How to plan a small wedding: a 12-month timeline

A small wedding takes the same steps as a big one. You just make fewer of each decision. This guide puts those steps in order, from 12 months out to the week of.

The timeline is the same at any size from 30 to 80 guests. Under 50? That's a micro wedding, and everything here still applies. Short on time? Jump to the 3 to 6 month version.

How long does it take to plan a small wedding?

Twelve months is comfortable. Six is doable. Three is tight, but it works if you book the venue first.

A short guest list cuts the work, not the calendar. Fewer names, fewer meals, fewer chairs. But good dates, photographers and officiants still fill up. Book those early and the rest gets easy.

12 months out: set three numbers

Before you look at a venue, settle these:

• Your guest list. Write two lists. Must-haves first, then the would-be-nice names. Your number falls somewhere between them.
• Your budget. Pick one total. Then split it: venue, food, photos, music, everything else.
• Your season. Pick two or three months you'd love. Skip the exact date for now.

The guest count matters most. Venue prices, food and rentals all follow it.

11 to 10 months out: tour and book the venue

See two or three places. Bring your guest count. Ask:

• Is there a guest minimum? A food minimum? Many venues are priced for 150 guests. You don't want to pay for empty chairs.
• What does the price cover? Tables, chairs, linens, setup, staff, cleanup?
• When does the night end, and why?
• Can we bring our own vendors?
• When are the deposit, the balance and the final headcount due?
• What happens if we change the date or cancel?

Get every answer in writing. How a venue quote is built covers each line to check.

Tours at Willow Woods are free and take about an hour. Katie, our lead coordinator, gives every one. The minimum here is 30 guests, with exceptions, and the price is per person on your final count.

Found your place? Pick the date now. Weekends in peak season go first, so if you're flexible, ask which days are open. Planning a rehearsal dinner? Book the night before at the same time. Friday evenings fill just as fast.

9 to 8 months out: book your biggest vendors

Book these first. They fill fastest.

1. Photographer. You'll look at these photos for decades.
2. Officiant. A friend or relative can marry you in California through the county's Commissioner for One Day program. Or hire one.
3. Food. Some venues include a meal. Some don't. Ask, and ask whether outside caterers need approval first.
4. Music. A DJ, a band or a playlist. Ask every vendor about the venue's end time. Music stops at 9 pm here. It's our house rule, so everyone gets home safe and the night can carry on in Lake Arrowhead Village, five minutes away.
5. Flowers. A small wedding needs fewer.

7 months out: dates, rooms and outfits

• Send save-the-dates. For a small list, a text or email works fine.
• Plan rooms. Out-of-town guests need somewhere to sleep, and popular weekends fill up. Pick one or two places and ask about a group rate. Where wedding guests stay near Lake Arrowhead has the options and how a room block works.
• Plan yours too. Nobody stays overnight at Willow Woods Park, the couple included.
• Order your outfits. Fittings and alterations take time.

6 months out: shape the day

Write out the order of events. Keep it simple: ceremony, dinner, toasts, first dance, cake. With a small list, every guest can hear every toast.

Then pick up the details:

• Menu. Book a tasting if you hired a caterer.
• Ceremony. Choose readings and who walks in. Save the vows for later.
• Look. Choose a color or two. That's a palette.
• Rings. Order them now.

5 to 4 months out: fill in the gaps

• Book hair and makeup.
• Check what the venue already has before you rent anything. Tables, chairs and linens are often included.
• Ask about parking. Tell guests to carpool if the lot is small.
• Plan the night before. Settle the rehearsal dinner's guest list and menu. The rehearsal dinner, explained covers who to invite and who pays.
• Design your invitations.

3 months out: lock down the paperwork

Get your guest list to its final form. Collect every address.

Then read up on the marriage license. In San Bernardino County, both of you go in person, by appointment, with photo ID. A California license works in any county in the state. The license is good for 90 days, so don't buy it yet. The county's steps are on its marriage page.

Also do these:

• Finish the music list. Pick the songs you want, and the ones you don't.
• Confirm every vendor. Check dates, times and deposits.
• Book your license appointment for the last few weeks before the wedding.

2 months out: send invitations

Mail them about 8 weeks before the wedding. Set an RSVP date two to three weeks before your final count is due. Put the wedding website, the lodging options and the 9 pm end on it.

Start the day-of timeline. Write down when everyone arrives, when the ceremony starts and when dinner is served. Share it with your vendors.

At Willow Woods, day-of coordination comes with both packages and covers the timeline, the layout, your vendors, setup and cleanup.

1 month out: confirm everything

• Give your venue the final count. Ask when it's due.
• Finish the seating chart. Tables of eight or ten work well. Sit people with someone they know.
• Chase late RSVPs. A phone call works.
• Pay remaining balances. Check each vendor's due date.
• Pick up your license. Go in person, together, within 90 days of the wedding. You'll need at least one witness at the ceremony.
• Write your vows.

The final week

Keep this week light.

• Hold your rehearsal, if you're having one.
• Send your timeline to every vendor and to your wedding party.
• Pack: rings, license, vows, a phone charger, snacks, water.
• Give one trusted friend the vendor phone numbers. Then hand off your questions.
• Check the forecast and tell guests what to bring. Mountain evenings cool off. A wrap helps.
• Plan each guest's ride for after 9 pm.

The day itself

Your job is to show up. At Willow Woods, the park is set up before you arrive, staffed throughout and cleaned up after you leave. Eat something. Look around during dinner. Dance until the music stops at 9.

Planning in 3 to 6 months instead

Short timeline? You can still do this. Do things in this order:

1. Week 1: set your guest count, budget and two or three possible dates.
2. Weeks 1 to 3: tour venues and book one. Don't wait on anything else.
3. Weeks 3 to 5: book your photographer and officiant. Book food and music next.
4. Weeks 5 to 8: reserve rooms for guests. Send the date by text or email, then mail formal invitations.
5. The rest: follow the timeline above, from the 6-month stage on.

Skip what you can live without. A small wedding runs fine without the extras.

See the park with your guest list in mind

The best way to plan is to stand where the day happens. Book a tour. It takes about an hour, it's free, and Katie will show you where the ceremony, dinner and dancing would go at your size.

Still weighing how many to invite? Read what a micro wedding is, and what stays the same at that size.