Your 12-Month Wedding Planning Timeline: What to Do and When

Planning a wedding is exciting! But once you start looking at everything that needs organising, it can feel like a lot to take on… From booking your suppliers and choosing your outfits to sending invitations and finalising the table plan, there are plenty of things to think about.

The good news is you don’t need to do everything at once. In fact, there are some tasks you actually won’t be able to do until much nearer to the big day. We’ve put together this wedding planning timeline to help guide you through what to think about and when, so you can spread the jobs out, enjoy the planning process and look forward to your wedding day without feeling overwhelmed. Every wedding is unique, and everyone plans individually with different aims and timescales. Use this as a guide rather than a strict set of rules, and remember that we and your suppliers are all here to help make this your best day ever!

Photo: Jon Warr Photography

Your first 30 days after getting engaged

Before you dive into the detailed planning, take some time to enjoy being engaged!

Start by thinking about the kind of wedding you’d love to have, the people you want to share it with and the budget you’re comfortable working with. You might also want to start putting together a rough guest list and visiting potential venues.

We’ve covered these first steps in more detail in our guide to the first 30 days of engagement.

Once you’ve chosen your venue and secured your wedding date, you can start working through the rest of your wedding planning checklist.

Photo: Jon Warr Photography

As soon as you’ve secured your date with your venue: Book the important things

With your venue and date secured, it’s time to start booking the suppliers who will help bring your wedding day together.

Some suppliers only take one booking per day, and popular photographers, bands and florists can be booked up well in advance, particularly for summer Saturdays.

Your checklist

• Arrange wedding insurance
  Take out appropriate cover early, particularly before making substantial deposits.
• Book your ceremony
  If you’re having a civil ceremony, contact the register office to enquire about registrar availability.
  Note: registrars are booked from the venue’s local office, regardless of where you live. Registrars for weddings at Cott Farm are booked from Somerset Registration Service at Somerset Council (Send a Ceremony Booking Request to Somerset Registration Service here and select ‘Cott Farm’ for the venue).
  If you’re having a religious ceremony, speak to your church or other place of worship. If you’re having a symbolic celebrant-led ceremony (as opposed to a legal wedding), start researching celebrants whose style you love.
• Book your photographer and videographer
  Look through their portfolios carefully and choose someone whose style matches the memories you want to create.
• Book your entertainment
  Whether you’re imagining a live band, a DJ, acoustic musicians or something a little different, popular entertainers can get booked up quickly.
• Start shopping for wedding outfits
  Wedding dresses, made-to-order suits and alterations can take several months, so it’s worth starting early.
• Research your florist
  Start collecting inspiration for your flowers, bouquets, buttonholes and table arrangements. If you have a particular florist in mind, enquire about their availability now.
• Think about accommodation
  If you’re not camping and glamping, consider where guests will stay and whether they’ll need transport. (See nearby accommodation for our recommendations)

This is also a good time to start thinking about your overall wedding style. You don’t need every detail decided, but having a general idea of the atmosphere you want will help when choosing flowers, stationery, decorations and entertainment.

Photo: Jon Warr Photography

9–6 months before your wedding: Bring your ideas together

Now you have your venue, date and some of your key suppliers booked. It’s time to start making decisions about the details that will make your wedding feel personal to you.

Your checklist

• Plan your wedding day running order
  We’ll send you a suggested order of service for the day based on your ceremony time. This will include suggested timings for your ceremony, drinks reception and photographs, wedding breakfast, speeches, cake cutting, first dance, evening food and evening entertainment.
• Book your remaining suppliers
  This might include your florist, cake maker, hair and make-up artist, transport, photo booth or other entertainment. See Alternative Wedding Entertainment Ideas Your Guests Will Actually Remember
• Meet with florist
  Discuss your preferred flowers, colours, seasonal availability and budget. Share photographs of your venue and any styling ideas you’ve collected.
• Order your wedding outfits
  If you haven’t already, now is a good time to make your final choices to allow time for delivery and alterations.
• Choose your wedding rings
  Consider styles, sizing, engraving and any special finishes you would like.
• Start planning your stationery
  Think about invitations, order-of-service booklets, menus, place cards and table names or numbers.
• Plan your honeymoon
  If you’re travelling soon after the wedding, start researching flights, accommodation and travel documents.
• Decide on your wedding breakfast menu
  Discuss options, dietary requirements and any special requests for your menu with your venue (see food and drink here.)

Photo: The Barn at Cott Farm

6 months before your wedding

With six months to go, it’s time to start bringing some of the practical details together. For many weddings, sending invitations around six months before the date gives guests plenty of time to make arrangements, particularly if they’re travelling or need to organise accommodation.

Your checklist

• Send your wedding invitations with an RSVP deadline
  Include the date, time, venue address, RSVP instructions and any important details about the day. We suggest your RSVP deadline is no later than two months before to give you a couple of weeks to chase replies before giving us your final confirmed numbers, menu choices and dietary requirements six weeks before.
• Check your dress or suit dates
  Check delivery dates and any fitting appointments still to come.
• Finalise your ceremony plans
  Choose readings, music and any personal touches you’d like to include.
• Make a list of the decorations and extras you’ll need
  This could include table decorations, a guest book, signage, favours or other finishing touches. Check what your venue already has before ordering extras (see Cott Farm’s decorations here)

Read our guide to wedding invitation details for advice on wording, guest names, RSVPs, gifts and all those useful extras.

Photo: Sam Box Photography

5–3 months before your wedding

Your wedding is starting to feel much closer now! This is the time to move from collecting inspiration to making decisions. You don’t need to have every tiny detail finalised, but you should be getting a clear picture of how the day will run.

