A wedding is a hundred small decisions that arrive all at once, unless you give each one its month. This is the checklist we would hand a friend: what to settle first, what can wait, and the few dates that really matter. Take it as a rhythm, not a rulebook. If your wedding is in six months rather than eighteen, simply start from the line that matches your date.

Twelve months or more before: the foundations

Everything else hangs on three things: the budget, the number of guests and the date. Settle them together, because each one moves the other two.

  • A total budget, agreed between the two of you (and anyone contributing), before a single deposit is paid.
  • A first guest list. It does not need to be final, but the difference between 60 and 160 guests decides the kind of venue you can look at.
  • The date and the venue. Popular venues and summer Saturdays go first; a Friday, a Sunday or an off-season month opens many more doors.
  • The people who are booked the longest in advance: usually the officiant, the photographer and, if you want one, a planner.

Nine to ten months before: the look of the day

Now the day starts to take a shape. Book the caterer, the music and the florist, and let the style emerge: a garden lunch, a black-tie evening, a long table by the sea.

  • Start looking at gowns, calmly. Learn which silhouette you are drawn to before you fall for a single dress. Our guide to the four silhouettes is a good place to begin.
  • Choose a palette of two or three colours. It will guide the flowers, the stationery and even the ribbon on the bouquet.
  • Open your wedding website. It becomes the one place guests find the date, the venue and, later, the practical details. We explain how to make one simply.

Six to eight months before: tell your guests

  • Send the save-the-dates: four to eight months ahead is usual, earlier if many guests travel. Add the link to your website so the questions go there rather than to your phone.
  • Help guests with where to stay: a few hotels near the venue, a note on transport, and a date after which rooms may run out.
  • Think about what you will ask for, if anything: a registry, a honeymoon fund, or simply nothing.

Three to four months before: the gown

For a gown made to your measurements, this is the comfortable moment. At Serment we suggest choosing your silhouette three months before the day, and ordering two months before at the latest: every gown is made to order, and the gown then reaches your door already your size. Our calm timeline goes into the detail.

  • Take your five measurements with a soft tape and a friend, following our measuring guide.
  • Choose the finishing pieces with the gown, not after it: the veil length, a cape for the ceremony, gloves if you love them.
  • Buy your shoes early. The final length of the gown is set for the heel you will actually wear.

Two to three months before: the invitations

  • Send the invitations, with a clear reply date around four weeks before the wedding. An interactive invitation that guests open on their phone lets them reply in one tap, and every answer lands in one place.
  • Taste the menu and confirm the number of courses, the wine and any dietary needs you already know about.
  • Plan the order of the day with your venue: ceremony, photographs, dinner, speeches, first dance.

One month before: the details that make the day

  • Chase the last replies after the RSVP date, then draw the seating plan.
  • Arrange the final hem with a seamstress three to four weeks before the day, wearing your wedding shoes.
  • Check the paperwork. The legal steps of a marriage differ from one country to the next, so confirm early what your town hall, church or officiant needs, and by when.
  • Write your vows and any speech, while there is still time to sleep on them.

The last week

  • Send the timeline of the day to every supplier and to the two or three people who will answer questions on your behalf.
  • Prepare a small bag for the day: safety pins, fashion tape, tissues, a lipstick, flat shoes for the evening.
  • Hang the gown away from sunlight and steam it gently a few days ahead, so nothing is left for the morning itself.

The day before

Delegate everything that is left, eat properly, and go to bed early. The checklist has done its work; tomorrow belongs to you.

Questions

Is it too late to plan a wedding in six months?

Not at all. Start with the foundations (budget, guests, date and venue) in the first weeks, book the key suppliers straight after, and follow the rest of this list from the line that matches your date.

When should I order my wedding dress?

For a gown made to measure, we suggest choosing your silhouette about three months before the wedding and ordering two months before at the latest, then allowing three to four weeks for a final hem with your shoes.

When should wedding invitations go out?

Save-the-dates four to eight months ahead (earlier for a destination wedding), and invitations two to three months ahead, with a reply date around four weeks before the day.