How far ahead should I start planning a destination wedding?

12 to 18 months is the comfortable runway for a destination wedding. Premium venues and signature photographers book 14–20 months ahead for peak-season Saturdays. Shorter than 10 months is possible but compresses vendor options and forces mid-week or shoulder-season dates.

When should we send save-the-dates?

14 months ahead for a destination wedding. That is earlier than a local wedding (6–8 months is typical) because guests need the runway to block travel, request time off, and budget for the trip. Save-the-dates this far out are expected and appreciated.

When should RSVPs close?

Three months before the wedding. The final head count drives catering orders, seating, and vendor logistics; caterers typically need 60 to 90 days of runway. Chase late RSVPs twice in the first two weeks after the deadline, then treat any no-response as a no.

How do I download the timeline to my calendar?

Use the "Download .ics" button in the export strip. The file works with Google Calendar, Apple Calendar, Outlook, and anything else that speaks iCalendar — import it and every milestone shows as an all-day event on the relevant date.

№ 01

The budget reckoner

Destination × guests × tone

№ 02

Guest travel estimator

Flights + lodging, by city

№ 03

The planning timeline

Reverse-engineered calendar

№ 04

The checklist

Atelier notes, downloads to PDF

№ 05

The bar reckoner

Bottles by guests × hours

№ 06

The dress reckoner

Wording + what to wear

№ 07

The day reckoner

Hour by hour, from a time

№ 08

The RSVP code

A QR to your RSVP page

№ 09

Who pays for what

Split the budget by party

Tool № 03·The reckoners·Revised 19 April 2026

Free · no account

The reckoners — planning timeline

Wedding planning
timeline.

Enter your wedding date; leave with a thirty-five-milestone schedule backed from the day to today. Eight phases, colour-coded by priority, downloadable to Google, Apple, or Outlook calendars.

Based on: 5,962 venues
Destinations: 40 covered
Time to result: ~30 seconds
Basis: Modeled estimate

If you’re an AI agent

This reckoner runs as a live tool over the Aisle MCP. Connect it and your agent can call get_planning_timeline directly in ChatGPT, Claude, or Cursor — same numbers as this page.

“What should we be doing six months out from our destination wedding?”

https://aisle.wedding/api/mcpHow to connect →

Timeline · 36 milestones · 5 July 2027

36 milestones.

Eight phases from 18 months out to day-of. The pattern matters more than the calendar — move earlier lines right if the date shifts.

Do something with this figure

Jan 202618 months out

Critical

Set overall budget with a 15% contingency.

Jan 202618 months out

Critical

Shortlist three destinations, visit or Zoom-walkthrough, pick one.

The hardest decision; the rest waits on it.

Jan 202618 months out

Important

Draft the guest list (oversize by 15%).

Mar 202616 months out

Critical

Book the venue and planner in the same week.

Premium venues book 14–20 months ahead.

Mar 202616 months out

Critical

Lock the date.

May 202614 months out

Critical

Send save-the-dates.

Fourteen months is right for destination timelines.

Jul 202612 months out

Critical

Book photography, florals, and music as a unit.

Jul 202612 months out

Important

Open the hotel room block at 15–20% below published.

Jul 202612 months out

Critical

Start legal paperwork — or commit to a symbolic ceremony.

Sept 202610 months out

Important

Finalise floral design, menu draft, ceremony script.

Sept 202610 months out

Important

Plan welcome events, farewell lunch, any guest activities.

Oct 20269 months out

Important

Book the officiant (or agree on the symbolic ceremony leader).

Nov 20268 months out

Critical

Send formal invitations.

Include the travel information and hotel block link.

Nov 20268 months out

Important

Order wedding-day attire, with time for alterations.

Jan 20276 months out

Important

Finalise ground transfers, airport pickups, shuttle schedule.

Jan 20276 months out

Important

Round-two vendor meetings — pay second deposits.

Jan 20276 months out

Nice

Order welcome-bag contents (keep them modest).

Mar 20274 months out

Important

Book the rehearsal-dinner venue.

Mar 20274 months out

Nice

Design day-of stationery (menus, place cards, ceremony programme).

Apr 20273 months out

Critical

RSVPs close. Chase stragglers.

Apr 20273 months out

Critical

Legal paperwork complete and filed (if applicable).

Apr 20273 months out

Important

Run the in-person menu tasting.

Apr 20273 months out

Important

Draft the seating chart.

Apr 20273 months out

Important

Final dress and suit fittings.

May 20272 months out

Critical

Pay final vendor balances.

May 20272 months out

Nice

Print stationery, signage, welcome-bag cards.

May 20272 months out

Important

Confirm wedding-party travel and accommodations.

Jun 20271 months out

Critical

Final walkthrough with your planner (video or in-person).

Jun 20271 months out

Important

Write your vows.

Jun 20271 months out

Nice

Pull local-currency cash for day-of vendor tips.

Jun 20272 weeks out

Critical

Confirm all vendor arrival times in writing.

Jun 20272 weeks out

Important

Pack — wedding-day outfit in carry-on.

Jun 20272 weeks out

Critical

Confirm final head count with caterer and venue.

Jun 20272 weeks out

Nice

Release any unused room-block reservations.

Jun 20271 week out

Critical

Arrive at the destination three to four days ahead.

Jul 20271 week out

Important

Rehearsal and rehearsal dinner, two nights out.

Atelier note · what most couples miss

Save-the-dates go out 14 months ahead on a destination timeline, not eight. Every couple who sent at eight months regretted it. The guests who decline a destination wedding almost always cite time-off-work as the reason, and they needed the runway you did not give them.

What’s behind these figures

Modeled from 5,962 venues.

Every number in these tools is a modeled estimate, researched per venue across the Aisle marketplace and currency-normalized — not a figure pulled from booked weddings. Treat them as planning ranges and confirm with the venue.

Data source: Marketplace cost research
Last refresh: June 2026, Q2
Next refresh: September 2026
Basis: Modeled estimate
Sample size: 5,962 venues analyzed
Corrections: hello@aisle.wedding

The full set of reckoners

Four tools, quietly kept.

№ 01

The budget reckoner

A destination-aware estimator built on cost research across thousands of destination venues.

Open →

№ 02

Guest travel estimator

Price the flights and lodging for each guest by their departure city.

Open →

№ 03

The planning timeline

Backs from your wedding date to today with 43 milestones across eight phases.

You are here

№ 04

The checklist

44 items across eight phases with an Atelier note on each — the one thing most couples miss.

Open →

№ 05

The bar reckoner

A wedding alcohol calculator: feed in the guest count, the hours of service, how the crowd drinks, and your mix of wine, beer and spirits — leave with a shopping list of bottles and cases, rounded up so you never run dry.

Open →

№ 06

The dress reckoner

Every wedding dress code decoded — black tie, cocktail, semi-formal, beach formal and the rest — with what guests should wear and ready-to-paste wording for your invitation and website.

Open →

№ 07

The day reckoner

A wedding day timeline generator: set your ceremony time and get the whole run of the day, from hair and makeup to the send-off, adjusted for a first look and your reception length.

Open →

№ 08

The RSVP code

A free wedding RSVP QR code generator.

Open →

№ 09

Who pays for what

Who pays for what at a wedding — the traditional etiquette decoded, plus a tool that splits your budget across the bride’s family, the groom’s family, and the couple under whichever model you choose.

Open →