(Updated June 2025 · Save/print length ≈ 1,500 words)
Use this month-by-month roadmap to glide from first venue scout to album delivery tailored to Florida’s hurricane season, golden-hour shifts, and off-season discounts. Add each milestone to your calendar with one click, or grab the printable PDF at the end.
How to Use This Checklist
| Action | Option |
|---|---|
| Save to google sheets | Click here to save an interactive version of the checklist on Google Sheets |
| Print & pin | Download the PDF checklist; two pages fit neatly on a clipboard. |
| Track progress | Copy the PDF into Trello/Notion and drag cards to “Done.” |
(If you fall behind, scoot tasks forward but keep the green “booking-window” items in their month, or availability evaporates.)
12 – 9 Months Out: Lock the Big Three (Venue, Date, Photographer)
| Month | Milestone | Gulf-Coast cue |
|---|---|---|
| 12 mo | Finalise venue & date. | Avoid booking a Gulf-front venue during peak hurricane week (Sept 10 ± 7 days). |
| 11 mo | Secure photographer contract + pay retainer. | Popular Saturdays (Mar–May, Oct) vanish 11–12 mo out. |
| 10 mo | Draft budget worksheet · open joint savings account. | Use our pricing calculator to set a realistic photo line-item. |
| 9 mo | Engage planner or DOC · sign videography add-on. | Combo-booking often waives 50 % of second-shooter fee. |
Micro-tip: Ask the venue for a sunset timestamp on your exact date; golden hour can shift from 4:45 p.m. (Jan) to 7:50 p.m. (Jul)—critical for timeline drafting later.
8 – 6 Months Out: Engagement Session & Save-the-Dates
| Month | Milestone | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 8 mo | Schedule engagement session (weekday golden hour). | Weekdays avoid crowds at 30A dunes + snag off-season drone clearance. |
| 7 mo | Choose outfits & location; send inspiration board to photographer. | Coastal wind? Bring linen + hair pins. |
| 6 mo | Approve edited engagement gallery; order Save-the-Dates. | USPS holiday surge starts mid-Nov mail earlier if winter wedding. |
5 – 3 Months Out: Timeline Draft, Shot List & Vendor Walk-Through
| Month | Milestone | Decision checkpoint |
|---|---|---|
| 5 mo | Meet planner & photographer for timeline draft. | Build 90-min buffer for beach traffic on US-98. |
| 4 mo | Create family shot list; share with officiant & MC. | Flag any divorced-parent sensitivities. |
| 3 mo | Venue walk-through with photographer + videographer; map flat-lay table. | Ask florist for extra stems → detail photos. |
2 – 1 Month Out: Final Payments, Backup Weather Plan
| Month | Milestone | Gulf-Coast safeguard |
|---|---|---|
| 2 mo | Pay balance invoices (photo/video). | Early pay often earns free sneak-peek reel (ask!). |
| 6 wks | Draft rain plan + tent on hold. | Gulf showers roll in 20-min bursts clear-span tent + raised floor avoids puddles. |
| 1 mo | Email week-of contact sheet to all vendors; pin sunset-time screenshot. | Update golden-hour portraits slot if DST change. |
Wedding-Week Checklist (24-Hr & 2-Hr Mini Lists)
24 Hours Before
- Pack flat-lay box: rings · vow books · perfume · invites · heirloom.
- Steam outfits; hang on matching wood hangers.
- Send planner final weather screenshot—move first-look indoors if >50 % thunder.
2 Hours Before Ceremony
- Photographer arrives → detail macro sequence, venue establishing drone pass.
- Hand shot list to second shooter; pin boutonnières with florist.
- Maid of honor opens curtains for natural-light prep photos—turn off tungsten lamps.
Post-Wedding: Sneak Peeks, Album Proofs & Anniversary Session Options
| Post-event day | Deliverable | Action |
|---|---|---|
| Day 3 | 10-image sneak peek to inbox + Instagram. | Approve social tags for cross-promotion = bonus prints. |
| Weeks 8-12 | Full edited online gallery (800+ images). | “Favorite” 50 images for album draft. |
| Month 10–12 | Anniversary mini-session option. | 50 % off if booked within the gallery portal. |
Ready to Tick Off Month #1?
See a date that’s still free?
Reserve now with only a 40 % deposit with payment plans available.
Gulf-Coast travel included.
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