The duration of the wedding depends on various factors: how big the wedding will be, whether it will be in Latvia or abroad, how popular the wedding venue will be, how many details need to be planned, whether you will organize the wedding yourself or hire a professional, and also - how much free time you can devote to this process. It is important to plan your time so that the process of organizing a wedding is not too intense and energy-consuming or, on the contrary, drawn out and already tiring. On average, couples spend 6-12 months planning a wedding.

Smaller and simpler weddings require shorter preparation time, grand weddings require longer. When choosing a large wedding, you should think not only about how quickly you can arrange it yourself and book the desired service providers, not the ones that are "left over", but also respect the opportunities of the guests to come to the wedding. If you send out the invitations two weeks before the wedding, there is a risk that the guests will already have this time planned, and you can give the impression that you did not plan to invite them to the wedding in the first place. Nowadays, it is also allowed to officially marry as a couple, which means that you can plan your wedding day even a couple of days in advance. What is the same and unchanged in any case - after submitting the application to the registry office (which must be done regardless of where you will celebrate the wedding), you must wait at least a month before the marriage can be registered.

You can really have a small wedding with ten guests in a month if you are getting married in a private building and your friends are musicians. On the other hand, a large wedding, for which you need to reserve a venue , catering, live music and photographer service , is already a whole project.

Here's how the duration of wedding planning can vary:

Preferred wedding date and season

Want to get married on a warm Saturday in July? You are not the only ones! During the summer months, especially on the requested dates, the schedules of wedding service venues and providers fill up a year or even more in advance. Also popular are dates with beautiful numbers, for example 27.07.2027. The more popular the date, the earlier you need to make your reservations to guarantee that you can actually get married in the location of your dreams. On the other hand, it is easier to plan weddings that are celebrated in the off-season - late autumn and winter - in a shorter time. In case of such a choice, there is another pleasant bonus - the prices are often friendlier.

Budget options and resources

If you have a larger budget, you can afford more professionals, which greatly facilitates and shortens the time of organization. Wedding planners , decorators, coordinators take on most of the work, which is not only time and energy saving, but also emotionally relieving - organizing a wedding is a beautiful, yet challenging process.

Typical Wedding Planning Timeline

If you organize the wedding yourself, the process will be facilitated by knowing when and to whom to pay the most attention. You can easily plan your wedding with the LĪGAVĀM wedding planner , in which everything you need to think about is divided into thematic categories - so you won't miss anything!

12 months before the wedding

This is the time of big decisions. First of all, start with the vision of the wedding - how many guests you want to invite, in what style you will celebrate the wedding, what budget you plan to fit into. Choose a date and book a place for the ceremony and celebration. If you want to attract a favorite wedding photographer or planner - do it as the first steps immediately after setting the date and booking the venue.

The most important steps:

• Determine the budget and priorities;
• Compile the guest list;
• Choose date and place;
• Reserve key service providers.

6-9 months before the wedding

Now we can turn to the details. Bride's dress, groom's suit, decorations, catering - time to dig in and choose! At this stage, the scenario of the ceremony, the choice of music and the menu are coordinated.

The most important works:

• Choose a wedding dress and suit;
• Find a florist and decorator;
• Book a caterer and order a wedding cake;
• Prepare wedding invitations.

3 months until the wedding

The wedding is very close and the big works must be done. Repeated meetings with service providers and fine-tuning of details begin. Guests should send invitations and plan seating.

The most important works:

• Send out invitations;
• Approve the menu and time plan;
• Arrange transport and accommodation;
• Choose wedding music and first dance.

The last month before the wedding

The services are booked, the script is drawn up - all that remains is to check that everything is done and start getting in the mood for the wedding so that you can be truly present and enjoy the moment.

The most important works:

• Confirm the guest list and seats;
• Make-up and bridal hairstyle trial;
• Coordinate the daily schedule with everyone involved;
• Prepare an "emergency kit" for the big day (needles, plasters, wet wipes, etc.).

How to shorten planning time?

If long-term planning is not the most compelling scenario, how to organize your wedding:

Small wedding

If you choose an intimate wedding with the closest people or even just the two of you, the planning process becomes much easier. Fewer guests means less logistics – no need to think about large-scale catering, accommodation or transport.

Micro weddings often take place in nature or in restaurants, where a lot is already ready and less needs to be invested in decorations.

Engagement of a wedding planner

Wedding Planner is your personal wedding organizer with countless trusted wedding planning contacts and a calm nervous system. If you're short on time, a professional will help you quickly choose the right service providers, coordinate the details, and give you peace of mind if you're nervous yourself.

Most often, wedding planning is not a sprint, but a well-organized marathon. The most important thing is to know your wishes, set priorities and be ready to flexibly adapt to situations.

Delegation of tasks

Don't take too many tasks on your shoulders. It will tire you and take away some of the joy. Bring in wedding professionals or friends who want to get involved in wedding planning, and the process will be enjoyable and much more efficient.

About the essential

Regardless of whether you organize a small or large wedding, do it yourself or together with wedding organizers, devote two months or a year and a half to it - you must remember that a wedding is a meaningful, spiritually grand event, a holy moment, and your rest is as important as the work that goes into creating a wedding.

Just like in any area of life - we can be present if we pay attention to the moment, what we are doing and why we are doing it.

May the process of organizing a wedding be enjoyable and beautiful!

Author of the article: Ieva Simanoviča