A realistic timeline isn't a countdown — it's a sequence of things that unlock other things. Here's the shape we work to across roughly 12 months.
Months 12–9: the foundations — guest count, budget range, city and dates, and locking your venue and core team. Almost every later decision depends on these. Months 9–6: design direction and the big vendors — the décor concept, catering, photography, music. Months 6–3: detail — menus, outfits, invitations, room blocks, guest logistics. Months 3–1: confirmations, run-of-show, and the fittings and tastings. Final weeks: nothing new — only tightening what's already decided.
The single most common mistake is inverting this: agonising over favours and fonts while the venue and budget are still fuzzy. Decisions made out of order get re-made, and re-work is where stress and cost quietly pile up.
Shorter runways absolutely work — we compress this regularly — but you compress the middle, never the foundations. Because we design décor in-house rather than sourcing it, we protect the early design window especially, so the concept has time to develop instead of being rushed.