Your checklist

• Arrange transport if needed
  Confirm how you and your wedding party will get to (and from, if relevant) the venue.
• Have your hair and make-up trials
  This gives you time to try different looks and make adjustments before the wedding. Bring inspiration photographs and consider how your chosen style will work with your outfit and the overall feel of the day.
• Finalise your cake design
  Confirm the flavours, size, decoration, delivery arrangements and any cake stand or display requirements with your cake maker.
• Confirm your flower choices
  Including quantities, arrangements and delivery or set-up timings (florist installations usually happen during Friday set up at Cott Farm).
• Choose your ceremony music and readings
  Confirm your choices with your registrar, celebrant or officiant. See suggestions for 20 Alternative Wedding Songs to Walk Down the Aisle To…
• On-the-day stationery
  Start planning place cards and table numbers, and any custom signs.
• Think about your first dance
  Choose a song you both love, and decide whether you’d like to practise beforehand. See 20 First Dance Songs That Aren’t Cheesy
• Start a rough table plan
  You don’t need to know exactly where everyone will sit yet – in fact we recommend not planning this until every RSVP is returned. But now’s a good time to consider your preferred table layout and any important family or accessibility requirements.

Photo: The Barn at Cott Farm

2–1 months before your wedding

This is when the practical details become more important. You’ll be gathering information, confirming numbers and making sure everyone knows what’s expected.

Your checklist

• Plan any speeches
  Give your speakers a gentle reminder to start preparing, particularly if they’re nervous about public speaking.
• Chase outstanding RSVPs
  Not everyone will respond by your deadline, so give yourself time to follow up.
• Confirm your guest numbers with your venue
  Confirm final numbers, dietary requirements and menu choices with us around six weeks before.
• Draft your table plan
  Once you have a clearer idea of who is attending, decide where everyone will sit.
• Confirm your ceremony arrangements
  Check the time, location, music, readings and any paperwork still required.
• Arrange final outfit fittings
  Your dress or suit may need alterations, so attend the appointments recommended by your supplier.
• Confirm your flowers and styling
  Check the final details with your florist, stylist or other suppliers.
• Check accommodation and transport
  Make sure any bookings, taxis, coaches or overnight arrangements are in place.

Photo: The Barn at Cott Farm

The final month before your wedding

You’re nearly there! The focus now is on checking the details, confirming arrangements and making sure you’re ready to enjoy the day.

Your checklist

• Confirm every supplier booking
  Check access arrangements, delivery details, outstanding balances and contact numbers.
• Share your wedding day running order and key contacts Make sure your relevant suppliers have the information they need.
• Finalise the table plan and stationery
  Confirm spellings, table numbers, seating arrangements and any last-minute changes.
• Collect your wedding outfits
  Try everything on, including shoes and accessories, to make sure it all fits comfortably.
• Break in your wedding shoes
  Wear them around the house so they’re more comfortable on the day.
• Finish your beauty preparations
  Stick to your usual skincare routine, keep yourself hydrated and avoid experimenting with new treatments or products that might irritate your skin.
• Confirm your hair and make-up timings
  Make sure your wedding party knows when and where they need to be ready.
• Prepare anything you need to take to the venue
  This might include decorations, guest books, signage, favours, accessories or personal items.
• Arrange who is doing what on the day
  Make sure someone other than you is responsible for any guest/supplier queries for the whole day. We typically ask for contact details for your best man and maid of honour as a minimum.
• Check the final payments
  Make sure any remaining balances and security deposits are paid by the deadlines in your supplier contracts.

Most importantly, try to leave yourself some breathing space. You don’t want to spend the last few days before your wedding rushing around completing jobs that could have been done earlier!

Photo: DHW Photography

The week of your wedding: Time to enjoy it!

The final week is about checking the essentials rather than introducing lots of new plans.

• Check the weather forecast and consider any changes needed for outdoor arrangements – at Cott Farm this includes deciding where you’d like your ceremony to take place according to various weather scenarios.
• Confirm final timings and contact details with key suppliers.
• Make sure outfits, rings, accessories and important documents are ready.
• Delegate any remaining set-up jobs.
• Make time to eat properly, drink water and get some rest.
• Take a moment together to enjoy the fact that you’re getting married!

Your wedding day: No checklist – let someone else take the lead

After months of planning, your wedding day has finally arrived.

You’ve put the time into choosing your venue, suppliers, food, music and all those personal touches. Now it’s time to enjoy them. Hand over responsibility for the running order and any last-minute questions to your wedding coordinator (with a trusted member of your wedding party as their contact). You shouldn’t need to spend your wedding day answering supplier calls or organising decorations.

Things might not happen exactly as you imagined, and that’s okay. The most important thing is that you’re marrying the person you love, surrounded by the people you want to share it with.

A wedding planning timeline is a guide, not a rulebook

Wedding planning timelines are helpful, but they shouldn’t dictate how you plan your day. Some couples will have everything organised months in advance, while others will make decisions closer to the wedding.

If you’ve got less than 12 months to plan, don’t panic… We’ve planned weddings in fewer than three months and are here to help you! Prioritise booking your venue, ceremony and key suppliers, then work through the remaining details in order of importance.

And if you’re planning a longer engagement, there’s no need to rush through everything at once. Enjoy the process, make decisions together and remember that your wedding should reflect the two of you.

The aim isn’t to create a perfectly choreographed event. It’s to create a day that feels like you: relaxed, meaningful and full of moments you’ll remember for years to come. And remember, you don’t have to do everything alone. Ask for help when you need it, lean on your suppliers’ experience and make sure you leave some time to actually enjoy being engaged, too!