Step-by-step guide · Updated 2026
How to plan a wedding, end to end.
A real plan looks like a sequence — not a checklist. Here's the order you should do things in, from the moment you're engaged through the day after the wedding. Written by the team behind LOML, distilled from how thousands of couples actually plan.
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Step 1 · Week 1
Lock the three constraints first.
Before you do anything else, decide three things: your budget, your guest count, and your wedding date (even a rough season). These three pin down every other decision — venue, food, photographer, dress. Don't shop for venues until you've talked about money and people. If you skip this, you'll fall in love with a venue you can't afford, for a guest list that doesn't fit.
Total budget
Talk to anyone contributing. Their number is yours.
Guest count
Two columns: must-invite vs. nice-to-have.
Season, not date
The date will follow your venue.
Honest talk first
Money + people. Together. Done early.
Step 2 · Month 1-2
Book the venue.
The venue is the longest lead-time decision and the biggest line item. Most couples book 9-12 months out for popular dates. Tour at least three venues so you have something to compare. Negotiate. Read the contract. Note what's included (tables, chairs, linens, parking) and what isn't.
Tour at least three
Including one you're unsure of.
Capacity = your headcount
Not their max.
What's included
Tables, linens, parking, coordinator, gratuity.
Contract review
Have someone read it before you sign.
Step 3 · Month 2-3
Build the planner foundation.
Set up your budget tracker, guest list, and wedding website in the same week. These three are the data backbone of everything downstream. Sign up for LOML and you get all three in one place — the budget feeds the planner, the guest list feeds the RSVP page, the RSVP page lives on the website.
Budget across 16
Categories pre-mapped with real percentages.
Guest list rows
Phone, side, plus-one, dietary tags.
Website live
Date, location, story, FAQ.
Save-the-dates
Send 6-8 months out.
Step 4 · Month 3-6
Lock vendors in priority order.
Photographer and caterer first (they book up early). Then DJ or band, florist, officiant, hair and makeup. Get three quotes each. Read every contract.
9-12mo
Out for photographer
3
Quotes per vendor
8-10%
Photography budget share
All
Vendors in one tracker
Step 5 · Month 6-8
Invitations and RSVPs.
Send invitations 8-10 weeks before the wedding. Track RSVPs as they come in — your guest list is the master record. Plan to send a reminder 2 weeks after invitations to anyone who hasn't responded. The final headcount feeds catering, seating, and the day-of timeline.
- Send invitations 8-10 weeks pre-wedding
- Track RSVPs daily once they start coming in
- Reminder send to non-responders 2 weeks after
- Final headcount to caterer 1-2 weeks before
Step 6 · Month 8-9
Seating chart and day-of timeline.
Once RSVPs are mostly in, lock the seating chart. Per-chair (not per-table) is worth the extra effort — dietary tags surface where catering needs them, parents on opposite sides actually see each other, and the venue can place place-cards without guessing. Build the day-of timeline at the same time and share it with every vendor.
Per-chair assignments
Dietary tags at each seat.
Day-of timeline
Getting ready → ceremony → reception → send-off.
Share with vendors
2 weeks pre-wedding, all of them.
Venue walk-through
1 week pre-wedding with the coordinator.
Step 7 · Week of
Stop planning.
Confirm final headcount with the caterer. Print place-cards. Pack a bridal emergency kit. Hand the day-of timeline to your point of contact (a friend, a planner, or your coordinator). Then stop planning — there's nothing left you can change.
- Final headcount to caterer
- Place-cards printed and labeled per table
- Emergency kit: safety pins, stain remover, painkillers
- Day-of timeline to all vendors
- Trust your team and step back
Step 8 · After
Thank-you notes, gallery, honeymoon, archive.
Thank-you notes within 3 months. Photographer gallery review. Honeymoon. Save your data — even after you cancel LOML, you keep read-only access to your guest list, budget, and timeline.
- Thank-you notes within 3 months (LOML's tracker shows who got one)
- Photographer gallery review and final delivery
- Honeymoon
- Export your data as CSV for the archive
Common questions
The short version.
How long does it take to plan a wedding?
The average engagement is 14 months. You can plan a wedding well in 6, with intensity. Under 4 months is possible but stressful — most vendors book 6-9 months out so short timelines mean fewer choices.
What order do I book vendors?
Venue → photographer → caterer → DJ or band → florist → officiant → hair and makeup → transportation. Photographer is the second-biggest emotional decision after venue; book them early.
How much does a wedding cost in 2026?
The average US wedding is $33,000. The realistic range is $12,000 to $150,000 depending on guest count and location. See our wedding budget calculator for a breakdown.
When should I send save-the-dates?
6-8 months before the wedding. Earlier for destination weddings (10-12 months) so guests can plan travel.
When should I send invitations?
8-10 weeks before the wedding. The RSVP deadline goes on the invitation — give yourself 2 weeks of buffer between the deadline and the wedding day for late responders and the final headcount.
Do I need a wedding planner?
If your wedding is over 100 guests or you're juggling more than 6 vendors, a day-of coordinator (not a full planner) is worth the $1-2K. LOML covers the planning side; a coordinator runs the actual day.
Plan your wedding with LOML.
Budget, guest list, RSVPs, seating, website, and the AI co-planner that actually does things.
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