Wedding planning checklist: month by month, Romanian style
From 18 months out to the day after: what to book first, who does what, supplier lead times, civil paperwork and the final week, for a wedding in Romania.
- The venue, photographer and band book up first, usually 10 to 18 months ahead for a peak-season Saturday.
- Choose the date with the Orthodox calendar open: in 2027 Easter falls on 2 May and the Dormition fast runs from 1 to 14 August.
- Send invitations 6 to 8 weeks ahead and ask for replies 3 to 4 weeks before, so there is time for the seating plan.
- Civil paperwork is filed at the city hall between the 30th and the 11th day before the ceremony, with valid medical certificates.
- After the wedding: record the gifts straight away, thank guests within 2 to 4 weeks and replace a Romanian ID card within 15 days if you change surname.
Plan a Romanian wedding 12 to 18 months ahead: first the date, budget and venue, then the photographer, band and church; the dress and guest list at 6 to 9 months; invitations and civil paperwork at 2 to 3 months; RSVPs and the seating plan in the final month. Here is the whole road.
This checklist is written for couples planning a wedding in Romania: Romanians living abroad, international couples where one partner is Romanian, and anyone who wants to understand how a Romanian wedding is put together. We have kept the local details that most generic checklists miss: the godparents (nașii), the separate civil and church ceremonies, the Orthodox fasting periods and the cash gift in an envelope.
How to use this checklist (and what to do if you have less time)
We split the work into seven stages. Each one has a few things that cannot wait (bookings with deposits, paperwork with legal deadlines) and a few that can move if life gets busy.
- 12 to 18 months: follow the list in order.
- 6 to 9 months: squeeze the first three stages into a single month. Book the venue, photographer and band or DJ in the same week, then carry on from «9 to 6 months».
- Under 6 months: perfectly doable, especially on a Friday, a Sunday or outside the main season (May to October). Priorities: venue, church, photographer, then everything else.
Pick one evening a week, always the same one, for a 30-minute «wedding meeting». It beats a panicked weekend every time.
Who does what: the couple, the parents and the godparents
A Romanian wedding is rarely just the couple's. Parents usually have their own guests, the godparents (nașii) play a real role in the church ceremony and at the party, and someone has to look after the cash gifts on the night. Agree on roles early, out loud.
| Who | Usually takes care of | Worth agreeing early |
|---|---|---|
| The couple | date, budget, venue, suppliers, invitations, paperwork | who has the final say on budget and guest list |
| Parents | their side of the guest list, sometimes part of the budget, local customs | how many guests they «have» and whether they contribute a fixed sum |
| Godparents (nașii) | the church ceremony (the large candles and often other church costs), advice and support | what they cover, so nothing is bought twice |
| A trusted person | the gift envelopes on the night, contact point for suppliers | their name, shared with the venue and the band |
For what each side typically contributes, see our guide to what a wedding costs in Romania.
18 to 12 months before: date, budget, venue
- Decide what kind of wedding you want. 200 guests at a restaurant, or 60 people in a garden with fairy lights? Civil only, or civil and church? A wedding and a baby's baptism on the same day (popular in Romania)?
- Set a rough budget. What you have, what parents may add, and what you expect from the cash gifts. Never rely on gifts to pay deposits: they arrive on the night itself.
- Choose the date with the church calendar open. Orthodox church weddings are not held during fasting periods and on a handful of other days. In 2027 Orthodox Easter falls on 2 May, so Lent runs from roughly mid-March until then, and the Dormition fast runs, as every year, from 1 to 14 August. The full list is in our Orthodox wedding calendar for 2027.
- Draft the guest list with your parents. The number decides the venue, the budget and the menu. Our method is in the wedding guest list guide.
- Choose your godparents and ask them early. It is an honour, but also a commitment of time and money. Orthodox parishes usually ask for Orthodox godparents, and some priests prefer a couple married in church. Check with the parish before you ask.
- Visit three to five venues and book one. Ask about the price per guest and what it includes, minimum numbers, the deposit schedule, finishing time, corkage, a space for children and nearby accommodation.
- Reserve the church, or at least ask about your date. Popular churches in big cities fill their September Saturdays fast.
- Consider a planner or coordinator, especially if you are organising from abroad.
12 to 9 months: the suppliers who book up first
| Supplier | When to book (approximate) | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Venue | 12 to 18 months | May to October Saturdays go first |
| Wedding planner / coordinator | 12 to 18 months | they can help pick the venue |
| Photographer and videographer | 10 to 14 months | one wedding per day |
| Band or DJ | 10 to 12 months | same reason, plus rehearsing your songs |
| Church | 9 to 12 months | varies a lot by parish and city |
| Hair and make-up | 6 to 9 months | one artist covers one or two brides on a Saturday |
| Wedding dress | 6 to 9 months | ordering and alterations take months |
| Florist and decor | 6 to 9 months | quotes, samples, a proper conversation |
| Cake and dessert table | 4 to 6 months | tasting included |
| Printed invitations | 3 to 4 months | design, proofs, printing, delivery |
| Wedding rings | 2 to 3 months | engraving and sizing |
| Guest transport | 3 to 6 months | minibuses are scarce on summer weekends |
These figures are approximate: they reflect peak-season Saturdays in large Romanian cities. On Fridays, Sundays, in winter or in smaller towns you usually have more room.
- Get everything in writing: what is included, how many hours, what happens if the date moves, when the balance is due.
- Deposits are usually non-refundable. Read the cancellation clause before signing.
- Ask for complete galleries, not just a highlights reel.
