UK Wedding Planning Timeline: What to Do and When

Most UK couples start planning about 12 to 18 months before the wedding. Venue and date come first, then the big suppliers, then invitations about three months out. The one fixed legal deadline is giving notice of marriage: in England and Wales you must give notice at the register office at least 29 days before the ceremony, and no more than 12 months before. Here’s a month-by-month UK wedding planning timeline you can follow, from the first conversation to the week after.

18–12 months before: the big decisions

• Agree the budget. Decide who’s contributing what and the total you’ll spend. Our UK wedding budget breakdown shows what each part typically costs.
• Agree a rough guest number. This decides the size of venue you need, so do it before you view anywhere.
• Choose the type of ceremony. Civil, religious or a celebrant-led ceremony with a separate legal one. This affects where you can marry and who you need to book.
• Shortlist and book the venue and date. Popular Saturdays in summer can go well over a year ahead.
• Book the registrar or officiant. For a civil ceremony at a licensed venue in England or Wales, you book registrars through the local register office for the area where the venue is. Do this as soon as your date is fixed.
• Look into wedding insurance once you start paying deposits.

12–9 months before: key suppliers

• Book the photographer and videographer.
• Book the caterer, if your venue doesn’t do food.
• Book the band or DJ.
• Start looking for wedding outfits. Made-to-order dresses and suits can take months, plus time for alterations.
• Choose your wedding party.
• Send save the dates, especially if guests need to travel or book accommodation.

9–6 months before: the details

• Book the florist, cake maker, hair and makeup, and transport.
• Arrange hotel room blocks for guests, if needed.
• Plan and book the honeymoon. If you’ll travel under a new surname, check the GOV.UK passport rules before you book.
• Order or design the invitations.
• Start your guest list properly: full names, addresses and which side each guest is from.

6–3 months before: paperwork and invitations

• Book your notice of marriage appointment. In England and Wales, you give notice at the register office for the district where you live, and you must have lived there for the past 7 days. Notice lasts 12 months, so don’t give it more than a year before the wedding. Appointments can get booked up, so book one in good time.
• In Scotland, each of you submits a marriage notice form to the registrar in the district where you’re marrying. It must arrive at least 29 days before the wedding, and National Records of Scotland advises allowing 10–12 weeks.
• Northern Ireland has its own rules, so check nidirect.
• Send invitations about 3 months before, with an RSVP date around 6–8 weeks before the day.
• Buy the wedding rings.
• Have menu tastings and confirm the menu.
• Have the first outfit fitting.

2 months before

• Plan the ceremony: readings, music and vows. Run it past your registrar or officiant.
• Write the order of the day and share it with the venue.
• Chase late RSVPs and collect meal choices and dietary requirements.
• Book a hair and makeup trial.
• Check supplier contracts for when the final balances are due.

1 month before

• Finalise numbers with the venue and caterer.
• Do the seating plan. Start with the top table and families, keep tables to the venue’s capacity, and seat people who know each other together.
• Make the final payments that fall due.
• Send the suppliers a timeline with arrival times, contact numbers and the venue address.
• Have the final outfit fitting.
• Write the speeches.

The week before

• Confirm arrival times with every supplier.
• Give the venue the final seating plan, place cards and any decorations.
• Prepare cash or envelopes for any supplier tips and final payments.
• Pack for the honeymoon and for the wedding night.
• Hand the day-of jobs (rings, payments, timings) to someone you trust, so you don’t have to manage them.

After the wedding

• Make sure hired items are returned on time.
• Order extra marriage certificates if you’ll need them to change your name with banks and other organisations.
• Send thank-you cards.
• Leave reviews for the suppliers you’d recommend.

How to keep the timeline on track

A timeline only works if you can see what’s due and what’s overdue. That’s why our Wedding Budget & Planning Command Centre colour-codes tasks by due date. Whatever you use, three habits help:

1. Give every task a due date, not just a month. “Book florist by 15 March” gets done; “sort flowers” doesn’t.
2. Link payments to the plan. Each booking usually means a deposit now and a balance later. Put the balance due dates in the plan too.
3. Review it weekly together for ten minutes. Pick out what’s due in the next fortnight and decide who’s doing it.

An easy way to keep on top of it

The Wedding Budget & Planning Command Centre is an Excel and Google Sheets planner that keeps your timeline, suppliers, budget and guests in one file.

• Checklist & Timeline: every task with a phase and due date. Overdue tasks turn red and anything due in the next two weeks turns amber.
• Dashboard: your countdown to the wedding, budget position, RSVP numbers and overdue to-dos at a glance.
• Vendor Tracker: each supplier’s quote, deposit and balance due, colour-coded Paid, Outstanding or Overdue.
• Guest List and Seating Planner: RSVPs, meal choices and tables in one place, with a check that flags any table you’ve over-filled.

See the Wedding Budget & Planning Command Centre →

Wedding planning timeline FAQs

How far in advance should you plan a wedding in the UK?

12 to 18 months is common, mainly because popular venues and suppliers book up early. Weddings can be planned in less time, especially midweek, out of season or with a smaller guest list.

When do you give notice of marriage?

In England and Wales, at least 29 days before the ceremony and within 12 months of it, at the register office where you live. In Scotland, marriage notices must reach the registrar at least 29 days before, with 10–12 weeks recommended.

When should wedding invitations be sent?

About 3 months before the wedding is typical, with save the dates 6–12 months ahead. Allow longer for a destination wedding or a bank holiday weekend.

When should you do the seating plan?

Once most RSVPs are in, usually about a month before. Your venue will tell you when it needs the final plan.

This guide is general information based on GOV.UK and National Records of Scotland guidance as of October 2026. It isn’t legal advice. Marriage rules differ across the UK and for religious ceremonies, so check with your register office or officiant.