When to book what

Four to six months is comfortable for most micro weddings. You can do it in eight weeks if your date is flexible, but spring and fall Saturdays in San Antonio book up early, and April gets busy around Fiesta. If you have your heart set on one of those dates, book the venue first and build everything else around it.

The booking order

1. Pick your date and one backup.
2. Book the venue and officiant.
3. Get your photographer on the calendar.
4. Hire food and confirm what they bring.
5. Finalize florals, music and the small stuff in the last month.

Booking in this order protects the hardest pieces first. Venues and good photographers fill up, while florals and playlists can be sorted late.

Month by month

The working checklist

Use the checklist below as your working plan and tick things off as you go. It saves on this device, so you can come back to it.

Micro wedding checklist

4 to 6 months out

• Set a budget and a guest count you will hold to
• Choose a date and a backup date
• Tour two or three venues in person
• Book the venue and your officiant

3 months out

• Book a photographer and decide how many hours you need
• Choose a caterer or food truck and confirm what they bring (tables, plates, service staff)
• Send save the dates or a simple text to your guests
• Pick music: a playlist and a speaker, or one musician

1 month out

• Send a day-of timeline to every vendor
• Confirm final guest count with your caterer
• Plan the ceremony layout: where you stand, where guests sit
• Write your vows and any toasts (The Gallery never sells, provides or stores alcohol; hosts may bring their own, served by a TABC-certified bartender they hire, or plan a sparkling cider or lemonade toast)

The week of

• Confirm arrival and load-in times with every vendor
• Pack an emergency kit: safety pins, stain pen, phone charger, tissues
• Name one friend as your point person for the day

Do not forget the license

Pick up your marriage license from the Bexar County Clerk ahead of time. In Texas it is valid for 90 days and there is a 72 hour wait after it is issued, so the final week is too late. The fee is roughly $80, and Texas lowers it if you both complete an approved premarital course first.

• Both of you usually need to appear with a valid photo ID.
• Check the clerk's current hours and whether they take appointments.
• Ask your officiant how they return the signed license, and by when.
• Active duty military can sometimes have the 72 hour wait waived.

Weather and dates in San Antonio

March to May and October to November usually bring the most comfortable weather. Late spring brings fast afternoon storms. Summer is hot, and winter evenings get dark early, so plan the ceremony time around the season.

Watch the summer heat. June to September highs in San Antonio are often near 100F. For an outdoor ceremony in summer, go later in the day, add shade and water, and have an indoor fallback.

RSVPs and invitations

• Save the dates 3 to 4 months out, or a simple group text for a very small list.
• Invitations 6 to 8 weeks out, with an RSVP date 3 to 4 weeks before the wedding.
• Ask for dietary needs on the RSVP so the caterer has them early.
• Chase missing RSVPs by phone one week after the deadline.

Tip: Use a free RSVP page. A free wedding website or a simple online form collects names, meals and allergies in one list, and saves you from tracking replies across texts and email.

If you only have eight weeks

1. Week 1: venue, officiant and photographer, on the same day if you can.
2. Week 2: food booked and invitations sent by text or email.
3. Weeks 3 to 5: florals, rentals, cake and music.
4. Week 6: marriage license, timeline written and sent.
5. Weeks 7 to 8: confirmations, final count, balances.

A short runway works best on a weekday or an off-season date, when vendors still have openings. Make decisions the same day you get a quote, and pay deposits right away, because the vendor you are still thinking about may be booked by another couple by Friday.

Whatever your runway, block one evening a week for wedding tasks and keep everything in one shared document: the checklist, the budget, the vendor list with phone numbers and the timeline draft. Couples who plan in short weekly sessions finish calmer than couples who try to do it all in two frantic weekends.

Tip: Write the timeline a month out. Put the whole day in 15 minute blocks and send the same document to every vendor and your point person at least a month before.

Planning a shower too? The bridal or baby shower guide uses the same format.

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