A wedding brings a lot of people who want to help: parents, siblings, friends, an uncle with a van. That help is wonderful, and it’s also a lot to keep track of. The answer is the same as for any big project: a timeline, and a name on every job.
Start with the two of you
Before you hand anything out, sit down together and agree what matters most: the guest list, the budget, the feel of the day. Then split the planning between you by area, not by favour. One of you takes the venue and food, the other the guests and the invitations. You’ll both still have opinions, but each area has someone who decides.
9–12 months before
- Set the budget and who is paying for what
- Draft the guest list
- Choose and book the venue
- Book the people who get booked up first: photographer, caterer, music
6–9 months before
- Send save-the-dates
- Choose outfits and book fittings
- Book places to stay for guests travelling in
- Plan the ceremony
3–6 months before
- Send invitations and track replies
- Book flowers, cake and decorations
- Sort rings
- Plan transport for the day
1–2 months before
- Chase missing replies
- Final numbers to the venue and caterer
- Seating plan
- Write speeches and vows
- Confirm times with every supplier
The week of the wedding
- Hand the day’s jobs to one trusted person
- Pack for the night and the morning after
- Give suppliers a contact for the day who isn’t you
- Sleep
Handing out jobs to family and friends
- Ask people for whole jobs: “Can you own the flowers?” not “Can you call the florist?”
- Agree what done looks like and when it’s needed by
- Ask for an update when it’s done, and check it yourself
- Thank them properly afterwards