Congratulations, you've been proposed to and you're getting married! But, what where do you start planning a wedding? With the wedding checklist, we'll give you a hand in planning the most important things for your wedding day. In a simple step-by-step plan, we take you through the wedding preparation and planning process.

Getting married: what to arrange?

Planning a wedding day begins with expressing your wishes and dreams, to each other. Do you prefer to get married in summer or winter? Do you want a big wedding or will you celebrate the day with a small, intimate gathering? But also the less fun things like what the budget is for your wedding day.

Once the big peripheral issues are discussed, you can get to work planning the wedding! To keep things organized, we've created a checklist for each time slot.

12 months in advance: The wedding date, wedding venue and wedding planner

About a year in advance is the ideal time to set the wedding date. Once the wedding day is set, you can also book the wedding location. Are you getting married on a special date, such as 23.1.23 or on a Friday or Saturday? Then it is convenient to book the wedding location a little earlier, because this is a popular time to get married.

Getting married abroad? Specific styling? No sense in 'hassle'? Enlist the help of a wedding planner! Depending on your wishes, they will help with the planning, the styling, the flow on the day itself or all of it together! A wedding planner that suits you has great addresses, creative ideas and the experience to organize your wedding.

Download our Wedding Location Checklist

10 months in advance: The video and/or photographer and music for the wedding party

You are planning the wedding now, but how will you look back later? Nothing better than a photographer or videographer who captures your wedding day in the style you like. View portfolios for the style and (video) call to find out if you have a click with the image maker. Of course, here again, photo and videographers depend on their schedule. So the more specific your date and requirements, the more likely that one is just booked.

TIP: Through de-masters.nl you can find portfolios of wedding photographers throughout the Netherlands.

Besides the photographer and videographer, 10 months in advance is also the time to plan the music for the wedding! Dance the night away with your favorite live band or go completely crazy with that hip DJ. Again, popular acts are gone faster on popular dates. Make sure to inquire in time and put an option on a date. Not sure yet? Go taste the atmosphere during a performance of the act you have your eye on. Party on!

8 months in advance: The wedding dress

Eight months in advance is the bride's moment: time to pick out your wedding dress(es)! With ordering times of three to five months, it is wise to place your final order for your dress eight months in advance. This leaves time (about six weeks) to make adjustments. And the preliminary fun of searching for the perfect dress? Of course, that can start years earlier!

6 months in advance:

Catering

What do you want to eat at the wedding? From cake to dinner, there are a lot of choices to be made.

Many venues have in-house kitchens and offer packages for the wedding. But maybe you want something your venue does not offer such as a bag of French fries as a late night snack, a sushi table or an on-site barista. If so, consult with the venue about your requirements and be sure to approach the catering party ahead of time.

The wedding dinner The wedding ceremony

The master of ceremonies

To make sure the day runs smoothly, the master of ceremonies is indispensable. The master of ceremonies is the point of contact for guests during your wedding day and makes sure everything runs smoothly. You can leave this task to the wedding planner, or look sweetly on a friend.

By involving the master of ceremonies six months before the wedding, he or she will have plenty of time to prepare and help you prepare.

4 months in advance: The wedding hairstyle and makeup

Once you know what you're putting on, you can get to work on your hair and makeup for the big day. Once you know what you're putting on, you can get to work on your hair and makeup. And as with everything while planning your wedding, what do you want? Do you want someone to do your hair and makeup in your home, or would you rather go to your regular salon hairdresser? Many hair and makeup artists offer a trial session about two months before your wedding date. This gives you the time and space to see what you like and feel comfortable with.

3 months in advance: Marriage declaration, witnesses, guests and decorations

The wedding day is getting closer and closer and the first deadline for an official event is just around the corner, wedding declaration. But before you do this, you need to ask your witnesses. Your witnesses are more than just symbolic, because those signatures on the certificate ensure that your marriage is legally valid.

It is important to know that your witness must be 18+ and have a valid ID. A copy of this must be turned in during the betrothal, so ask your witnesses (at least one per person and up to four total) on time.

In addition to the witness questions, the next official event is scheduled: the declaration of marriage. This "betrothal" is done no later than two to six weeks in advance and is valid for one year. Where you do this depends on the municipality where you are getting married or where you live, so inquire about this in time!

You also need to know important things before the marriage declaration: where and when are you getting married? Who are your witnesses? Are you marrying on a prenuptial agreement? What name will you use after marriage? Who is your wedding officiant? It seems like a formality, but the marriage declaration is an important part of your planning.

Finally, three months before the wedding is the perfect time to get the guest list in order (for both evening and day guests) and arrange venue decorations and flowers.

2 months/ 8 weeks in advance: Wedding suit(s) and wedding cards

The day is getting closer and closer! Time for the groom to pick out a suit. Having a suit custom-made takes more time than pulling something off the rack at a men's fashion store. And again, the pre-fun about what you'll wear on the Big Day can start much earlier.

Dress, check. Suit, check. Wedding date, check. Planning, check. Guest list in order, check. Your invitation can go out! Think two months in advance is too short notice because you're getting married during a vacation, for example? Then send a save-the-date to your loved ones as soon as you know a date. That way, you don't have to have the day filled out yet, but you do give the people you love the chance to put the date in their calendar ahead of time.

6 weeks in advance: The wedding rings

Wearing wedding rings symbolizes your unending love for each other. Super romantic, but then the ring has to be comfortable. Again, orienting, picking and buying is easy, but designing, customizing or engraving the rings takes time. So don't leave it to the last minute.

2 weeks in advance: The script

If you are organizing a wedding, it is practical to gather all the information in one place about two weeks in advance and make a time schedule: your script. This tells you where everyone needs to be at what time and what still needs to be arranged. This is handy to do together with your master of ceremonies or wedding planner. This way you won't forget anything important and you can enjoy your wedding day to the max.

Get married on Tespelduyn estate The wedding ceremony