Wedding Checklist: The Month-by-Month Guide to Getting Married in Belgium in 2026
Article summary
The complete wedding checklist to organise your wedding in Belgium in 2026. From 18 months before to the last minute: Belgian specificities, legal deadlines, pitfalls to avoid and a hour-by-hour D-Day roadmap.
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Most wedding timelines you find online are French, designed for a 12 to 18-month window, and written by blogs that overlook an important detail: in Belgium, it's different. The legal framework, local council deadlines, short-term leave, and seasonal impact on prices: all of this shifts the schedule.
We have completely rewritten this article based on field feedback from the team, StatBel statistics on Belgian weddings, and especially the Civil Code, which imposes an incompressible minimum delay. The result: a 14-month schedule, more realistic than the standard 12 months, with Belgian milestones that no French guide can provide.
You will find key phases, suppliers to book as a priority, formalities to submit to the registrar, and common pitfalls we see among the couples we support.
This timeline assumes you have at least 14 months between your decision and the wedding date. Three things remain incompressible: venue availability during high season, the legal minimum period of 14 days between civil declaration and ceremony, and the production of a bespoke wedding dress.
Why 14 months, and not 12
All French guides suggest 12 months. It's convenient, it makes a nice promise. In reality, we rarely see this work smoothly in Belgium for a wedding of 80 to 150 guests in high season. The simple reason: decent Walloon venues are booked 16 to 22 months in advance for June, July, and September, the three months when over a third of Belgian weddings take place according to StatBel (approximately 37% of Belgian weddings fall in summer).
Therefore, we recommend a minimum of 14 months, with an initial two-month phase dedicated to the couple (budget, style, venue and date decision) before tackling the "classic" twelve months of supplier scheduling. If you are reading this at M-10 with a civil date already set, don't panic: we will show you below how to catch up.
CHÂTEAU BAYARD
M-14 to M-10: Laying the foundations
This is the least glamorous but most crucial phase. It doesn't show in photos, but it determines everything else.
Overall budget and philosophy
- Honest maximum budget: The highest figure you are willing to spend, knowing that a wedding for 100 guests rarely starts below €18,000 and often caps around €35,000-€45,000. Our article on wedding budgets in Belgium details price ranges by region.
- Who pays for what: Parents' contributions, the couple's share, and a minimum 10% "contingency" fund.
- Style and format: Countryside, elegant, city, intimate for 30 or grand wedding for 150. Each format implies different venues.
Date, season, venue
- Period: May to September drives prices up (+20 to 40% on venues), off-season drives them down. The smart slot remains late April or late September.
- Shortlist 8 to 10 venues then visit 5 to 6. Ask to see the venue in the rain or winter, not just on a sunny Saturday.
- Sign the venue contract with a deposit (30% on signing, 30% at M-6, balance at M-1 generally).
- Provisional civil wedding date set at the local council to book the registrar's slot.
At the end of Phase 1
M-10 to M-8: Lock in the Main Suppliers
Once the date and venue are signed, it's time for the four most in-demand suppliers: caterer, photographer, DJ, and florist. The best ones are fully booked six months in advance for a peak season Saturday. At M-10, you have plenty of choice. At M-7, options start to become limited.
Caterer and Photographer
- Caterer: The biggest budget item, it's worth comparing three quotes. Demand detailed logistics, VAT, and last-minute penalties. The 15 questions to ask before signing a caterer covers everything.
- Tasting: Never sign without tasting. Belgian caterers often offer 4 to 6 covers, sometimes reimbursed on the final invoice.
- Photographer: Aim for someone whose style matches yours, not just a good portrait photographer. Our 2026 wedding photographer guide details price ranges.
DJ, Florist, Humanist Celebrant
- DJ or band: 70% of the evening's success rests on them. Demand a demo mix, not just a portfolio.
- Florist: Arches and elaborate set designs cost more than expected (£800 to £2500 for a decent ceremony arch).
- Humanist celebrant if you choose this option. Take this seriously, as they can make or break the day. We cover the topic in our Belgian humanist ceremony guide.
M-8 to M-6: Civil Declaration, Outfits, Ceremony
Here, the Belgian timeline truly differs from French guides. You're entering the formalities phase, with specific legal requirements.
