Wedding Timetable 24-12 months
Consider holding an Engagement Party
Set the Wedding Date
Decide on the Wedding Party
Set a budget
Before you book anything
Decide whether you require a Wedding Planner/ Organiser
Book the Place of Ceremony
Make your guest list
Send out Save the Date Cards
Book the Reception Venue
Arrange the Catering
You need to consider what time of the year you wish to get married, but remember to take into account what the weather is likely to be in that month.
Also we appreciate it’s your special day and everyone you want to be there should be there!- But you do need to take into account if it’s holiday season or a bank holiday weekend as some of your guests may already have booked to go away. And in some cases see if there’s any big sporting event’s planned that day (i.e. Football FA Cup Rugby World Cup, Cricket etc) as it will only annoy or upset you if people keep slipping off to watch the game!
Setting the date can and will normally also be affected by the availability of your chosen place of ceremony (i.e. Church, Registry Office, Civil venue etc) and reception venue. So do not have this set in stone until you tie all three up to the same date.
Choose your Bridesmaids, Matron of Honour, Best Man, Ushers etc – Then check they along with any close family and friends you want to be there - are all available for the proposed date
This is important as you need to allow for everything you would like on the day and the honeymoon. The main point here is to be realistic and not to overstretch yourself as you don’t want to be paying for the wedding in years to come!
Sit down with your partner first and list everything you may or may not want, discuss how many guests you anticipate inviting, then put a realistic and estimated figure beside each item – bearing in mind the some amounts will be affected by the number of guests you intend to invite.
When you have a total then discuss together whether it is realistic and you can afford the amount – at this stage you can then reduce or remove some things on the “wish list”
If you are receiving help with the costs from Parents, Relatives or Friends then involve them early on in the Budget planning. Sit down with them and go through the wish list as they may wish to pay for specific parts of the day or may be prepared to pay more or less than you thought.
Click here to get a your FREE Wedding Budget Planner
Before you book anything back to the top
There are many things that go to making your perfect day, but most importantly is having your first choice (place or ceremony, reception venue, caterers etc)
Therefore before you book anything, ensure that your first choices are available for the planned date.
Set aside a day to visit, telephone or email all the necessary people to check availability and costs for your planned date. Ask them to provisionally reserve that date and that you will give them a firm answer the following day.
When you are certain that all are available for your day – then and only then should you confirm your booking.
If your wedding date is some way off you may also want to get a firm quote so that you tie the suppliers to the current prices- rather than next years increased prices.
Remember that certain times of the year are particularly busy (Weekends, June-August & Christmas). Therefore you should try to book as soon as you have decided on all the main suppliers
Decide whether you require a Wedding Planner/ Organiser back to the top
Obviously this is not for everyone, but if you don’t have enough time to organise your wedding day, worried about how stressful it will be or just want the help then a Wedding Planner and Organiser can be very useful
Involve them as early as you can as they will no doubt have lots of good ideas and may have prearranged deals with some of the suppliers & venues.
Click here to contact Local Wedding Planners & Organisers
Book the Place of Ceremony back to the top
Traditionally people can get married at a place of worship (Church, Synagogue Mosque etc. or alternatively you can get married at a Registry Office
But also nowadays there are a number of Licensed Venues across the country that can accommodate a civil ceremony
Before you book the place of ceremony –check that they can accommodate everything you want on the day such as Church Bells, Choir, Organist, Photographer, Videographer etc.
Click here to view Local Wedding Venues
Make your guest list back to the top
As is the case with your wedding party – you need to notify all friends, family, work colleagues etc who you wish to attend, as soon as possible, so that they can keep the date free.
Sit down with your partner and list everyone that you think should be invited – Don’t worry if the list gets too long as you can cut it down later or just invite some to the evening
When making the list start with both sides of the immediate family, then relatives, Friends, work colleagues etc and then when you have drafted the list then consider if they are to attend the whole day or just the evening reception.
Once you have finalised the list it’s important to then notify all the guests. This can be done by sending out either Save the Date cards or if you’ve already booked the church and Reception Venue then you can send out the full invite.
Click here to contact Local Wedding Stationery Suppliers
Send out Save the Date Cards back to the top
If you’re worried that some guests may start to get other commitments – then you can always send out save the date cards – This is just a simple card requesting them to keep the date free in their diary -
These can either be tailor made & ordered from professional stationers or more cost effective options you can buy cards from local stationers, card shops, or consider making your own.
Also in this age of technology you could send out save the dates by email.
Book the Reception Venue back to the top
There are many venues that can accommodate your reception including Hotels, State Houses, Local Halls, Public Houses, Restaurants & Marquee Venues, or alternatively you could choose to hold the reception at home or your parent’s home with a Marquee in the garden.
Try to pick a reception venue that is not too far from the place of ceremony – Remember everyone will have to travel to the venue after the Ceremony.
Make sure there will be enough parking spaces available for the guests otherwise you may need to consider arranging transport (Coach etc) for the guests
Also consider if there’s any nearby hotels, guest houses or B&B’s as a number of your guests may need to stay the night or the night before the wedding.
Your venue needs to be big enough to accommodate the number of guests for both Daytime and Evening – Consider whether it will be a sit down affair during the daytime and / or evening as this will affect the space available and you want your guests to feel comfortable
But also as a word of advice do not pick a venue that is too big for the number of guests as this will detract for the whole atmosphere of the occasion by making it feel sparse or unattended.
Before booking remember to consider the facilities and costs for Catering, Bars (Can you supply your own Caterers, Drink, Wine, Champagne etc), Tables and Chairs, who will be responsible for Decorating the Venue.
Many venues insist on supplying the catering, bar or entertainment and therefore you need to be sure that you’re happy with the choices available such as food menu and costs etc
Arrange the Catering back to the top
Guests will normally expect to have a meal after the ceremony- the type of meal will normally be dictated by the time of year and time of the service
Consider the type of meal you wish to serve i.e. Hot meals in winter, Lighter meals in Summer etc.
For morning and early afternoon ceremonies - Generally the format is to have a sit down meal for the guests who attend the ceremony and then a buffet for the guests and any additional guests who join the reception in the evening.
If you want to budget a little more then it may be worth having a late afternoon ceremony where you will only need to provide one meal in the evening
This all being said and done there is no set rules to the type of meals being served and whether they are sit down or buffet format – In fact some couples prefer a much more informal approach and opt for all day buffets, Hog Roasts, BBQ’s etc
The main benefit of having a sit down meal is that your guests are all settled for if or when you wish to make speeches.
As a word of warning - Be careful if opting to hold the reception meal outside as you’re at the mercy of the weather. This kind of decision can only be made much closer to the day.
If your Reception Venue is providing the Catering service then you need to check exactly what is available. Discuss this with the Catering manager at the time of booking the venue.
For all caterers you’re considering - Ask to see sample menus- Consider whether the food will be cooked freshly on the day or reheated, do they use fresh ingredients, and are they able to cater for any of your guests that may have dietary needs such as Kosher, Vegetarian, Non Dairy etc.
Some caterers may even be prepared to provide you with a sample meal, or if your venue is in Hotel or Restaurant etc – Ask to have a sample meal to be prepared for you in the restaurant.
Consider whether you want your guests to have a choice of meals – For larger sit down receptions you may find that your caterer is only prepared to offer one choice of meal. If you do offer a choice of menu then your caterer may request that you send the guests a menu to choose from in advance. If this is the case then it’s worth noting their choices and arranging for this to be listed on the place mat as many people will have forgotten what they initially chose.
