The secret to stress-free wedding planning? Knowing exactly what to book when. Follow this timeline to secure your dream vendors without the panic.
Planning a wedding can feel overwhelming when you're staring at an endless to-do list. The key to maintaining your sanity (and your relationship) is understanding that not everything needs to happen at once. Some vendors book out 18 months in advance, whilst others can be sorted just weeks before your big day.
Here's your month-by-month guide to booking everything in the right order, ensuring you secure the best suppliers without unnecessary stress.
18-12 Months Before The Wedding: Lock in the Big Three
Set Your Date and Book Your Venue
Your venue choice influences everything else - guest capacity, catering options, décor possibilities, even your dress style. Popular venues, especially for summer weddings, book out 12-18 months ahead. This decision sets the foundation for every other choice you'll make.
Consider your venue capacity against your ideal guest count, what services are included, seasonal availability and pricing, plus backup plans for outdoor ceremonies. Book your ceremony and reception venues simultaneously if they're different locations. Nothing's worse than having a stunning ceremony venue with nowhere to celebrate afterwards.
Finalise Your Guest List
Your guest count directly impacts venue choice, catering costs, and invitation orders, so getting this number locked in early saves headaches later. Create your A-list of must-have guests and B-list of would-be-lovely attendees, accounting for plus-ones and children. Consider destination accessibility for elderly or international guests and build in a 10-15% buffer for last-minute additions that inevitably occur.
Book Your Photographer and Videographer
The best wedding photographers in New Zealand are booked solid, especially for Saturday weddings in peak season. These professionals often work weekends only and simply cannot accommodate last-minute bookings. Quality wedding photography is one investment you'll never regret making early.
Secure your engagement session, which is usually included in packages, plus full wedding day coverage from getting ready through to the dancing. Clarify image delivery timeline and formats, and book a second shooter for ceremonies over 80 guests to ensure every moment is captured beautifully.
12-9 Months Before The Wedding: Secure the Experience Makers
Choose Your Celebrant
Popular celebrants work most weekends and cannot double-book, so securing yours early is essential. You'll also want time for pre-marriage meetings and ceremony personalisation that makes your vows truly meaningful. The right celebrant becomes part of your love story, so choose someone whose personality complements yours.
Arrange your initial consultation to ensure you click, discuss ceremony structure and personalisation options, understand legal requirements and documentation, and schedule your rehearsal. A great celebrant will guide you through creating a ceremony that reflects your relationship whilst meeting all legal obligations.
Organise Catering and Bar Service
Even if your venue provides catering, menu selection and dietary requirements need early planning, whilst external caterers book out completely during wedding season. Food and drink often represent your largest expense after the venue, so getting this sorted early helps lock in pricing.
Plan your menu tasting and final selection, address dietary requirements and allergies, decide on service style whether plated, buffet, or cocktail, and sort bar packages and licensing requirements. Discuss staff numbers and service timeline to ensure your guests are looked after beautifully throughout the celebration.
Book Your Music and Entertainment
Quality DJs and live bands work weekends only, and the exceptional ones are booked solid during wedding season. Music sets the mood for your entire celebration, from the processional to the last dance. Don't leave this crucial element to chance.
Organise music for your ceremony, cocktail hour, dinner, and dancing, plus equipment and microphone requirements. Establish backup plans and emergency contacts, and discuss playlist preferences including your essential "do not play" list. Great musicians will read your crowd and keep the dance floor alive all night.
9-6 Months Before The Wedding: Plan the Details
Order Wedding Rings
Custom rings can take 8-12 weeks to create, and you'll want time for any resizing that might be needed. Even ready-made rings may require sizing adjustments, so don't leave this too late. Your wedding rings are the one element of your wedding you'll wear every day for the rest of your lives.
Consider ring style and metal preferences, engraving options and timeline, insurance and ongoing sizing services, plus whether you prefer matching or complementary designs. Quality jewellers will guide you through the process and ensure your rings are perfect for your special day.
Choose and Book Wedding Party Attire
Quality wedding dress alterations take 2-3 months, whilst coordinating groomsmen's suits requires advance planning, especially if hiring. Your wedding photos will last forever, so investing in attire that makes you feel confident and beautiful is worth the early planning effort.
