If you have 9 months to adjust it, you'll be fine. My sister actually started the pill about 4 months before her wedding because she estimated she would be starting on their honeymoon. It turned out OK for her. Since you have never been on the pill, I would give yourself 2 months just for your body to adjust to the change (I became very irratable and had headaches the first month or two when I started but each person is different). So that leaves you 7 months to adjust which is more than enough time. Honestly, I wouldn't be concerned about skipping your period with the pill. My dr. actually said to do it for my wedding. I did it a few months ahead of time so my cycle was reset and I wouldn't have to play with it the month of the wedding. When I skipped, I didn't spot, had no sign of bloat etc, it was just like any other week. I'm not really sure how you could adjust your period with the pill without skipping the week. I know I accidentally ended my sugar pill week early by one day, so now my cycle is off one day. I guess you could take that route, but that would just take a really long time. I would recommend just skipping a week assuming your dr says it's ok a couple months prior the the ride.

If you do go this route, I would also recommend starting ASAP to get your body adjusted to the pill. Like I said, it took me 2 months to feel normal when I first started. It will vary for people, but it doesn't hurt to give yourself some extra time. Also, each pill can react differently, so you may or may not need to go through a trial stage before finding the right one.