Wedding planning timeline: 12 months to the big day
A month-by-month wedding planning checklist: budget and guest count first, then venue, vendors, invitations, final numbers and the day-of timeline.
The order matters more than the speed. Budget and guest count decide the venue, the venue decides the date, and the date decides almost everything else. Here is the sequence most couples follow, assuming about a year to plan.
12 to 10 months out
- Agree a total budget and who is contributing.
- Draft the guest list and get a realistic head count.
- Visit and book the venue, then lock the date.
- Book the vendors who get booked up first: photographer, caterer if the venue has none, band or DJ.
9 to 6 months out
- Choose the wedding party and the attire.
- Book florist, officiant, hair and makeup, and transport.
- Send save-the-dates, especially for travel or a destination wedding.
- Start a registry.
5 to 3 months out
- Send invitations about eight weeks before the day (earlier for destination weddings).
- Plan the menu, cake and rentals.
- Order rings and check the marriage licence rules where you are marrying.
The last two months
- Chase missing RSVPs and give final numbers to the caterer and venue.
- Build the seating chart.
- Write the day-of timeline and share it with every vendor.
- Confirm final payments and who hands them over on the day.
Track every deposit and its balance due date in one place. Final payments for several vendors often land in the same few weeks before the wedding.
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