Just Engaged? Here’s What to Do First (Without the Overwhelm)
So, you’re engaged—huge congrats! Whether it was a big surprise or a long time coming, now begins the exciting (and sometimes slightly bonkers) world of wedding planning. But don’t panic—I’m here to help you take the first steps with confidence and calm. Here’s my ultimate wedding planning checklist.
Here’s where to begin…
1. Start with Your Guest List
Before you even think about budgets or venues, have a chat about who you actually want to be there. Not your mum’s cousin twice removed or that colleague you once went for a drink with—just the people who matter most. Think: who could you not imagine doing the day without?
2. Decide on Your Budget
Once you’ve got a rough idea of numbers, it’s time to get real about the money side of things. It’s not the most romantic task, I know, but it’s essential. Work out what you can afford, what feels comfortable, and whether anyone else might be contributing. This gives you a realistic starting point—and helps avoid any ‘how much?!’ moments down the line.
3. Chat About the Vibe
This bit is fun! Pour a glass of something and get scrolling on Pinterest or Instagram. Talk about how you want the day to feel. Is it a relaxed garden party? A vibrant festival? A moody winter elopement? You don’t need all the details yet—but starting to imagine the overall vibe will help with every other decision.
Even if you’re not ready to book, start enquiring. Visit a few, ask for brochures, check availability, and get a feel for what’s out there. This is often the moment it all starts to feel real. And remember—seeing a few places helps you figure out what you don’t want as much as what you do.
With 12 Months to Go…
You’re officially in wedding planning mode! Here are a few key things to tick off around the one-year mark:
5. Book Your Venue
This is the biggie. Venues get snapped up quickly, especially for peak dates, so if you’ve found The One, don’t hang about. It’ll likely be your biggest spend, and once it’s booked, you can start picturing everything else around it.
6. Finalise the Guest List
Now you know your venue capacity, it’s time to lock in who’s coming. Most venues will give you separate numbers for day and evening guests, so you can start planning accordingly. (Don’t worry—you can always tweak later if needed.)
7. Register Your Intention to Marry
Time for the legal stuff! As soon as you’ve booked your venue, get in touch with your local registry office. You’ll need to give formal notice, answer a few questions, and pay for your marriage certificate. It’s all very official—but also very exciting!
8. Consider Wedding Insurance
Nobody likes thinking about things going wrong—but if 2020 taught us anything, it’s good to be prepared. Wedding insurance can give you peace of mind and protect your deposits just in case. It’s not a must, but definitely worth considering before you start spending serious cash.
10–11 Months to Go: Time to Book the Big Stuff
By now, the venue’s sorted, the excitement’s ramping up, and it’s time to start locking in those key suppliers—the ones who’ll really help shape the vibe of your day.
9. Book Your Photographer & Videographer
Photographers and videographers tend to get snapped up well in advance (especially the good ones—hi 👋), so once your date and venue are confirmed, get these booked in pronto. These are the people capturing your memories, so go with someone whose style you love and who makes you feel at ease.
10. Lock in Your DJ or Band
Music makes the party, so whether you’re after a banging DJ set, a live band, or an acoustic vibe during your drinks reception—get those enquiries out now. Like photographers, they can only do one wedding a day, so the good ones go fast.
11. Book Your Caterers & Bar Staff (If Needed)
If your venue doesn’t come with catering, now’s the time to think about food and drink. Whether you fancy a traditional three-course meal, a laid-back BBQ or something more share-y like grazing boards, get talking to local caterers. No one wants hangry guests, so make this one a priority!
8–9 Months to Go: Time to Fine-Tune the Details
With your venue and core team in place, you can now turn your attention to some of the fun (and slightly more detailed) bits. Think outfits, invites, flowers and your wedding party.
12. Book Your Florist
If you’re not going down the DIY flower route, get your florist booked in once you’ve nailed your venue and theme. Whether you’re dreaming of wildflower vibes, elegant arrangements or an epic flower arch—florists will help bring the whole look together.
13. Order Save the Dates & Invitations
Now’s a good time to start thinking about your stationery. If you haven’t sent save the dates yet, those should go out around now—especially if you’re getting married in peak season or have guests travelling. Wedding invites usually go out around 4–6 months before the big day, so get them ordered early.
14. Choose Your Wedding Party
One of the most personal (and fun!) parts—asking your best people to stand by your side. Bridesmaids, groomsmen, bridesmates, men of honour, flower boys… it’s your day, so make your own rules. Go with what feels right for you, and don’t feel tied to tradition.
15. Go Dress or Suit Shopping
If you’re going down the dress route, now’s a great time to start shopping—especially as many designers require 6–9 months to deliver, with time for alterations. Suits tend to be more flexible—you can often buy or rent them closer to the day—but it never hurts to be organised!
