How to plan a wedding in 6 months
Six months is a very workable timeline. You'll need to make the big decisions quickly and be a little flexible on the date, but there's still time for the details that make it yours. Here's the order to do it in, written for UK weddings.
Yes, six months is enough. In the first few weeks, agree your budget and guest numbers, book your venue and your registrar or officiant, and book your photographer once the date is fixed. Order made-to-order outfits straight away, as they can take four to six months to arrive. Invitations go out eight to ten weeks before, and notice of marriage has to be given at least 29 days before the day.
Six months to go: the big decisions
The first few weeks. Everything else follows the venue and the date.
Agree your budget and guest numbers
Settle both first, so you only look at venues that fit.
Check the legal requirements
Find out what your ceremony needs legally where you live, and how far ahead.
LegalBook your venue
Popular summer Saturdays may be taken, so a Friday, a Sunday or a quieter month widens your choice.
ReceptionBook your registrar or officiant
Confirm them for the same date, in writing, as soon as the venue is held.
CeremonyTell your guests the date
A message or email is plenty. The invitations can follow.
Guests & Stationery
Five months to go: suppliers and outfits
Book the suppliers whose diaries fill first, and get your outfits under way.
Book your photographer
Photographers can only cover one wedding a day, so check availability as soon as the date is fixed.
Photography & VideoOrder your outfits
Made-to-order can take four to six months, plus alterations. If that's too tight, look at ready-to-wear or sample pieces.
AttireBook your caterer
If your venue doesn't cater, book a tasting now and agree an outline menu.
ReceptionBook your band or DJ
Check the venue's sound rules and finish time before you sign.
EntertainmentChoose your wedding party
Ask early, so they have time to plan around it.
Four months to go: the details
Flowers, cake, hair and makeup: the details that make the day feel like yours.
Book your florist
Seasonal flowers go further, in price and in availability.
FlowersBook hair and makeup
Secure the date now and book a trial for nearer the day.
Hair and MakeupChoose your cake
Book a tasting and check what delivery and setting up include.
CakeBook your notice appointment
Register offices get busy, so book it now. Notice has to be given at least 29 days before the wedding.
LegalSort the wedding party's outfits
Confirm sizes early so there is time for alterations.
AttireShop for wedding rings
Allow a few weeks for sizing and engraving.
Three months to go: the ceremony and the legal side
The day takes shape, and the paperwork gets done.
Plan the ceremony
Choose readings, vows and music, and ask your registrar or officiant for a draft running order.
CeremonyGive notice of marriage
Go to your register office appointment with the documents they ask for.
LegalFinalise the menu
Include allergies, dietary needs and any children's meals.
ReceptionShare places to stay
Send guests a short list of nearby options, or hold rooms near the venue.
AccommodationPlan your transport
Who needs to be where, and when, with time for photos and traffic.
Transport & Logistics
Two months to go: invitations and fittings
Invitations go out and the finer details get pinned down.
Send your invitations
Eight to ten weeks before is a good guide. Set a clear RSVP date.
Guests & StationeryGo to your first fitting
Bring the shoes and underwear you'll wear on the day, so the length and fit are right.
AttireOrder on-the-day stationery
Order of service, signs, menus and place cards, if you want them.
Guests & StationeryWrite your must-have shot list
Keep it short, and list family group photos with everyone's names.
Photography & VideoConfirm delivery times
Flowers, cake and décor: when each arrives and who sets it up.
Décor
The final month
Final numbers, final fittings and one plan everyone works from.
Chase RSVPs and confirm numbers
Send the headcount and dietary needs to your venue and caterer.
ReceptionPlan the seating
Start with the top table and work outwards.
ReceptionWrite your speeches
Start earlier than feels necessary. Personal beats polished.
ReceptionGo to your final fitting
Walk, sit and dance in it, in the shoes you'll wear.
AttireSend everyone the running order
Every supplier and the venue gets the same schedule, with one person to call on the day.
Transport & LogisticsPack a wedding-day kit
Plasters, safety pins, painkillers, a phone charger and snacks.
Transport & Logistics
What can't wait, and what can
On a six-month timeline, a few bookings decide everything else. Get these done in the first month and the rest can follow at its own pace.
Book in the first month
- Your venue and date
- Your registrar or officiant
- Your photographer
- Made-to-order outfits
- Your band or DJ
Fine to leave until later
- The cake
- Favours and extras
- On-the-day stationery
- The seating plan
- Speeches
Give notice in good time
In England and Wales, you give notice in person at your local register office at least 29 days before the wedding, and you need to have lived in that registration district for the past 7 days. Appointments can book up, so book yours as soon as you have a date. Anglican weddings (Church of England or Church in Wales) can follow a different process, so check with your church. Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own processes, so check with your local registration office early.
Common questions
Can you plan a wedding in 6 months?
Yes. Six months is a very workable timeline. Book your venue, officiant and photographer in the first few weeks, order made-to-order outfits early, and be flexible on the date if the most popular Saturdays have gone.
What should you do first when planning a wedding in 6 months?
Agree your budget and a rough guest count, then book the venue and your registrar or officiant for the same date. Once the date is fixed, book the photographer and order any made-to-order outfits.
When should you send invitations for a 6-month wedding?
Tell guests the date as soon as the venue is booked, then send the invitations eight to ten weeks before the day with a clear RSVP date.
