Wedding preparations: between 9 and 12 months before

Ideally, you should start planning your big day 12 months in advance, although if you do it as soon as possible, you will probably avoid some setbacks. The first thing to do is to decide the date of the wedding: perhaps a significant day, for example the day of the year when you met? Would you prefer to have it in the middle of summer to take advantage of the heat?

Better in the spring? When you decide the day you would like to get married, also take into account other factors such as holidays or vacations. You can also talk about the best date with your family and closest friends, to make sure they are available on the appointed day.

Another decision that must be made from the beginning is the type of wedding you want, since depending on whether it is a religious or civil wedding, the procedures may follow different paths. If you want to get married in church, you should ask the parish priest for a day. Keep in mind that sometimes the waiting time can be more than a year, so it is essential to start the procedures with enough time.

If you have decided to get married in the civil area, bear in mind that the speed of the procedures may vary depending on the waiting lists of each civil registry office and town hall, so it is also advisable to check with all the administrations involved how long it may take to complete all the procedures. To do this, make an appointment with each of them.

Getting married before a notary can be a quicker option, but also more expensive. Consult all types of weddings in our article on procedures and legal aspects to take into account for getting married. Whatever type of wedding you have chosen, it is important to take into account that the sooner you start the process, the more possibilities you will have to celebrate the wedding on the desired day.

Once we have the date of the wedding, it is time to decide the style of both the wedding ceremony and the subsequent celebration. Whether it is simple and intimate or big and pompous, it is up to you to decide the style that best suits your taste.

You should then think about the type of celebration, how big it will be and whether you want to organize any other complementary activities, such as an engagement party. As a general rule, you do not need to worry about stag parties, as this is traditionally taken care of by the friends of the bride and groom.

Once you have determined what you want the wedding to look like and the dimensions of the celebration, it is time to start looking and thinking about the venue. To do this, it is essential to know how many people you want to invite to the wedding.

Make a provisional list of attendees to get an idea of the size of the party, since depending on the number of guests will be more convenient one type of local or another.

If you want to celebrate your wedding in a popular place, you should ask for availability as soon as possible and make a reservation. Some common places to celebrate weddings can be, for example, in castles or in estates by the sea.

It is common for these types of venues to allow for reservations to be made a year in advance. If the site is particularly meaningful to you, you may have to find a date for the wedding depending on the availability of the space.

When choosing the location for your celebration, don’t just consider whether your guests will fit into the space; think also about the space needed for the gifts, the children’s play area or the table where to put a hypothetical buffet. Of course, there should also be a space that can function as a dance floor large enough for the bride and groom and guests.

As a general rule, each guest needs at least one square meter of free space. When calculating the size of the room, add the space planned for the buffet and other elements you have in mind to include in the celebration. It is also advisable to think about an alternative to outdoor spaces, in case the weather conditions on the big day are not the most pleasant.

To avoid unpleasant surprises after the wedding, it is essential to establish a budget beforehand. The costs of such a celebration can vary greatly depending on the tastes and desires of the couple. To know what to take into account when establishing a budget and how to keep track of expenses, see our article The wedding budget.

In order to have all the wedding documents in one place, it is highly recommended to create a wedding folder that includes a calendar with all the important dates. You can use the folder to keep everything important, such as budgets, reservations, confirmations, contracts and invoices.

In the calendar you can write down the dates of the most important appointments to have an overview of all the planning and what needs to be done at all times.

It is also helpful to have an organisational strategy in which it is agreed who is responsible for what. The folder can also contain the tasks that have been assigned to each family member, so that you can keep better track and not forget anything important.

Wedding preparations: between 7 and 9 months before

Ideally, you should start planning your big day 12 months in advance, although if you do it as soon as possible, you will probably avoid some setbacks. The first thing to do is to decide the date of the wedding: perhaps a significant day, for example the day of the year when you met? Would you prefer to have it in the middle of summer to take advantage of the heat?

Better in the spring? When you decide the day you would like to get married, also take into account other factors such as holidays or vacations. You can also talk about the best date with your family and closest friends, to make sure they are available on the appointed day.

Another decision that must be made from the beginning is the type of wedding you want, since depending on whether it is a religious or civil wedding, the procedures may follow different paths. If you want to get married in church, you should ask the parish priest for a day. Keep in mind that sometimes the waiting time can be more than a year, so it is essential to start the procedures with enough time.

If you have decided to get married in the civil area, bear in mind that the speed of the procedures may vary depending on the waiting lists of each civil registry office and town hall, so it is also advisable to check with all the administrations involved how long it may take to complete all the procedures. To do this, make an appointment with each of them.

Getting married before a notary can be a quicker option, but also more expensive. Consult all types of weddings in our article on procedures and legal aspects to take into account for getting married. Whatever type of wedding you have chosen, it is important to take into account that the sooner you start the process, the more possibilities you will have to celebrate the wedding on the desired day.

Once we have the date of the wedding, it is time to decide the style of both the wedding ceremony and the subsequent celebration. Whether it is simple and intimate or big and pompous, it is up to you to decide the style that best suits your taste.

You should then think about the type of celebration, how big it will be and whether you want to organize any other complementary activities, such as an engagement party. As a general rule, you do not need to worry about stag parties, as this is traditionally taken care of by the friends of the bride and groom.

Once you have determined what you want the wedding to look like and the dimensions of the celebration, it is time to start looking and thinking about the venue. To do this, it is essential to know how many people you want to invite to the wedding. Make a provisional list of attendees to get an idea of the size of the party, since depending on the number of guests will be more convenient one type of local or another.

If you want to celebrate your wedding in a popular place, you should ask for availability as soon as possible and make a reservation. Some common places to celebrate weddings can be, for example, in castles or in estates by the sea.

It is common for these types of venues to allow for reservations to be made a year in advance. If the site is particularly meaningful to you, you may have to find a date for the wedding depending on the availability of the space.