Secure your bridal gown with a clear alteration timeline, organise the groom's suit or formal wear, coordinate bridesmaid dress orders accounting for sizing variations, and sort groomsmen attire coordination. Don't forget accessories and undergarments that complete each look perfectly.
Plan Decorations and Styling
Seasonal flowers need advance ordering, quality decorators book out months ahead, and DIY projects require time to execute properly. Your wedding styling should enhance your venue's natural beauty rather than compete with it. Work with your setting to create something truly spectacular.
Establish your overall styling theme and colour palette, check seasonal flower availability, arrange hire equipment like arches, lighting, and linens, plan your DIY timeline for any handmade elements, and coordinate setup and breakdown logistics. Great styling transforms a space and creates the perfect backdrop for your celebration.
6-3 Months Before The Wedding: Nail Down the Logistics
Organise Stag and Hen Parties
Coordinating multiple people's schedules requires significant advance notice, whilst popular destinations and activities book out well ahead. These celebrations should be fun for everyone involved, not stressful last-minute scrambles. Plan something that reflects the personalities of your wedding party.
Coordinate dates that work for all key parties, secure activity bookings and group rates, arrange accommodation for overnight events if needed, and sort transport arrangements. Have budget discussions with attendees upfront to ensure everyone's comfortable with the plans.
Send Invitations and Manage RSVPs
Six to eight weeks gives guests perfect notice to respond, which aligns beautifully with your final catering number deadline. Your invitations set the tone for your entire wedding, so ensure they reflect your style and provide all necessary information clearly.
Include a clear RSVP deadline about four weeks before your wedding, request dietary requirements, provide accommodation recommendations, share gift registry information, and include your wedding website details. Make responding as easy as possible for your guests.
Book Accommodation for Guests
Popular wedding destinations have limited accommodation options, whilst booking group rates saves everyone money and ensures your guests stay close together. This is especially important for destination weddings or celebrations in smaller towns with limited options.
Arrange room blocks at nearby hotels, negotiate group booking discounts, organise transport between accommodation and your venue, provide recommendations for different budgets, and communicate booking deadlines clearly. Your guests will appreciate the thoughtful coordination.
3-1 Months Before The Wedding: Final Preparations
Arrange Hair and Makeup
Once your dress and overall style are finalised, you can plan beauty looks that complement everything perfectly. Rushing this decision often leads to disappointment, whilst taking time ensures you feel absolutely radiant on your wedding day.
Book trial sessions 4-6 weeks before your wedding, coordinate the timeline with your photographer's schedule, arrange bridesmaid beauty services if desired, prepare a touch-up kit for the day, and coordinate any hair accessories with your overall look.
Order Your Wedding Cake
Custom cakes need 4-6 weeks notice, but ordering too early locks you into flavours you might change your mind about as your menu evolves. Your cake should complement your overall menu and styling whilst providing a delicious finale to your celebration.
Finalise cake size appropriate for your guest count, confirm flavour preferences and any dietary requirements, coordinate decoration style and colours with your overall theme, arrange delivery and setup logistics, and plan the timing for your cake cutting ceremony.
Book Transport
Once your timeline is set, you'll know exactly what transport you need and when, making this the perfect time to finalise these arrangements. Reliable transport ensures your day runs smoothly and keeps stress levels low for everyone involved.
Arrange bridal party transport to your venue, organise guest shuttle services if needed, plan end-of-night transport arrangements, establish backup transport plans for emergencies, and coordinate timing with your venue and photographer for beautiful arrival shots.
1 Month Before The Wedding: The Final Details
Hire Additional Staff
Once your guest count is confirmed, you'll know exactly what additional help you need to ensure everything runs smoothly. Extra hands allow you to relax and enjoy your celebration rather than worrying about logistics.
Organise extra serving staff if your numbers require it, arrange cleaning crew for venue or home preparation, book childcare for guests with young children, sort coat check or parking attendants if needed, and consider day-of coordination assistance to manage all the moving parts.
Plan Wedding Day Schedule
Everything else needs to be booked before you can create an accurate timeline that accounts for all your vendors and activities. A detailed schedule ensures everyone knows where they need to be and when, preventing confusion on your special day.