16. Book Guest Accommodation
If your venue doesn’t include on-site rooms, it’s a good idea to reserve a nearby hotel for you and your VIPs. Many places will let you block-book a few rooms so your closest people aren’t stuck without somewhere to stay. One less thing to think about later.
6–7 Months To Go… It’s Getting Real Now!
This is the point where it all starts to feel a bit more real. You’re about halfway there, and while it might seem like there’s still loads of time, the months will whizz by—so now’s the time to get stuck into a few of the really fun and important bits.
17. Send Your Save the Dates
Time to let your guests know you’ve got a date! If you haven’t sent save the dates already, now is a great time—especially if you’re tying the knot in peak season (hello summer Saturdays!). These are just for your all-day guests, so no need to send them to evening-only invites. Keep it simple: your names, your date, and a little “invitation to follow” message is all you need.
18. Book Your Wedding Cake Maker
If you’ve got a dream cake-maker in mind (or a very specific cake vision), now’s the time to get them booked. Even if you don’t plan to order it just yet, locking in your spot in their diary is a good idea—especially if they’re in high demand. You’ll want to finalise flavours and design around the 4-month mark.
19. Sort Wedding Transport
Got separate venues for the ceremony and reception? Then it’s time to think logistics. Book transport for yourselves, the wedding party, and your guests if needed. Whether it’s a vintage car or a minibus, having this sorted early keeps things stress-free.
20. Wedding Party Outfits
If you’ve got bridesmaids, groomsmen, or any kind of party crew, it’s worth starting the outfit hunt now—especially if there’s a few of them to coordinate. Even if you’re not buying straight away, a little browsing trip never hurts (and it’s a fun excuse for a day out!).
21. Menu Tasting – Yum!
One of the absolute best bits of wedding planning: the food tasting. Whether you’re going traditional, doing shared platters, or serving up street food, this is your chance to try it all. Use this time to chat to your caterer about dietary needs, portion sizes and timing for the day.
22. Book Hair & Makeup
Your glam squad should be booked now too. Look through Instagram or Pinterest for inspo, and get your trial booked for sometime between now and three months out. Bonus tip: wear white to your trial so you can really visualise the whole look.
23. Book Your Honeymoon
Yes, this is real life—you’re allowed to think about cocktails by the pool now! Booking your honeymoon is a lovely little planning milestone. Just remember to check passports and any travel requirements (some places need six months validity!).
4–5 Months Out… Let’s Get Into the Details
Now you’re really in the swing of things. These next few bits are all about tying things together, adding the personal touches, and getting those all-important invites in the post.
24. Create Your Gift List
If you’re having one, now’s the time to sort your gift list. This gives guests plenty of time to browse once your invites go out. Not into traditional gift lists? Ask for honeymoon contributions, cash towards a house project, or even donations to charity. It’s your day, your rules.
25. Build Your Wedding Website
These are such a great way to keep your guests in the loop. Add travel info, timings, FAQs, and a place to RSVP online (hello, easy organisation!). If you’re sending physical invites, you can keep them minimal and just point people to the site for the rest.
26. Recommend Local Hotels and Taxis
Help your guests out by listing a few nearby accommodation options (at different price points) and include some local taxi numbers too. If you can, block book some hotel rooms or ask if there are any group discounts available.
27. Send Your Invitations
If you didn’t send save the dates, you’ll want to send invites around now (the more notice, the better). If you did send save the dates, you’ve got a little wiggle room—but definitely aim for the 3–4 month mark.
28. Buy Your Wedding Rings
Now’s the time to go ring shopping! Make sure it fits with your engagement ring (if you’ve got one), and don’t forget to factor in time for resizing or bespoke orders. This is one of those forever purchases—so take your time with it.
29. Buy Outfit Accessories
Shoes, underwear, jewellery, veils, ties, cufflinks—you name it. Make sure you’ve got it all before your final fittings so everything can be tailored perfectly.
30. Finalise Décor and Details
Got any little extras to add? Think guest books, signage, menus, favours, orders of service—all those lovely finishing touches that help bring the whole vibe together.
2–3 Months Before the Wedding
The 12-week countdown is officially on! This is the point where your planning starts to shift towards those smaller (but still super important) details. Time to fine-tune your plans and start bringing the day together.
32. Celebrate with Your Hen, Stag or Sten Do
You’ve earned a night (or weekend) off from wedding planning! Now’s the perfect time to let your hair down with your mates and enjoy some proper pre-wedding fun. Whether it’s a hen do, stag do, or a joint sten party, leave the planning to your wedding crew and just focus on having a blast. Zero wedmin required—just show up and enjoy it!
