Planning A Wedding With Less Than A Year To Go
According to one wedding industry report, the average length of engagements in 2023 was 31 months, which might suggest that many couples are following the old advice of not marrying in haste. But not all couples are so keen to take their time, and planning a wedding within a year isn’t just physically possible, it’s eminently doable.
So if the question’s been popped (and, of course, accepted), and you can’t wait to say ‘I do’, it’s time to get down to some serious wedding planning. Here’s our guide to planning your celebration with just months to go.
Start by having an overall budget in mind, along with an idea of how many people you’d like to be there. (It’s at this point that you may realise that you can’t invite everyone, so start thinking about who you absolutely have to have in attendance.)
Date and venue
Until you can confirm your venue and name the day, many other factors will remain on hold. So clarify when and where you’re getting hitched before you do anything else.
Your marriage venue may well take up the largest chunk of your budget, so clearly it’s a key decision. And while you don’t want to make any rash decisions, you’ll need to act quickly.
Even if you have just months to go, it’s worth contacting your dream wedding location to see if they have late availability or any special offers.
The legal bit
In England and Wales, you’ll need to give 28 days’ notice to the Register Office before you can get married, so put this admin at the top of your list and don’t forget to sort it out.
Book a wedding photographer and/or videographer
The best ones tend to get snapped up (pun intended) quickly, so book yours once you have confirmed the venue.
The entertainment & catering
If you want a DJ or band at your wedding, book 10 to 11 months in advance. After all, artists can only typically perform at one wedding a day, so confirm the entertainment you want sharpish. If you’re having outside caterers, the same applies. Think about the sort of food you want to serve and go from there.
Once the venue and primary suppliers including photographer, catering and entertainment are sorted out, which will ideally be done 10 to 11 months in advance, you can turn your attention to what could perhaps be described as secondary suppliers. These include your florist, stationery company and wedding outfits providers, and these can be sorted maybe eight or nine months ahead.
Now is also a good time to nominate your wedding party if you’re having one, including bridesmaids (or mates), best man (or woman) and maids or men of honour and page or flower boys and girls. The choice is yours!
Your wedding cake supplier and transport provider can be booked with six or seven months to go. This is also a good time to do a menu tasting and firm up your hair and make-up artist plus the honeymoon.
Wedding rings and transport for guests can perhaps wait until you have four or five months to go, as can finalising the décor and other finishing touches like wedding favours.
Pretty much everything else can follow in the weeks after that, once the main structure of your special day is in place.
Helping plan your wedding at Berkeley Castle
At Berkeley Castle, we’re an exclusive-use wedding venue on the edge of the Cotswolds. Make our stunning location home for you and your guests for the whole weekend!
With our list of recommended suppliers, and help from our wedding co-ordinator on getting your timings spot on, we take much of the stress out of planning your celebrations, leaving you to focus on the excitement and anticipation of the big day.
Our preferred caterer, Napier, for example, has got you covered for food and drink from start to finish, whatever you have in mind, with completely bespoke menus. They’ll talk you through everything in plenty of time – so you won’t have to worry about a thing.
Contact a member of the wedding team today with your questions, or to book a viewing.
