18 to 12 months out: venue, date, rough headcount.
The venue locks everything else in. Your date, your capacity, your catering options, and your overall budget all flow from this decision. If you are flexible on date, contact several venues before you decide — comparing their availability calendars will tell you a lot about demand and pricing.
Once you have a venue and a date, you can set a rough headcount. The number does not have to be exact, but you need a working estimate for caterers, photographers, and accommodation blocks. 70 guests and 90 guests are different weddings — caterers need to know which range you are in.
Send save-the-dates once the venue is booked. For guests travelling internationally, 12 to 18 months notice is the courtesy standard. For local guests, 9 to 12 months is enough.
12 to 6 months out: the main vendors.
Caterer, photographer, and videographer. These three fill up fastest and are hardest to replace if you wait. A good wedding photographer in the Palatinate region will have their season calendar full by January for the following summer.
Music is next — whether a DJ or a band. Bands in particular book far in advance and have limited availability on any given weekend. If live music matters to you, treat this like a second venue booking.
If you want a specific florist or a celebrant for a symbolic ceremony, start conversations now. Many celebrants take only a handful of weddings per year.
6 to 3 months out: invitations, menu, details.
Send formal invitations 10 to 12 weeks before the wedding. Include a clear RSVP deadline — 6 to 8 weeks before the date — so you have time to finalise the headcount for catering.
Menu tastings usually happen in this window. Most caterers schedule a tasting 4 to 6 months out. Bring a notebook — you will taste six courses and need to remember what the third one was.
Finalise your ceremony logistics: order of vows, music, readings, timing from the registry office (if applicable). If you have a celebrant, you will be writing personalised elements of the ceremony together in this period.
3 months to the week before: confirmations and final counts.
Confirm all vendors in writing 6 to 8 weeks out. Ask each one for a written confirmation of what they will provide, when they will arrive, and who the day-of contact is.
Finalise the seating plan once RSVPs are in — typically 3 to 4 weeks before the date. Share it with the venue and caterer at least two weeks out.
The week before: confirm start times with everyone. The florist. The caterer. The photographer. The DJ. Who arrives at what time, who has whose mobile number, what happens if someone is late. A good venue coordinator will run this call for you.
At Villa Renting
At Villa Renting, we work with couples from the first visit through to the day itself. Saturday dates in September and October typically book 10 to 14 months in advance. If you have a specific date in mind, check availability now — waiting is the one thing that actually closes doors.
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