Where to start: the order to book everything in

Most couples open a wedding checklist, see thirty categories, and assume they have thirty jobs to do at once. They do not. Almost everything on that list depends on three answers you can give in an evening, and most of the rest can wait months.

First, three rough answers

None of these need to be final. They need to be close enough that a venue can tell you whether you fit.

1. 1Roughly how muchA total you would be comfortable spending, including anything family have offered. A range is fine. It stops you falling for a venue that costs half the budget before the food.
2. 2Roughly how manyCount the people you would be upset not to have there, then the people you would like. The gap between those two numbers is where most of the cost lives.
3. 3Roughly whenA season and a year, or a handful of dates. Saturdays in June go first. A Friday in September, or any day in winter, can cost a good deal less for exactly the same day.

Then the venue, before anything else

Your date is whichever date the venue has available. Your area is wherever the venue is. Every other supplier has to be available on that date and willing to travel to that building. Booking anyone else first means hoping the venue fits around them, and it rarely does.

If you are marrying somewhere that needs a registrar, check the registrars are available on the date before you pay the venue deposit. They get booked up on popular weekends too.

Next, anyone who can only do one wedding a day

A photographer can only be at one wedding on a Saturday. So can a videographer, a band, a celebrant and most caterers. Once your date is taken, it is gone for everyone else, which is why these people book out a year or more ahead.

• ✦Photographer, and videographer or content creator if you want one
• ✦Caterer, if the venue does not provide one
• ✦Celebrant or registrar
• ✦Band or DJ
• ✦Planner or on-the-day coordinator, if you want help

Then the people who can serve several weddings

A cake maker can deliver three cakes on the same afternoon. A stationer is not at your wedding at all. These can wait until six months out, and some of them until three.

• ✦Florist and styling
• ✦Outfits, which have their own long lead times, so start browsing early
• ✦Hair and make up
• ✦Cake, cars and transport
• ✦Stationery, favours and the small things

And cross off what you do not need

Nobody books all thirty. You might have a friend doing the flowers, no children coming, or no interest in a photo booth. Take those off your list now, so what remains is the real work.

In My wedding, every category can be marked as not needed or as something you are sorting yourselves. The count of what is still to sort only includes what is left.