Result
Enter your wedding date above to build the calendar.
Why the dates matter more than the total
A wedding budget that balances can still fail, because a budget says how much and a payment calendar says when. Most suppliers take a deposit at booking and the balance in the final month, which means a plan that looked spread over eighteen months is actually two payments a long way apart — a small one now and most of the wedding in the last four weeks.
On the default figures above, £22,400 of supplier cost with 23% paid as deposits leaves £17,248 still owed, and about £14,660 of that falls in the final month. That is the number worth knowing in month three, not month eleven.
The dates the planner works back from
| Days before | Milestone | Why it sits there |
|---|---|---|
| 180 | Mid-planning instalment | Venues are the supplier most likely to want a second payment, and six months is the usual point |
| 90 | Design and menu sign-off | The point at which florist and catering quotes stop being provisional and start being the price |
| 56 | RSVP deadline | Eight weeks gives you five weeks of chasing before the venue needs final numbers, which is the minimum that works |
| 35 | Chase outstanding RSVPs | The last week you can chase politely rather than urgently |
| 21 | Final guest numbers | The billing point. After this the head count is fixed whether or not the guests attend |
| 14–30 | Final balances due | The single most common contract window, and where the cash-flow problem concentrates |
| 7 | Timeline confirmation | One message to every supplier so they all hold the same version |
| 0 | On-the-day payments | Bands, transport and hair and makeup are commonly settled on the day itself |
Two of those are worth setting deliberately rather than accepting. The RSVP deadline should be at least five weeks before your final numbers date, not before the wedding date — work from the caterer's deadline backwards. And the final balance notice varies from 14 to 30 days by supplier, so set the field to your earliest one and you will not be caught by it.
What to do once you have the dates
Put each row in a calendar with a reminder two weeks earlier, and put the amount next to it. The reminder matters more than the date: a balance you knew about a fortnight ahead is a transfer, and one you find out about on the due date is a problem.
Then check one thing. Add up everything landing in the final month and ask whether that money will actually be available in that month. If it will not, the fix is available now and not later — ask two suppliers to split the balance into two instalments. Suppliers who will not move on price will very often move on timing, and the ask is much easier before the deposit than after.
Then track what you have actually paid
The planner gives you the dates. The tracker holds the vendors, the deposits and the balances still outstanding.
Common questions
Is there a free tool to track wedding vendor deadlines and payments?
Yes — this planner builds the deadline calendar from your wedding date, and the payment tracker on this site records each vendor's deposit, balance and due date. Both are free, need no account, and run entirely in your browser.
When should the final wedding balances be paid?
Most contracts fall due 14 to 30 days before the wedding, and many are tied to the final guest numbers date rather than the wedding date. Set the planner to your earliest supplier deadline so nothing is missed.
How far before the wedding should the RSVP deadline be?
Work backwards, not forwards. Take the caterer's final numbers date, subtract about five weeks for chasing, and that is your deadline — usually around eight weeks before the wedding.
What happens if you miss a supplier payment date?
It varies by contract and is worth knowing in advance. Some suppliers charge a late fee, some treat it as cancellation. The contract says which, and that is the clause to read when you book rather than when you are late.
Does this tool store my wedding details?
No. It runs in your browser, sends nothing anywhere and saves nothing. Close the tab and the figures are gone, so copy the dates into your own calendar or the printable tracker.