The short answer
Book your venue and celebrant first, usually 12 to 18 months out, then your photographer, caterer and music. Hair, makeup, florist and cake typically follow 6 to 12 months out. Your Notice of Intended Marriage must reach your celebrant at least 1 month and no more than 18 months before the wedding. Hand everything over to your coordinator 6 to 8 weeks out.
At a glance
- 12 to 18 months out: venue, celebrant and date. Popular Saturdays in spring and autumn go first.
- 9 to 12 months out: photographer, videographer, caterer (if the venue doesn't cater) and band or DJ.
- 6 to 9 months out: hair and makeup, florist, styling hire, cake and transport.
- Legal deadline: the Notice of Intended Marriage goes to your celebrant at least 1 month and no more than 18 months before the wedding.
- Every booking needs a signed contract, a named contact with a mobile number, and an agreed arrival time.
- 6 to 8 weeks out: hand your supplier list to your coordinator, who confirms every booking and builds the run sheet.
What should you book first for a wedding?
Your venue and date come first, because almost every other booking depends on them. Your celebrant comes next, as they can only marry one couple at a time.
Most suppliers can't hold a date for you until you know the date and where it is. Once the venue is signed, everything else can be checked against it: access times, curfews, whether the venue caters, and how far suppliers need to travel.
Couples in Australian wedding forums say the same thing again and again: book sooner than you think. One couple booked their celebrant 16 months out and found she already had a wedding on their preferred date. Another booked hair and makeup 12 months out and still missed their first choice.
When should you book each wedding vendor?
Book the suppliers who can only do one wedding a day earliest: venue, celebrant, photographer and videographer. Suppliers who can take several bookings, like cake and stationery, can come later.
| Vendor | Book this far out | Why | What to confirm before the day |
|---|---|---|---|
| Venue | 12 to 18 months | Sets your date; popular dates go first | Access and bump-out times, curfew, venue contact on the day, rules on candles and confetti |
| Celebrant | 12 to 18 months | One wedding at a time; NOIM must be lodged with them | NOIM lodged, ceremony order, signing table, arrival time, mic needs |
| Photographer | 12 to 15 months | One wedding a day | Start and finish times, group photo list, second shooter, meal break |
| Videographer | 12 to 15 months | One wedding a day | Times, speeches and audio feed, who they work alongside |
| Caterer (if not the venue) | 9 to 12 months | Needs your guest count range and venue kitchen details | Final numbers, dietaries, service times, staff arrival, pack-down |
| Band or DJ | 9 to 12 months | Popular acts book out on Saturdays | Power, setup time, cue list, finish time against the venue curfew |
| Hair and makeup | 9 to 12 months | Each artist can only cover a few people per morning | Trial date, start time, number of people, location |
| Florist and styling | 6 to 9 months | Needs your venue and colours | Delivery and setup times, who packs down and when |
| Cake | 6 to 9 months | Can take several orders but books out in peak season | Delivery time, who sets it up, cutting time |
| Transport | 6 to 9 months | Limited cars for a Saturday afternoon | Pick-up addresses, times, driver's mobile |
| Stationery | 6 to 9 months | Save the dates and invitations have their own deadlines | Signage, place cards and table numbers ready for the week of |
| Day-of coordinator | 3 to 6 months | Takes over the confirmations 6 to 8 weeks out | Supplier list, contracts and venue rules handed over |
Lead times are typical from my experience in Sydney and regional NSW, not fixed rules. Peak-season Saturdays need the longer end of each range.
When do you need to lodge the Notice of Intended Marriage?
Your Notice of Intended Marriage must be given to your authorised celebrant at least 1 month and no more than 18 months before the wedding, according to the Attorney-General's Department (checked October 2026).
This is the one deadline in the whole timeline set by law, under the Marriage Act 1961 and Marriage Regulations 2017. Your celebrant will also need evidence of your date and place of birth, ID, and proof that any previous marriage has ended. If there's less than a month to go, talk to your celebrant. A prescribed authority may approve a shorter notice period for reasons such as travel, work or medical reasons.
On the day, you, your celebrant and two witnesses aged over 18 sign the marriage certificates. Choose your witnesses early and put them in the run sheet, so they're standing where they need to be at the signing. The full rules are on the Attorney-General's Department website.
What does a month-by-month wedding planning timeline look like?
This wedding planning checklist works for most Australian weddings. Big bookings happen 12 to 18 months out, supporting suppliers 6 to 9 months out, paperwork and invitations in the last few months, and the handover to your coordinator 6 to 8 weeks out.