- Set up a wedding website now, with the date, the place and your story, and send it as your «save the date». For guests flying in from London, Madrid or Munich, this is the page they will open again and again.
9 to 6 months: guests, the dress and the church
- Guest list, version two: phone numbers, plus-ones, children. Ask parents and godparents to fill in their side.
- Send save the dates to guests abroad. For the diaspora, 6 to 9 months is ideal for booking flights and leave.
- Dress and suit: book fittings and ask how long alterations take.
- Florist, decor, cake: quotes, colour palette, style.
- Music and key moments: first dance, entrance, a surprise for the parents.
- Accommodation for guests from other cities: ask a nearby hotel for a group rate.
- Honeymoon: check passports, and if one of you is changing surname, book travel in the name on the document you will actually travel with.
Romania's Constitution (Article 48) states that a religious marriage may only be celebrated after the civil one. The church will ask for your civil marriage certificate, so the civil ceremony always comes first, even on the same day.
6 to 3 months: invitations, menu and paperwork
- Pick your invitation wording. Our wedding invitation wording guide has English and bilingual templates.
- Printed, online or both. Many couples now send online invitations with RSVP and keep a few printed ones for grandparents. Compare the options in our guide to online wedding invitations.
- Menu tasting at the venue: ask about vegetarian, children's and allergy options.
- Rings: order 2 to 3 months ahead to allow for engraving.
- Meet the priest: ask which documents the parish needs (usually the civil marriage certificate and often baptism certificates), whether confession is expected and what the godparents bring.
- Find out how your city hall works. Some take online bookings for the date, others do not book in advance. You file your paperwork in person between the 30th and the 11th day before the civil ceremony, so plan time off. If one of you is not a Romanian citizen, start now: see our guide to civil marriage in Romania.
- Stationery: menus, table numbers, QR cards for photos, envelopes, ideally in the same design as the invitation.
3 to 1 months: RSVPs, seating plan, civil ceremony
- Send invitations 6 to 8 weeks ahead and ask for replies 3 to 4 weeks before the wedding.
- Chase RSVPs with a friendly message, not a reproach.
- A timed schedule for the day, shared with every supplier.
- Seating plan, once replies are in: the couple's table, godparents, parents (and any delicate situations), children, friends. See our wedding seating plan guide.
- Final fittings: dress, hair, make-up.
- Pre-marital medical certificates and the marriage declaration at the city hall, within the legal window. City halls such as Cluj-Napoca currently accept medical certificates for 30 days from issue.
- Final guest numbers to the venue by the date in your contract (often one or two weeks before).
- Hostess and gifts: who welcomes guests, who holds the table list, who keeps the envelopes safe.
Make a «who calls whom» list for the day. Suppliers call your trusted person, not you. Your phone stays in a bag, on silent.
The last week and the day itself
The last week
- Confirm times with every supplier in writing.
- Prepare labelled envelopes with final payments.
- Drop off decor, favours and stationery at the venue with someone who knows where everything goes.
- Pack an emergency kit: needle and thread, safety pins, plasters, tissues, a charger, painkillers, comfortable shoes.
- Check that both of your ID documents and your witnesses' are valid on the day.
- Sleep. Really.
The wedding day
| Moment | Who handles it |
|---|---|
| Getting ready | the bride, bridesmaids, hair and make-up |
| Photos, «taking the bride» from her parents' home, family customs | photographer, parents, godparents |
| Civil ceremony (if on the same day) | the couple, two witnesses, the registrar |
| Church ceremony | the priest, the godparents (with the candles) |
| Welcoming guests at the venue | hostess, parents |
| Entrance, first dance, cake | band or DJ, coordinator |
| The gift (darul) | godparents and your trusted person |
The customs mentioned here, from taking the bride to the gift-giving at the end of the night, are explained in our guide to Romanian wedding traditions.
After the wedding: thank-yous, gifts and paperwork
- Count the gifts together, ideally with the godparents, and write everything down: who, how much, which table. You will want this list when your friends marry. For typical amounts, see how much to give at a Romanian wedding.
- Settle the final balances with suppliers and leave them a review.
- Thank your guests within 2 to 4 weeks: a personal message, a photo from their table, a link to the shared gallery.
- Collect guests' photos, not only the photographer's: a QR code on each table leading to a shared gallery works wonders.
- Update your documents if one of you changed surname. Romanian ID cards must be replaced within 15 days, as city halls point out (for example Cristești); then the passport, bank and employer records.
- Return hired items by the date in the contract.
Your next step: if you are marrying in summer or autumn 2027, today (October 2026) you are 9 to 12 months out: exactly when venues and photographers get booked. Start with three things this evening: a rough budget, a draft guest list with your parents and two possible dates, checked against the 2027 Orthodox calendar.
Frequently asked questions
Ideally 12 to 18 months, especially for a Saturday between May and October in a large city. Six months is workable if you book the venue, church and photographer in the first few weeks. Fridays, Sundays and off-season dates are easier.
Only the civil ceremony is legally required. If you also want an Orthodox church wedding, it must come after the civil one, as stated in Article 48 of the Romanian Constitution, and the church will ask for your civil marriage certificate. Both can take place on the same day.
We recommend 6 to 8 weeks before the wedding, with an RSVP deadline 3 to 4 weeks before. Guests travelling from abroad should get a save the date 6 to 9 months ahead.
They sponsor the couple in the Orthodox church ceremony, usually bring the large candles and often cover some church costs, and act as mentors to the new family. At the party they are honoured guests and traditionally give one of the most generous gifts.
Count them together, ideally with the godparents, and record who gave what straight away. The list helps with thank-you messages and with returning the gesture at your friends' weddings.