Marriage Declaration at the Local Council
- Documents: Recent birth certificate (less than 6 months old), ID card, proof of address, and depending on your situation, divorce or death certificate. For mixed nationality couples, legalised documents from the country of origin. Our Belgian civil wedding documents guide details all cases.
- Registrar's appointment: 2 to 3 months in advance in large cities.
- Legal rule: Civil wedding must take place between 14 days and 6 months after the declaration.
Outfits and Fittings
- Bespoke wedding dress: 6 to 8 months for manufacturing. Order by M-7 at the latest.
- Off-the-rack wedding dress: 4 months, but Brussels boutiques quickly run out of popular sizes.
- Groom's suit: Bespoke 4-5 months, off-the-rack 2-3 months, rental 1 month. Be aware that alterations always require two appointments.
- Wedding rings: 6-8 weeks for engraved wedding rings.
M-6 to M-4: Stationery, Final Caterer, Rituals
The consolidation phase. Major decisions are made, you move on to the details that make the day.
Stationery and Communications
- Save-the-dates sent 10 months in advance during peak season or if guests need to travel.
- Wedding invitation design: Validation at M-5 for sending at M-4. Belgian style is generally understated, Belgian workshops (Liège, Brussels, Ghent) are excellent.
- Dedicated guest page with logistics: accommodation, transport, dress code, timings.
Finalised Caterer, Refined Ceremony
- Final menu validated after a new tasting if necessary.
- Drinks: Champagne, Belgian sparkling wine, wines, soft drinks. Some caterers impose their own cellar, others accept your bottles with a corkage fee.
- Humanist ceremony outline 80% written by M-4. Symbolic rituals (sand, ribbons, wine) decided now.
- Readers and witnesses briefed on their text.
D-4 to D-2: Guests, Seating Plan, Briefs
From now on, every week counts. You're entering the final sprint.
Guest communications and replies
- Send wedding invitations at D-4 to D-3 months. Request replies by D-2 months, never later.
- Centralised database: status (invited / confirmed / declined), allergies, special diets, +1, children. The WEWED guest list feature manages this for you.
Seating plan and supplier briefs
- Seating plan v1 at D-2 months, once 85% of replies are received. The remaining 15% are placed by adjusting.
- Photographer brief: key moments, VIPs to photograph, desired style. Good photographers will ask for this brief themselves.
- DJ brief: opening music, civil wedding music, forbidden songs, ambience per slot.
- Wedding day schedule shared with all suppliers. Hour-by-hour timeline via the WEWED planner.
D-2 to D-0: The Final Six Weeks
Even very organised couples sometimes crack here, due to the accumulation of micro-decisions. The honour is to arrive on Sunday evening without having yelled at your partner.
QUENTIN DUBOIS
Final validations
- Final outfit fitting with shoes, veil, jewellery. Last alterations possible.
- Hair and make-up trial: minimum 1.5 hours, photos at all stages.
- Confirmed numbers to the caterer (final figure at D-3 weeks, modifications billed thereafter).
Final miles
- Ceremony rehearsal with officiant, witnesses, readers, musicians.
- Special leave: in Belgium, employees are entitled to 1 or 2 days of special leave depending on their collective agreement. Check yours and book the days at least 1 month in advance.
- Wedding day kit: wedding rings, civil documents, pins, plasters, tissues, deodorant, batteries, cables. The real kit fits in a shoebox.
- Witness and parent speeches sent at D-1 week for proofreading.
Centralise your retro-planning, budget and guests
Instead of juggling five Excel files and three WhatsApp conversations, WEWED brings together your budget, guest list, seating plan and wedding day schedule in one couple space. Free, no ads, no commission.
Open my couple space →The Wedding Day: Minute-by-Minute Timeline
The retro-planning doesn't stop the day before. The wedding day has its own logic, and this is the part most couples underestimate.
High season Belgian wedding, 100 guests
- 9am-11am: hair, make-up, preparations. A proper breakfast (not just coffee) makes a difference at 2pm.
- 11am-12pm: civil wedding at the local council, actual duration 15-25 minutes.
- 1pm-2pm: light lunch with witnesses or direct arrival at the venue.
- 3pm-4pm: humanist ceremony if chosen, guest seating 20 minutes before.
- 4pm-6:30pm: cocktail and drinks reception, minimum 2 hours, never more than 2.5 hours.
