Wedding planning checklist: what to arrange and in what order

Three things that block everything else

Before you start choosing anything, you need three figures: an approximate budget, a rough guest count and a date. In that order – each subsequent one depends on the previous.

The number of guests determines how large a venue you need to find and what the catering will cost. Without it, you cannot make enquiries, because the first question every operator asks is "how many of you will there be?".

The date does not have to be an exact day at the start. A month is enough, along with whether you insist on a Saturday – with that information you can already call venues to find out what is available.

Venue and ceremony

Securing a venue is the first major commitment and also the most common point where planning stalls. Until the venue is confirmed, almost nothing else can be arranged.

Expect that the most sought-after venues are booked a year or more in advance. This applies doubly to Saturday dates during peak season – those who wait a month usually end up choosing from what remains.

If you want a ceremony outside the registry office hall, contact the local registry office (matrika) before booking your venue. Such ceremonies require official approval and usually incur a fee, so they should be included in your budget.

You can choose from our directory of wedding venues, and for timing, the article on when to book a venue is helpful.

Suppliers by urgency

Book the photographer, catering and music immediately after securing your venue. These three services are typically booked furthest in advance and are the hardest to find at the last minute.

Next, arrange flowers, the wedding cake, transport and guest accommodation. There is more flexibility here, though availability fills up during the season.

Leave printed materials, decorations and small gifts for guests until the end. These can be adjusted based on your remaining budget, and delaying them does not block other arrangements.

Get every booking confirmed in writing. A verbal agreement over the phone may be remembered differently by both parties a year later – this is not about mistrust, but simply that details get mixed up.

You can find contacts in the suppliers section, where profiles are listed by category.

Paperwork

You must submit the marriage application form and supporting documents to the registry office (matrika) responsible for the location of the ceremony, not the one in your place of residence. Contact them well in advance so you know exactly what they will require.

If one of the partners is a foreign national, allow extra time. Some documents must be translated and certified, which cannot be completed within a week.

A change of surname is handled after the wedding, but it is advisable to plan ahead for all subsequent updates: identification documents, bank accounts, insurance policies, and employer records.

The final month

Confirm the final guest numbers with both the caterer and the venue. Most contracts include a date after which numbers can only be increased, not decreased.

Send the schedule to all suppliers. Not because they require it, but so that no one calls on the wedding day asking when they should arrive.

Prepare the seating plan and place cards so guests do not have to search for their seats. A printed seating chart at the entrance is also helpful.

Finally, arrange who will handle phone calls on the wedding day. This should not be the newlyweds; they need to keep their hands free that day.

What gets overlooked

Who will take away the decorations, gifts and leftover food after the wedding. At 3 a.m., no one wants to deal with it, but someone has to.

Transport for guests who will be drinking, and accommodation for those who have no way home. For venues outside the city, this is more critical than choosing the cake.

A Plan B for rain if any part of the schedule takes place outdoors – the ceremony, the toast or the photoshoot.

And a contingency in the budget. Something almost always becomes more expensive, and it is better to have an amount set aside than to look for cuts a week before the wedding.