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The Wedding Timeline: When to book wedding suppliers?

Don’t worry, the initial stages of your wedding planning can be a bit of a minefield and chances are; you don’t have a bloody clue what you’re doing! If only there was a handy wedding timeline to help you on your way…

So the majority of people book their venue first, that way you can give dates to the rest of the suppliers. I think this is the part where most brides say ‘holy SH*T, there is so much to do and choose from!’ Your credit cards eye’s light up and your bank balance thinks it’s all a big joke.

Whilst your husband-to-be buries his head firmly into the ground, you need to get a bit of a wriggle on. Now don’t believe the hype from the suppliers, yes we get booked up early but the ones who shout loudest about how busy they are, usually aren’t. You do however need to bear in mind that some suppliers can only work wedding per day, people like photographers, but your cake maker could probably do several cakes for the same date. You need to prioritise what really is the important thing to you and work from that order. If you’re getting married on a Saturday in the summer then yes, the best suppliers are probably booked if you don’t act quick.

wedding timeline

Wedding Timeline

  • 12+ Months Before

    Set your Date

    So we start the wedding timeline; the all important date! Set a yearly reminder on your partners phone to ensure you get spoilt every anniversary!

  • 12+ Months Before

    Book Your Venue

    So by now you’ve probably booked your venue, easily one of the most exciting parts of the planning process. It’s also a great time to talk with your church is you’re not having a civil ceremony. If not check out these real weddings for inspiration

  • 12+ Months Before

    Book Your Photographer

    We tend to book up pretty quickly, especially for those spring/summer months. The same applies to videography, the good ones book up quick! Check out how I work and my prices

  • 12 Months Before

    Send your 'Save the Dates'

    Especially to those that may be travelling far

  • 8-12 Months Before

    Throw an Engagement Party (Optional)

    Engagement parties aren’t for everyone, but it’s a blooming good excuse for a knees up!

  • 10-12 Months before

    Book your Registrar

    It is possible to chose your registrar but you must ask, they won’t offer. If you’ve attended a wedding before and loved the registrar then it may be worth checking their availability

  • 10-12 Months Before

    Book your Honeymoon

    My only advice is to go with a budget that you won’t bend, it’s so tempting to overspend! But hey, it’s your wedding timeline so you can go ahead and ignore that piece of advice and go crazy!

  • 10-12 Months before

    Book Entertainment

    So this is the part that is a bit of a minefield. It’s also the part where your budget conscious side needs to come out. You name it, you can book it. From the obvious to the truly unique, there are suppliers that can help. This is where the wedding timeline gets complicated!

    Here’s just a short list of entertainers I’ve seen at weddings

    • Magicians
    • Mind Readers
    • Fire Acrobatics
    • Fireworks
    • Chimney Sweeps
    • DJs
    • Bands
    • Singing Waiters
    • Face Painters
    • Casinos
    • String Quartet
    • Tribute Acts
    • Games console stations
    • Caricatures
    • Photo Booths and Magic Mirrors
    • Bouncy Castles and Inflatables

    The list goes on…

  • 8-10 Months Before

    Book Venue Designers

    Skip this step if you’re going to DIY but if you’re leaving it to the professionals then now’s the time to get your choices made

  • 8-10 Months Before

    Order THE Dress

    As a male I’m not going to pretend I understand the love that a bride has for her wedding dress but I do know how important it is to the brides

  • 8-10 Months Before

    Book the Caterers, Florists and Transport

    Your venue may already be catered but if not now is the time to go food tasting! Whoop!

    When looking for your florists go with your colour scheme ready and where possible an idea of the types of flowers you are looking for. These guys are creative geniuses so trust their judgement and it should pay off

  • 6-8 Months Before

    Organise your Guests

    Let’s face it, we all have some friends or family that leave everything to the last minute. Make sure that everyone is aware of local hotels and send them links to book. If your venue doesn’t have rooms then book your own room at this point too.

  • 6 Months Before

    Give Notice of Marriage

    If you’re having a church wedding then at this point you’ll need to give notice of marriage or have your banns read. Also you’re going to need to pay up at this point to the church

  • 6 Months Before

    Sort the Suits

    It’s time to order those awesome suits, whether you’re going for classic or modern there is plenty to chose from

  • 6 Months Before

    Create a Gift List

    If you’re having a list then sort this now. There are many stores that make this easy, from Amazon to John Lewis, there’s plenty to chose from

  • 3 Months Before

    Check your Passports

    If you’re having a honeymoon then don’t leave it till last minute, you don’t want to spend the day in a passport office before you can fly away.

    You can ‘pre-order’ your passport for your new name, which will only be valid after your wedding date. You do this via the government website

  • 3-6 Months Before

    Order the Rings

    Get yourselves to the jewellers. But remember to shop around, especially online

  • 3 Months Before

    Sort Wedding Favours and Gifts

    Get the gifts for those that have helped out, something personalised works well. Check out Etsy is always a good bet.

    Order your favours at this point too.

  • 2-3 Months Before

    Dress Fitting, Caterers Menu and Post those Invites

    Time to get super organised now….not long left!

  • 2 Months Before

    Select your Music

    Speak with your DJ about the style of music you’d like, chose your first dance and give your venue/church any songs that you’d like to be played throughout the ceremony

  • 2 Months Before

    Finalise your Personal Touches

    Make sure you now have everything in place that makes your wedding yours. Signage, name cards, order of service, guest book and anything else you’re looking to have personalised

  • 2 Months Before

    Confirm Numbers

    Make sure your caterer and venue know how many people are attending

  • Do the Dreaded Seating Plan

    Breathe in and….. breathe out

  • 1-2 Weeks Before

    Job Roles

    Make sure everyone knows their job roles! Who’s taking the dress, who’s staying where, who’s helping out with all parts of the day… there’s lots to think about

  • 1-2 Weeks Before

    Email Suppliers

    Send an email to all of your suppliers, simply to say that you’re looking forward to their services. This will give you peace of mind when you get a reply of a similar nature.

  • Your Wedding Date!

    Get Married!!

    And so this wedding timeline comes to an end! The big day is finally here. Such a cliché but try and take it all in, those 16 hours fly by!!

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