Wedding Planning Timeline: 12 Months Out

Most Cornish weddings are booked 9-18 months ahead, and the venues and photographers that get booked earliest are usually the best ones. This timeline works backwards from the wedding day so you know what needs deciding when, starting with wedding venues in Cornwall - the first and most time-sensitive booking.

12 months before

Set a headcount ceiling and a top-line budget - this decides venue size and everything downstream more than any other single decision.
Draft the guest list against that ceiling before you view a single venue - see how to build a guest list for the four-list method and the cuts that hold.
Book the venue - see the Cornwall wedding venue guide for what each type actually costs and suits.
Book the photographer - the second thing to sell out for a summer Saturday, often before the venue does.

9 months before

Book catering and confirm whether the venue requires you to use an approved supplier.
Choose and order the dress or suit - custom or made-to-measure orders can take 4-6 months to arrive plus alterations.
Book a band or DJ for the evening.

6 months before

Send save-the-dates if you have not already.
Book a florist - see wedding florists in Cornwall.
Book a marquee if the venue needs one, and confirm what furniture and flooring come with it.
Work out what you are genuinely DIYing versus booking - see what you can actually DIY at a wedding before you commit either way.

3 months before

Send formal invitations with an RSVP deadline at least 6 weeks before the wedding - RSVP wording, deadlines and chasing has the wording and the arithmetic behind that date.
Finalise the catering menu, and decide how you are collecting meal choices and dietary requirements before the invitations go out.
Book hair and makeup trials.
Order the cake.

1 month before

Chase any outstanding RSVPs so your final headcount is locked for catering.
Confirm final timings and running order with every supplier - venue, photographer, caterer, entertainment.
Do a final dress/suit fitting.

The week of

Give the final headcount and any last-minute changes to the venue and caterer.
Confirm arrival times and access with every supplier delivering or setting up on the day.
Delegate someone other than the couple to be the point of contact for suppliers on the day.

Once those arrival times are confirmed, see how a run sheet works to turn them into one timeline for the day, with a link your bridal party can open on their phones.

Book venue and photographer in the same window

These two bookings are the most likely to fall through if you leave them apart - a popular photographer can be fully booked for a date before the venue is even confirmed. Chase both together in the first month of planning.

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Tell Plan My Do your date and what you're planning, and we'll help you keep track of what needs booking and when.

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