ready-to-wear outfits. Check [marriage license timing](https://readytoweddy.com/guides/apply-marriage-license) early, as it can’t always be rushed.

### When should you shop for wedding rings?

Start shopping about 3–4 months before the wedding, which leaves time for resizing and engraving. Allow 4–6 months for custom designs or engraving-heavy orders, and ask the jeweler for their lead time.

### Why design invitations months before sending them?

Design, proofing, printing and addressing can each take several weeks. Starting about 3–4 months out leaves room for changes, so [invitations are ready to go out](https://readytoweddy.com/guides/send-invitations) 6–8 weeks before the wedding, or 8–12 weeks ahead for destination weddings.