We have planned weddings in 30 days. We have planned them in two weeks. We have planned them in four days — once, memorably, for a couple who called on a Tuesday and got married on Saturday. We do not recommend that last one, but we are not here to judge.
What we have learned from these compressed timelines is that the difference between a beautiful wedding and a stressful one is not the amount of time you have. It is the quality of the decisions you make with the time you have, and the order in which you make them.
Sixty days is a workable timeline for a genuinely beautiful wedding. Here is how to use it.
Days 60–50: The Non-Negotiables
The first ten days are for the decisions that everything else depends on. Do not spend this time on Pinterest boards or color palettes. Spend it on the decisions that have the longest lead times and the most downstream consequences.
Book your venue. This is the first call you make. The venue determines your date, your guest count ceiling, your vendor options, and your budget framework. Until you have a confirmed venue, every other decision is provisional. Call us. If we have your date, we will hold it for 48 hours while you review the contract.
Book your caterer. The caterer is the second call. Good caterers book out months in advance, and the best ones book out further than that. If you are working with a 60-day timeline, you need to move on this immediately. Browse our Masters of Hospitality culinary directory and request introductions to two or three teams. We will connect you personally.
Book your photographer. Great photographers are often booked 12–18 months out. At 60 days, you are working against that reality. The Masters of Hospitality photography network is your best resource here — these are professionals who know our venue and who can often accommodate shorter timelines for clients referred through our network.
Set your guest list. Not a rough estimate. The actual list. Names and contact information. You need this to send invitations, and you need invitations in the mail by Day 45 at the latest.
Days 50–35: The Supporting Decisions
With venue, caterer, and photographer confirmed, you can move to the supporting decisions — the elements that matter enormously but that can be finalized in a shorter window.
Music. Whether you are hiring a DJ or a live band, book them now. For a 60-day timeline, a DJ is more reliably available than a band, but both are possible if you move quickly.
Florals. Brief your florist on the venue, the color palette, and the ceremony and reception layout. For a compressed timeline, simplicity is your friend — a florist who specializes in lush, garden-style arrangements will work beautifully with our space and can often be sourced and executed in three to four weeks.
Officiant. If you are having a civil ceremony, confirm your officiant now. If you are having a religious ceremony, confirm with your parish or religious leader.
Cake or dessert. Asukar, on South St. Mary's steps from our garden, specializes in custom cakes for weddings and celebrations and can often accommodate shorter timelines. Brief them on your vision early.
Days 35–20: The Details
With the major vendors confirmed, the final three weeks are for the details that transform a good event into a memorable one.
Send invitations. If you have not already, send them now. For a 60-day timeline, digital invitations are not a compromise — they are the right tool. They are faster, they are trackable, and they allow guests to RSVP immediately.
Finalize the menu. Schedule your tasting with your caterer and finalize the menu. Share any dietary restrictions or preferences that have come in from guests.
Confirm your timeline. Work with your SLG Venue Host to build a detailed day-of timeline that accounts for every element of the event: vendor load-in, getting-ready time, ceremony, cocktail hour, dinner, dancing, send-off. The timeline is the spine of the event. Everything else hangs on it.
Order your attire. If you have not already, this is urgent. Many bridal boutiques require 4–6 months for custom orders, but off-the-rack and sample sale options can be altered and ready in 2–3 weeks. Be honest with your boutique about your timeline.
Days 20–0: The Final Stretch
The final three weeks are for confirmation, not decision-making. Every major decision should already be made. Your job now is to confirm that every vendor has the information they need, that every detail is in place, and that you have given yourself permission to stop planning and start looking forward.
Send a final brief to every vendor with the day-of timeline, the venue address and load-in instructions, and your contact information and your Venue Host's contact information. Confirm RSVPs and give your caterer a final guest count. Do a final walkthrough of the venue with your Venue Host.
And then: let go. The planning is done. The wedding is coming. Trust the team you have built.
If you are reading this with a date already in mind and a timeline already running, call us. We have done this before, and we are good at it.