33. Decide on the Timings of the Day
Start mapping out the flow of your wedding day—from morning prep right through to that final dance. Think about what time you’ll start getting ready, your ceremony time, reception drinks, speeches, dinner, cake cutting and first dance. A rough timeline will help your suppliers stay on the same page and is super useful if you’re creating an order of service too.
34. Nail the Little Details
It’s time to tick off some of the finishing touches!
• Pick your table names. And look, don’t overthink it – there’s NOTHING wrong with having table one, two, three etc.
• Order your welcome signs, unplugged ceremony notice or signage for your cake/dessert table.
• Want to leave a little something in your guests’ rooms? Hangover kits always go down a treat!
• Don’t forget small décor bits like a cake knife, ring box or guest book.
• Print menus, name cards and programmes (your stationery designer can usually sort these).
• Planning to change your name or use a new title? Let people and suppliers know what you’d like to be called.
35. Finalise Speeches and Readings
Make sure everyone who’s doing a speech or reading knows their role—and that they’ve had time to prep! It’s also worth deciding what order the speeches will go in and when they’ll happen on the day.
36. Pay Your Suppliers
If you’ve got outstanding balances, now’s a great time to get those settled or to confirm your final payment plan. The last thing you want the week before your wedding is chasing invoices!
37. Create a Supplier Schedule
Put together a simple schedule for the day and share it with your suppliers. Include timings for things like the first dance and the last song, when the cake is arriving, and when florists, musicians or your DJ can set up. It’ll keep everything running smoothly behind the scenes.
1 Month to Go
You’re on the home stretch now! With just four weeks left, it’s all about chasing RSVPs, confirming your plans and making sure you’re feeling confident and excited.
38. Chase Any Last RSVPs
Time to get those final headcounts sorted. Reach out to anyone who hasn’t RSVP’d yet—especially if your venue or caterers need confirmed numbers soon. Everyone has at least one late guest (or five!) so don’t stress, just give them a friendly nudge.
39. Finalise Your Seating Plan
Once you’ve got your final numbers, you can finish your seating plan. This is usually one of the last things to get done in case of any last-minute changes. When it’s done, send a copy to your caterers with details of who’s sitting where and any dietary requirements.
40. Touch Base with Your Venue or Coordinator
This is a really good way to ease any last-minute nerves. You’ll run through your schedule, any special requests, and make sure everyone’s clear on what’s happening. It doesn’t take long, but it’s super helpful!
41. First Dress or Suit Fitting
Whether you’re having a dress altered or a suit tailored, your first fitting should be around now. Any big tweaks (like adding straps or changing the length) happen here. You’ll have a final fitting closer to the day for any last bits.
42. Buy Your Wedding Party Gifts
Now’s a lovely time to pick up thank you gifts for your wedding party and close family. Some people also like to give their partner a gift or letter on the morning of the wedding, so have a think if that’s something you’d like to do too.
43. Chat to Your Photographer
Book in a chat with your photographer and/or videographer to let them know about any must-have shots or group photos. If there are special moments or people you definitely want captured, now’s the time to say.
44. Write Your Vows
If you’re writing your own vows, don’t leave it until the night before! Even if you tweak them nearer the time, getting them written now means less pressure and more time to get your words just right.
1 Week to Go
You’ve done the hard work—now it’s just about tying up a few last bits and getting excited for the best day ever.
45. Go for Your Final Fitting
This is the moment you’ve been waiting for—trying on your finished outfit! Any final tweaks should already be done, so if everything fits like a dream, you’ll likely take it home with you now.
46. Break in Your Shoes
Please don’t wear brand new shoes for the first time on your wedding day. Pop them on around the house and get them comfy (your feet will thank you!).
47. Beauty Prep Time
From facials and tans to brows and haircuts—get your appointments booked! If it’s just a quick mani and tidy-up, you can do this in the final week. But bigger treatments are better done earlier. Whatever makes you feel your best.
48. Final Bits and Bobs
Just a few more little jobs, depending on your plans:
• Buy your perfume or aftershave.
• Pack an emergency kit (plasters, safety pins, snacks, tissues… all the essentials).
• Pick up your dress or suit (if you haven’t already).
• Double-check your wedding party knows their roles.
• Plan a surprise for your partner if you fancy!
• And most importantly—breathe, rest and enjoy it!
And Breathe… You’ve Got This
Planning a wedding doesn’t have to feel overwhelming. Just take it one step at a time—and keep coming back to what really matters: the two of you, and the day that celebrates your story.
Need help capturing all the joy, love, and chaos of the day when it comes? I’d love to chat about your plans. Drop me a message—let’s make sure those memories are photographed beautifully and stress-free.
