Wedding planning timeline: what to do and when
A month-by-month wedding planning checklist, from booking the venue 12 months out to the final supplier confirmations in the wedding week.
Last updated
Almost every wedding runs to the same rough shape: venue and the suppliers who only take one booking a day go first, the guest-facing admin lands in the middle, and the last month is confirmations rather than decisions. The timeline below is the default checklist Wedsy builds for you, and it works backwards from your date rather than forwards from today.
The full timeline
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| 12 months before | Book ceremony venue, Book reception venue, Set wedding budget, Build initial guest list, Hire wedding photographer |
| 9 months before | Book caterer, Book band or DJ, Book officiant, Book florist, Begin dress shopping |
| 6 months before | Choose bridesmaid dresses, Send save-the-dates, Plan honeymoon destination, Book honeymoon travel |
| 4 months before | Book hair and makeup, Order wedding cake, Plan rehearsal dinner |
| 3 months before | Send invitations, Confirm all vendor bookings, Draft seating plan |
| 2 months before | Finalize guest list, Arrange guest accommodation info, Schedule final dress fitting |
| 1 month before | Final dress fitting, Confirm ceremony details with officiant, Create wedding day runsheet |
| Wedding week | Rehearsal dinner, Final vendor confirmations |
What people leave too late
- The seating plan. It depends on final RSVPs, so it gets pushed — then lands in the last fortnight alongside everything else. Draft it early with gaps.
- A day-of run sheet. Suppliers all ask for one in the final week, and writing it under pressure is how details get missed.
- Dietary requirements. Collect them with the RSVP rather than chasing separately later.
- Guest travel and accommodation information. Guests book early; if your website has nothing, they will ask you individually.
Wedsy generates this checklist dated to your wedding, ticks items off as you complete the underlying work elsewhere in the app, and flags anything drifting past its window. It is on the free plan.
Frequently asked
How far in advance should you plan a wedding?+
Twelve to eighteen months is typical, mainly because popular venues and photographers book that far out. Shorter engagements work fine — you simply have less choice of date and supplier, and you should book the one-wedding-a-day suppliers first.
What should you book first for a wedding?+
The venue, because almost every other decision depends on the date, the capacity and the space. Then the suppliers who can only take one booking a day: photographer, caterer, band or DJ, and your officiant.
When should wedding invitations be sent?+
Save-the-dates around six months before, formal invitations around three months before, and set an RSVP deadline four to six weeks before the day so you have time to build the seating plan and give the caterer final numbers.