|
Your Wedding Reception Timeline
Planning Countdown
A wedding reception timeline is essential if you want to do the right things at the right time when you're planning your wedding. It's the biggest party you'll ever throw, so getting your planning right is important.
Ideally, you should start planning the reception 12 months in advance as you’ll get better choices of venues on your chosen date.
This wedding reception timeline goes from 12 months, but if you do start planning later, then just make sure you cover all the points listed below.
12 months
- Choose the date and time (date and time)
- Compile a guest list with input from your parents
- Begin to shop around and start to get quotes in
- Start looking at venues
- Before you hand over any deposits, make sure you’re happy. Most deposits are non-refundable
6 months
- Start thinking about your wedding theme, colours and decorations
- Choose a florist and start to develop flower ideas, keeping within your theme
- Organise your wedding cake
- Find a caterer, ask about packages, menus and prices
- Start to think about your drinks
- Book any entertainment (DJ, disco, musicians, magicians, etc)
- Arrange marquee hire if necessary
- Place your stationery order, or start making your own
- Start thinking about wedding favours
- If your venue doesn’t supply furniture, linens, cutlery, crockery, special lighting, etc start to find vendors to hire these items
2 months
- Distribute wedding invites to guests
- Begin gathering RSVPs
1 month
- Write out the order of events for your reception
- Nominate speakers for your reception and decide on an MC or Toastmaster
- Tell your musicians of any special requests (first dance, etc)
- Inform all suppliers of address of venue and provide them with contact details, especially for any emergencies
1 week
- Confirm your numbers with the caterers and venue
- Call all hire people and confirm everything is OK
- Provide written briefs to everyone that needs them
- Supply seating arrangement, favours, decorations, reception stationery to venue if they are arranging and decorating the venue, or arrange a time for someone to do this on the morning of the wedding
You'll find 100's of great value wedding suppliers in our wedding directory. Start your search now...
Image credits:
Opened agenda: © feng yu | dreamstime.com
|
Comments
Have your say about what you just read! Leave me a comment in the box below.