Let’s talk wedding party proposals. If you’re having a group of loved ones stand by you during wedding planning and beyond, you’ll actually have to ask them at some point—but how and when?
As long as you don’t do it in a way that causes hurt feelings, how you propose to your wedding party is pretty much up to you. It could be as simple as a phone call or as elaborate as shipping them a customized box of goodies.
The timing of your wedding party proposal is a bit more nuanced, since everyone’s circumstances are different. Some people have known forever who they want in their crew, while others need time to think it over. Some couples have a shorter engagement, while others have two years before their “I dos”—and things can change certainly change over the course of two years. You get the gist. Plan to ask everyone early enough that they have time to plan ahead (you know, consider their own budget, take time off work, start planning prewedding events and order their wedding attire)—but not so early that you don’t have a chance to really think it through.
After getting engaged, worry less about immediately assembling your wedding party and more about enjoying the journey for a little bit. When you’re ready to start planning, first nail down your budget, start looking at venues and define your wedding vision. Once you have a rough mental sketch of your day, go ahead and propose to your VIPs. So, if you’re working with a 12-month wedding timeline, your party proposal sweet spot will probably be around the 10-month mark (aka with 10 months left until your day). Then, with your whole gang on board, you can finally start ordering formalwear, thinking about your shower(s) and moving forward with all the nitty-gritty details (which will be so much more fun with your wedding party around to help).