- 7pm-11pm: seated dinner, main course ideally served around 8:30pm.
- 11pm-4am: dance party, first dance around 11pm, wedding cake around midnight.
Never leave more than 2 hours between two moments. Guests sit down, lose interest, go for a smoke. Once they lose interest, it's difficult to get them back.
The recurring Belgian pitfalls we observe
Some recurring observations among the Belgian couples we support, which no French guide can tell you about.
Underestimating the local council's lead time
Couples think "the local council is quick". Wrong. In major Belgian cities (Brussels, Liege, Charleroi, Ghent), an appointment with the registrar for the declaration can take 2 to 3 months to secure. Added to the 14 legal days, this quickly amounts to a total lead time of 4 months.
Forgetting the marriage contract
Many couples go to the local council without seeing a notary, by default under a legal community property regime. This is not neutral: it has concrete consequences in case of divorce, property purchase, or inheritance. A notary appointment costs €250 to €450 and is well worth the detour 3 months before the civil wedding.
Signing with a caterer without scrutinising the quote
The caterer is the number one budget item, and it's also where hidden extras hurt the most (corkage, overtime for servers, optional premium crockery). Demand a detailed, line-by-line quote, never a flat fee.
Improvising the humanist ceremony
A humanist ceremony has no legal value in Belgium, but that doesn't mean it can be improvised. It's often the longest moment of the day and the most commented on by guests. An experienced officiant like Ludwina from Mysa Events, based in Belgian Luxembourg, makes all the difference.
What changes if you get married in winter
Winter weddings remain a minority in Belgium (less than 5% of weddings fall in December-January-February) but the segment is growing. What specifically changes:
What needs reviewing
A crucial point: not all venues are properly heated. Some magnificent Walloon barns in July can't be decently heated in February. Visit your venue on a cold day before signing, or ask for the average temperature measured during the last winter wedding held there.
How many months are you from the big day, and what's worrying you most right now? We read the comments. 👇
Frequently Asked Questions about wedding planning in Belgium
How long does it take to organise a wedding in Belgium?
As a general rule, allow 14 months for a wedding of 80 to 150 guests in high season. This timeframe allows you to secure a beautiful Walloon venue, book the four key suppliers (caterer, photographer, DJ, florist), and handle the local council formalities. A wedding can be arranged in 6 to 8 months if you accept significant constraints on the date and venue.
What is the minimum legal period between the declaration and the civil ceremony in Belgium?
The Belgian Civil Code imposes a minimum period of 14 days and a maximum period of 6 months between the declaration of marriage to the registrar and the civil ceremony. This period replaced the publication of banns as of 1 January 2000.
What is the best time to get married in Belgium in 2026?
June, July, and September account for over a third of Belgian weddings according to StatBel. The most interesting slots in terms of budget and availability remain late April-early May and late September-early October: mild climate, lower prices, suppliers still available.
When should the wedding venue be booked?
Ideally 14 to 18 months in advance for a Saturday from June to September in a sought-after Walloon venue. The most popular castles are often fully booked 18 to 22 months in advance for high-season Saturdays.
When should save-the-dates and wedding invitations be sent?
Save-the-dates should ideally be sent 10 months before the wedding, especially in high season or if some guests need to travel. Formal wedding invitations are sent 3 to 4 months before, with a request for a reply 2 months prior. For a destination wedding, allow 5 to 6 months.
Am I entitled to days off for my wedding in Belgium?
Yes. Belgian employees are entitled to 1 to 2 days of short-term unemployment leave (paid leave) for their wedding, depending on their collective agreement. Some sectors grant 1 day for the civil wedding, others 2 days (civil and religious or humanist). Check with your HR department and request the days at least 1 month in advance.
This article is based on official StatBel statistics on Belgian weddings, on formalities published by the FPS Justice (belgium.be/fr/famille/mariage/formalites), on the rules of the Belgian Civil Code relating to the declaration of marriage, and on our field observations of weddings organised via WEWED in Wallonia and Brussels. The supplier prices and lead times mentioned are 2026 estimates observed on our platform, to be confirmed with each supplier. Tier 1 sources consulted: StatBel · Marriages, belgium.be · Marriage formalities, belgium.be EN · Marriage formalities.
