Quick answer
Work back from the wedding date: lock venue, dates, budget and core vendors 9 to 12 months out; design, accommodation and the remaining vendors 6 to 9 months out; guest lists and invitation design 3 to 6 months out; invitations and per-function RSVPs 1 to 3 months out; and final headcounts, payments, room allocation and run sheets in the last month.
Key takeaways
- Count back from the date and from your vendors' deadlines, not forward from the booking.
- Collect the guest list per function, from both families, before you design the invitation.
- Invitations six weeks out and a firm RSVP deadline give caterers real numbers in time.
- The week after the wedding (payments, reviews, thank-yous) is part of the job.
Every wedding is different, but the order in which decisions must be made is surprisingly constant. This timeline assumes a multi-function Indian wedding with a professional planner and about a year of lead time. If you have less, compress the early phases; never skip them.
12 to 9 months out: the foundations
- Confirm the date or dates, including any muhurat the families are following.
- Agree the list of functions and roughly where and when each happens.
- Set the overall budget and how it is split between families, if it is.
- Get an early guest estimate for the largest function.
- Book the venue or venues.
- Book the vendors who sell out first in your market, typically catering, decor and photography.
- Agree your own scope, fees and payment schedule in writing.
9 to 6 months out: design and logistics
- Decor concept and colour story per function.
- Videography, makeup, mehendi, music, choreography and officiant.
- Hotel room blocks for out-of-town guests.
- Transport plan between venues and from airports or stations.
- Outfit timelines with the couple and families, so fittings don't collide with functions.
6 to 3 months out: guests and invitations
- Collect guest lists from both families, with phone numbers, side and group for each guest.
- Decide which groups are invited to which functions.
- Design the invitation and wedding website; add every function with time, venue and dress code.
- Send a save-the-date to out-of-town guests if travel is involved.
- Catering tastings and menu per function.
3 to 1 months out: invitations and RSVPs
- Send invitations around six weeks before the first function, each guest with their own link.
- Collect RSVPs per function, with party size.
- Schedule reminders for guests who haven't replied.
- Confirm every vendor booking and payment schedule in writing.
- Draft the run sheet for each function.
- Start the room allocation plan as RSVPs come in.
The final month
- RSVP deadline: take the headcount per function and send each caterer their number.
- Final reminders and personal calls to anyone still silent.
- Finalise room allocation and share it with the hotel.
- Share run sheets with every vendor and confirm arrival times.
- Line up every payment due in the last two weeks, with who pays each.
- Brief the welcome desk and on-ground team.
The week of the wedding
- Reconfirm every vendor 48 hours before their function.
- Prepare welcome kits and signage.
- Set up guest check-in, ideally with a QR code on each invitation.
- Agree how day-of changes will be communicated to guests.
On the day
- Run each function from its run sheet; one person owns the timeline.
- Check guests in at the welcome desk and guide them to their rooms.
- Send short, practical updates to attending guests when something changes.
- Keep vendor payments due on the day ready and documented.
The week after
- Settle every outstanding vendor balance and collect invoices.
- Rate every vendor in your directory while it is fresh.
- Send the couple a wrap-up: what was spent, what is still owed, the final guest numbers.
- Ask for a review and a referral while the glow is still there.
Running several weddings at once? Turn these phases into four checkpoints per wedding and review them weekly. See how to manage multiple weddings.
Baton brings your enquiries, client weddings, vendors, payments and team together, with per-function RSVP and WhatsApp invites for every couple. Free for 2 months.
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Ideally 9 to 12 months, so the venue and in-demand vendors can be booked before they sell out. It can be done in less, but the early decisions (date, venue, budget, core vendors) still have to come first.