Create an hour-by-hour wedding day timeline, compile a vendor contact sheet with mobile numbers, prepare an emergency kit and backup plans, delegate specific responsibilities to reliable friends or family, and provide guest coordination instructions for smooth transitions throughout the day.
Organise MC and Speeches
Speech order depends on your final guest list and family dynamics, which may evolve throughout your planning process. A skilled MC keeps your reception flowing beautifully and ensures every special moment gets the attention it deserves.
Select and brief your MC on your preferences, finalise speech order and time limits, plan any special announcements or dedications, coordinate microphone and sound requirements, and establish backup MC plans in case your first choice becomes unavailable.
Plan Wedding Games and Activities
Games should complement your final timeline and suit your actual guest demographics rather than generic ideas that might not suit your crowd. Well-chosen activities bring different generations together and create wonderful memories for everyone involved.
Prepare age-appropriate activities for all your guests, establish weather backup plans for outdoor games, coordinate prizes and setup requirements, plan activity timing within your reception flow, and ensure you have all necessary equipment organised and ready.
2 Weeks Before The Wedding: Honeymoon Planning
Finalise Honeymoon Arrangements
Wedding planning is stressful enough without adding honeymoon pressure to the mix. Leaving these arrangements until your wedding plans are locked in means you can focus properly on creating the perfect post-wedding getaway without additional stress.
Book your flights and accommodation, arrange travel insurance and ensure documentation is current, secure activity bookings and airport transfers, coordinate time off work with your employer, and build in post-wedding recovery time so you actually enjoy your honeymoon rather than collapsing from exhaustion.
Your Booking Success Strategy
Start with your non-negotiables: venue, date, and photographer form your foundation, with everything else building logically from these crucial decisions. These three elements influence almost every other choice you'll make, so getting them locked in early provides clarity for all subsequent planning.
Book seasonal suppliers early, as flowers, outdoor venues, and holiday weekend suppliers fill up fastest during peak wedding season. Leave flexible items like cake flavours, day-of logistics, and beauty appointments until later when your overall vision is crystal clear and you can make informed decisions.
Build buffer time into every supplier's recommended booking timeline by adding at least two weeks to their suggested deadlines. Popular vendors often underestimate their lead times, especially during busy periods, so this extra cushion prevents disappointment.
Confirm everything in writing through email confirmations that prevent misunderstandings and provide recourse if suppliers don't deliver as promised. Verbal agreements mean nothing when things go wrong, so protect yourself with proper documentation.
Red Flags to Watch For
Suppliers who don't provide written contracts are operating unprofessionally and should be avoided, regardless of how charming they seem during initial consultations. Vendors requiring full payment upfront are taking unnecessary financial risk with your money, whilst professionals who won't provide references likely have something to hide.
Anyone who pressures you to book immediately is using sales tactics rather than focusing on your needs, whilst suppliers who seem too good to be true price-wise often cut corners that show up on your wedding day. Trust your instincts and choose quality over apparent bargains.
When Things Don't Go to Plan
Venue cancellations do happen, so research three backup venues before booking your first choice to avoid panic if the unexpected occurs. Keep secondary choices for each major supplier category, prioritise your "must-haves" when budget blowouts occur, and remember that some couples plan beautiful weddings in just three months when circumstances require it.
Timeline pressures are manageable if you remain flexible about details whilst staying firm on your core vision. The most important elements are your venue, officiant, and photographer - everything else can be adapted, simplified, or sourced more quickly if necessary.
Your Next Steps
Print this timeline and tick off each item as you complete it, creating a visual record of your progress that builds confidence as your wedding day approaches. Keep a master spreadsheet containing supplier contact details, deposit amounts and payment schedules, contract terms and cancellation policies, plus delivery and setup dates and times.
Remember that couples who enjoy their wedding planning process most are those who start early, stay organised, and remain flexible about details whilst keeping their core vision clear. Your wedding will be beautiful regardless of whether you book everything 18 months ahead or pull it together more quickly.
The goal isn't perfection - it's creating a celebration that reflects your love story authentically. Some of the most memorable weddings are those where things didn't go exactly to plan, but the couple rolled with it and focused on what really mattered: marrying their best friend surrounded by people they love.