18 to 12 months out
- Set your budget and rough guest count
- Book the venue and lock in the date
- Book your celebrant
- Shortlist and book your photographer and videographer
- Read the venue contract for access times, curfew and what's included
12 to 9 months out
- Book the caterer if your venue doesn't cater
- Book your band or DJ
- Book hair and makeup
- Send save the dates, especially for a destination or regional wedding
9 to 6 months out
- Book the florist, styling hire, cake and transport
- Order stationery and attire
- Book accommodation blocks or guest shuttles for regional venues
6 to 3 months out
- Book your day-of coordinator, ideally 3 to 6 months ahead
- Have your hair and makeup trial
- Plan the ceremony with your celebrant
- Lodge your Notice of Intended Marriage if you haven't already
3 to 1 month out
- Send invitations 3 to 4 months out (earlier for destination weddings)
- 6 to 8 weeks out: hand over to your coordinator. Send your supplier list, contracts and venue rules
- Run sheet and supplier confirmations, 4 to 6 weeks out
- Venue walkthrough with your coordinator, 2 to 4 weeks out
- NOIM lodged no later than 1 month before the wedding
The final 2 weeks
- Final guest numbers and dietaries to the caterer or venue
- Seating plan finished
- Final payments checked, with any due on the day in labelled envelopes
- Styling items, signage and personal items packed and labelled
The week of
- Your coordinator reconfirms every supplier
- Bridal party and family briefed on timings
- Wet-weather call made if needed
- Rest. The day is in someone else's hands now
For what happens from the handover onwards, see my wedding day coordinator checklist. For how the day itself is laid out hour by hour, see the sample wedding day timeline.
What should every vendor booking include?
A signed contract, a clear list of what's included, a named contact with a mobile number, and an agreed arrival and finish time. Without these, the day relies on memory and goodwill.
- A written contract. It should list the date, hours, what's included, the payment schedule and the cancellation terms.
- A plan if they can't make it. Couples in Australian wedding forums suggest asking every supplier, "What happens if you can't make it?" Established suppliers usually have a backup or a clause covering it.
- Deposit terms. Deposits are often non-refundable, so read them before you pay.
- Setup and pack-down. Who brings it, who sets it up and who takes it away, and by when.
- A mobile number for the day. Not just an office email.
- Everything in writing. If a time or detail changes on a call, confirm it by email afterwards.
Forum threads about suppliers going quiet, like late photo previews or a missed hair trial, almost always come back to the same advice: get it in a contract and confirm it in writing. That paper trail is also what your coordinator works from.
"When a couple hands me their supplier list at 6 to 8 weeks out, I look for three things for every booking: a signed contract, a mobile number and an arrival time. Whatever's missing is what I chase first."
Sara WardFounder & Lead Wedding Day Coordinator, Hello LoveWhen should you hand over to your wedding coordinator?
Around 6 to 8 weeks before the wedding. That's when your coordinator takes your bookings, confirms each supplier and builds the run sheet everyone works from on the day.
I don't find or book suppliers. My job starts once you've booked them. At Hello Love, the consultation happens 6 to 8 weeks out. I confirm every supplier and write the run sheet 4 to 6 weeks out, then walk the venue with you 2 to 4 weeks out. On the day I arrive 2 to 3 hours before the ceremony.
| Package | Price |
|---|---|
| 6 hours | $1,800 |
| 8 hours | $2,000 |
| 10 hours | $2,200 |
Each package includes planning meetings, supplier confirmations and a full run sheet. See packages or how many hours you need.
Frequently asked questions
How we researched this
Written by Sara Ward from her experience coordinating weddings across Sydney and regional NSW. Booking lead times are typical ranges, not fixed rules. Couple experiences are summarised from public threads in Australian wedding planning forums, without names. The Notice of Intended Marriage and witness rules were checked on the Attorney-General's Department website on 7 October 2026. Prices are Hello Love's published packages as of October 2026.
- Get married · Attorney-General's Department, Australian Government · checked 7 Oct 2026
About the author
Founder & Lead Wedding Day Coordinator, Hello Love
Sara Ward is the founder and lead coordinator at Hello Love, a Sydney-based wedding day coordination service. She has spent years running weddings across the Sydney CBD, Inner West, Northern Beaches, Southern Highlands and South Coast - from intimate harbourside ceremonies to 200+ guest receptions.
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