Planning
How to Plan a Wedding: The Complete 12-Month Checklist
May 6, 2026 · 12 min read · By Pretty Papery
If you're newly engaged and the size of the to-do list feels paralysing — you're not alone. We've been designing wedding stationery for 19,800+ couples since 2022, and the same questions come up every week: When do I send save the dates? When do invitations go out? Have I forgotten something obvious?
This is the checklist we wish we'd had. It's organised by month, written for real life (not Pinterest), and assumes you have a partner, a budget, and a job — not unlimited weekends to plan.
This is the checklist we wish we'd had. It's organised by month, written for real life (not Pinterest), and assumes you have a partner, a budget, and a job — not unlimited weekends to plan.
12 months out: the foundations
Before any vendor, before any colour palette, before any guest list — three decisions matter most:
1. The budget. Sit down with your partner and any contributing family. Write down a number. Then write down what's roughly going where. The German wedding industry average splits roughly: 40% venue + food, 15% photography + video, 10% attire, 10% flowers + decoration, 8% music, 5% stationery, 12% miscellaneous (rings, cake, transport).
2. The headcount. Don't finalise the guest list yet — but agree on a range. 60? 100? 200? This drives every other decision: which venues fit, how much food costs, how many invitations.
3. The season. Summer outdoor, winter intimate, spring garden, autumn vineyard. Each unlocks different venues and pricing. Popular Saturdays in May–September are often booked 12-18 months out.
Once these three are pinned, the rest of the checklist makes sense.
1. The budget. Sit down with your partner and any contributing family. Write down a number. Then write down what's roughly going where. The German wedding industry average splits roughly: 40% venue + food, 15% photography + video, 10% attire, 10% flowers + decoration, 8% music, 5% stationery, 12% miscellaneous (rings, cake, transport).
2. The headcount. Don't finalise the guest list yet — but agree on a range. 60? 100? 200? This drives every other decision: which venues fit, how much food costs, how many invitations.
3. The season. Summer outdoor, winter intimate, spring garden, autumn vineyard. Each unlocks different venues and pricing. Popular Saturdays in May–September are often booked 12-18 months out.
Once these three are pinned, the rest of the checklist makes sense.
11–9 months out: lock the big ticket items
Venue. This drives the date. Look at 5-7 options, visit your top 3, sign with the one that feels right and fits your budget. The deposit is real — don't sign without your partner.
Photographer + videographer. The good ones in Hamburg, Munich, and Berlin are booked 12+ months out for peak season. Look at full galleries (not just the highlight reel) before deciding.
Save the dates. If you're getting married in peak season or asking guests to travel, send them now. Otherwise, you can wait until 6 months out. (We have templates here.)
Photographer + videographer. The good ones in Hamburg, Munich, and Berlin are booked 12+ months out for peak season. Look at full galleries (not just the highlight reel) before deciding.
Save the dates. If you're getting married in peak season or asking guests to travel, send them now. Otherwise, you can wait until 6 months out. (We have templates here.)
8–6 months out: the texture
Officiant + ceremony plan. Religious officiant? Civil officiant? Friend with a certificate? Decide and book. Outline the ceremony structure even if you'll refine words later.
Wedding party. Ask your bridesmaids, groomsmen, ring bearer, flower girl. Bring proposal cards if you want a moment. (Yes, we make those — photo bridesmaid proposal is our most-loved.)
Attire. Wedding dress lead times are 4-6 months. Suit fittings 2-3 months. Don't leave either to the last 6 weeks.
Cake, flowers, music. Book your cake designer, florist, DJ or band. Tasting and consultation visits clarify a lot.
Wedding party. Ask your bridesmaids, groomsmen, ring bearer, flower girl. Bring proposal cards if you want a moment. (Yes, we make those — photo bridesmaid proposal is our most-loved.)
Attire. Wedding dress lead times are 4-6 months. Suit fittings 2-3 months. Don't leave either to the last 6 weeks.
Cake, flowers, music. Book your cake designer, florist, DJ or band. Tasting and consultation visits clarify a lot.
5–3 months out: invitations + details
Invitations. 8-10 weeks before the wedding is the standard send date. With our templates you can edit, print, and post the same week. Include: full names, date, time, venue, dress code, RSVP method, RSVP deadline (typically 4 weeks before wedding), website link if you have one.
Wedding website. Optional but useful. Provides directions, accommodation, dress code clarity, gift-list info. Tools like Withjoy or Squarespace work well.
Honeymoon. Book flights and hotels. Sort travel insurance. Update passports if needed.
Menus, place cards, signage drafts. Decide which signs and stationery you need (welcome sign, bar menu, table numbers, place cards, menu cards). Order or design — most of our customers buy these as digital templates and print at home or with a local printer.
Wedding website. Optional but useful. Provides directions, accommodation, dress code clarity, gift-list info. Tools like Withjoy or Squarespace work well.
Honeymoon. Book flights and hotels. Sort travel insurance. Update passports if needed.
Menus, place cards, signage drafts. Decide which signs and stationery you need (welcome sign, bar menu, table numbers, place cards, menu cards). Order or design — most of our customers buy these as digital templates and print at home or with a local printer.
2 months out: confirm + tighten
Final guest count. Most caterers want this 14 days before. RSVPs trickle in — chase late ones gently.
Seating chart. Open spreadsheet. Block out tables. Drag names. Adjust until it stops being painful.
Ceremony rehearsal. Schedule with your officiant and wedding party. Even 30 minutes the day before makes the day-of dramatically smoother.
Final fittings. Dress, suits, shoes broken in. Beauty trial if you haven't done it yet.
Seating chart. Open spreadsheet. Block out tables. Drag names. Adjust until it stops being painful.
Ceremony rehearsal. Schedule with your officiant and wedding party. Even 30 minutes the day before makes the day-of dramatically smoother.
Final fittings. Dress, suits, shoes broken in. Beauty trial if you haven't done it yet.
2 weeks out: print + pack
Print all stationery. Place cards, menus, signage. Either at home (high-quality cardstock + colour printer), local print shop (cheaper, often better paper), or services like Saal Digital / Whitewall (best quality).
Pack the wedding day kit. Marriage licence, rings, vows, emergency kit (safety pins, plasters, deodorant, painkillers, tissues, snacks).
Confirm with every vendor. Final timing, final headcount, final delivery addresses. One last call or email each.
Pack the wedding day kit. Marriage licence, rings, vows, emergency kit (safety pins, plasters, deodorant, painkillers, tissues, snacks).
Confirm with every vendor. Final timing, final headcount, final delivery addresses. One last call or email each.
Wedding week: stop planning
Genuinely. Eat well, sleep, see your family if they're travelling in. Trust your vendors. The checklist is done. The day will be what it is.
If you've used a planner or a strong friend as "day-of coordinator", brief them and step back. The brides we've worked with who enjoyed their day most were the ones who decided, around Wednesday of wedding week, that the planning was over.
If you've used a planner or a strong friend as "day-of coordinator", brief them and step back. The brides we've worked with who enjoyed their day most were the ones who decided, around Wednesday of wedding week, that the planning was over.
After the wedding
Send thank-you cards within 6-8 weeks. Order the photo album when prints come back. Frame your favourite photo. Keep a couple of physical invitations for your album. Consider a one-year anniversary tradition — re-eating wedding cake, re-watching the video.
The day passes faster than anyone warns you. The checklist is what makes the months before feel manageable, so the day itself can be present.
The day passes faster than anyone warns you. The checklist is what makes the months before feel manageable, so the day itself can be present.