Method · 5 min read · Updated
What do I need for my weddingand in what order
What you decide without speaking to anyone, what requires an email, and the order that saves the most time.
Almost every planning checklist orders decisions by excitement: first the dress, then the flowers. The order that saves time is another: that of availability. What depends on other people's diaries comes first.
What you decide without speaking to anyone
- The date, or at least the month, together with its hour of light.
- The type of venue: country house, finca with accommodation, castle, hotel.
- How many people sleep away from their home city.
These are three decisions and none requires an email. Making them first avoids writing blind.
What requires an email
Four questions separate one venue from another, and all four are asked in writing.
- Capacity, counted in seated guests, not cocktail numbers.
- Whether the catering comes closed with the house or is chosen separately.
- Until what hour music is allowed and who decides it.
- How many people can sleep in the house itself.
The calendar in reverse: from the wedding backwards
A practical way to order things is to count backwards from the wedding day. The table is the team's guidance, not a rule: every wedding has its own deadlines, so ask each supplier about theirs. A point of reference: according to the wedding-industry report published by Bodas.net, most Spanish couples prepare their wedding 12 to 18 months ahead, and the average planning time is 13 months.
| When | What you decide | What you ask for in writing |
|---|---|---|
| 18 to 12 months before | Month or date, type of venue, and how many guests sleep away | Seated capacity, catering, music, beds, which ceremony is allowed |
| 12 to 9 months | Venue and date confirmed; the house for photography and film | A written proposal and the hours of presence |
| 9 to 6 months | Catering if not closed with the venue, music, flowers | Conditions and payment schedule |
| 6 to 3 months | Legal or religious procedure, clothing, guests' accommodation | Deadlines of the record or file, where relevant |
| 3 to 1 month | The day's schedule with the hour of light, family lists | Confirmation from each supplier and the rain plan |
| The last week | Contacts, deliveries and timings | One phone number per supplier, and who decides |
The order that saves the most time
- 1. Venue and date.
- 2. Photography and film.
- 3. Catering, if the venue does not provide it closed.
- 4. Music, flowers and beauty.
- 5. Delivery of the finished works.
The venue comes first because it fixes the date, and without a firm date there is no wedding, only an intention. That is why it helps to write on the same day to every venue that fits, and to order them afterwards by their reply, not by excitement.
What you decide with the light in mind
Some decisions look like diary matters and are really about light. The hour of the ceremony, the cocktail hour and the portraits depend on when the sun sets on your date: on 15 June 2027 it does so at 21:17 in Palma, and on 15 October at 19:11. The text on the light of the island has the sunset table from March to October, and the one on the zones of Mallorca shows how the evening changes with the place.
Ask each venue which way the cocktail area faces and at what time the sun stops reaching it. With that answer you can order the day's schedule without arguing it with anyone. On seeing each other before the ceremony: the first look, what to bear in mind.
The paperwork, without surprises
What cannot be left until the end is the procedure that gives the act legal validity, civil or religious. For a civil wedding there is a prior record or file and, if more than a year passes after the notices are published without the marriage taking place, it must be repeated. Ask from the start how long it takes in your case and who handles it. The text on a civil or religious ceremony at the estate sets out the questions.
What seems essential and is not
A wedding planner is optional, unless the destination is far away and you cannot be on the island. What is essential is deciding who decides: one person, or two, with the final word. When every supplier receives different instructions, the day loses coherence.
Final checklist: the week of the wedding
- The day's schedule, in writing, with the hour of light marked.
- The family and group lists you want to keep. On family photos: how to organise them without losing the cocktail.
- One contact number per supplier, and who decides if anything changes.
- The rain plan, shared with everyone.
- The objects you want photographed: rings, invitation, dress, shoes. On the eve: what to settle the day before the wedding.
For today
Write on one sheet the month, the type of venue and the number of people sleeping away from home. Draft a single email with the four questions and send it to every venue that interests you, on the same day. Once you have a firm date, write to the house for photography and film.
Frequently asked questions
How far ahead should I start planning a wedding?
According to the wedding-industry report published by Bodas.net, most Spanish couples prepare it 12 to 18 months ahead, and the average is 13 months. If your date falls in the busiest months, look at venues sooner.
What do I book first?
The venue and the date, because everything else depends on them. Then the house for photography and film, once the date is firm.
Do I need a wedding planner?
Not always. It is useful when the destination is far away and you cannot be there. What is essential is that someone has the final word.
When should I start the legal procedure?
Ask the notary, the Civil Registry or the diocese as early as possible how long it takes in your case. A civil record with published notices stops being valid after a year without the marriage taking place.