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Event Fellows

Event planning timeline: a checklist counted back from your date

Pick the kind of event and the date, and get every stage with its own date, from 12 weeks before to the day itself. Tick tasks off as you go.

Count backwards from the event date: 12, 8, 4 and 2 weeks, 1 week, the day before and the day. Enter your date below and the page puts a calendar date on each stage.

Type of event

Enter the date of your event to put a date on each stage. A party for friends and family, at home or at a venue.

  1. 12 weeks before

  2. 8 weeks before

  3. 4 weeks before

  4. 2 weeks before

  5. 1 week before

  6. The day before

  7. The day

Your date and ticks stay in this browser (key eventfellows:event:v1) and are not sent anywhere. These checklists are our own templates, not a standard.

How to plan an event backwards from the date

Start at the day and subtract.

Planning backwards means you fix the one thing that cannot move, the date of the event, and then ask what has to be true a week, a month and a quarter before it. This page uses seven stages: 12 weeks, 8 weeks, 4 weeks, 2 weeks and 1 week before, the day before, and the day itself. Each stage is a fixed number of days (84, 56, 28, 14, 7, 1 and 0) subtracted from your date on the calendar, so leap years and month ends come out right.

What each stage is for

  • 12 weeks: decisions that shape everything else: budget, guest list, date, venue shortlist.
  • 8 weeks: commitments: signed contracts, invitation wording, outfits and, for guests who travel, a list of places to stay.
  • 4 weeks: invitations out with a reply-by date, the menu and the music brief.
  • 2 and 1 weeks: chasing replies, final numbers, seating and the written plan for the day.
  • The day before and the day: confirmations, set-up and one person who answers questions so the host does not have to.

We do not state how far ahead a venue or caterer must be booked: that depends on your city, the season and the supplier, and we found no open source that gives a single answer. If your date is closer than 12 weeks, the stages that already passed are marked do now. Do the ones that block others first (budget, date, venue) and compress the rest.

Worked example: an event on Saturday, December 12, 2026
  1. 12 weeks before: December 12 minus 84 days is Saturday, September 19.
  2. 8 weeks (56 days): October 17. 4 weeks (28 days): November 14. 2 weeks (14 days): November 28.
  3. 1 week: December 5. The day before: December 11.
  4. If today is October 11, the event is 62 days away (8 weeks and 6 days), so the 12-week stage already passed and is marked "do now".

The four checklists

Our own templates. Delete what does not apply to your event.

  • Wedding: Ceremony, reception and the guest experience around them. 26 tasks in 7 stages.
  • Birthday party: A party for friends and family, at home or at a venue. 20 tasks in 7 stages.
  • Company meeting or event: An offsite, a team day, a launch or a client meeting. 22 tasks in 7 stages.
  • Graduation party: A celebration for one graduate or a whole class. 20 tasks in 7 stages.

Once the list is set, put the dates in people’s calendars: "Download stages (.ics)" creates one all-day event per stage, with the tasks in the notes. For the invitation itself, use the calendar invite generator; for the money, the budget calculator; and for how much to buy, the party food calculator. To watch the days run down, there is a countdown on daycounting.com.

The checklists are a starting point and not a standard. Rules, permits and deadlines depend on where you are: confirm them with your venue and local authority.

Set the budget

Frequently asked questions

How far ahead should I start planning?

It depends on the venue, the season and the size of the event, and we found no open source for a single answer. The timeline starts 12 weeks before as a working window. If your date is closer, the stages that already passed are marked "do now" so you can see what to compress.

How are the dates worked out?

Each stage is a fixed number of days before the event: 84, 56, 28, 14, 7 and 1 day, then the day itself. The page subtracts them from your date on the calendar, so leap years and month ends are handled.

Are the checklists a standard?

No. They are our own templates for a wedding, a birthday, a company event and a graduation party, written as a starting point. Delete what does not apply, and add the rest to your own notes.

Can I put the stages in my calendar?

Yes. "Download stages (.ics)" creates one all-day event for each stage, with the tasks in the description. Import it into any calendar that reads iCalendar files.

Are my ticks saved?

In this browser only, so you can come back. They are not sent anywhere. "Untick all" clears them.

Keep planning

Each tool covers one stage of the timeline.