Free for the two of you · Built for weddings in Mexico

Your wedding checklist, timed for weddings in Mexico.

What to do first, and how far ahead.

Your task list is built from your date and real lead times in Mexico, and rearranges when something changes.

No credit card · Your list stays private

Tasks

11 of 23 done
Set the total budgetDone
Find and book the venueThis week
Hire a photographerIn 3 weeks

Plan adjusted to your date

  • Every task with its date, worked out from your wedding
  • An honest plan even if the wedding is three months away
  • Every task has an owner: you, your partner, or both

The problem

The checklists you find online don’t know when your wedding is.

The PDF checklist everyone shares runs in a single order, written for a wedding 18 months out. If yours is in seven, half of it is moot before you start — and none of it says how far ahead you book here.

OPHIRA starts from your date: each task gets a window from real lead times in Mexico and from what depends on what. No deposit without a chosen vendor, no seating chart without RSVPs.

How it works

From a date to a list you can follow.

01

Tell us your date (or that you don’t have one yet)

With a date, each task gets its window. Without one, you only see what doesn’t depend on it: budget, guest list, style.

When is the wedding?

November 14, 2026
No date yet

Without a date, you only see what doesn’t depend on it.

02

Get your checklist with dates

Venue, photographer, dress, Registro Civil, invitations: each with its “by when,” on real Mexican lead times.

Find and book the venue12 months out
Hire a photographer10 months out
Design and send the invitations3 months out
Timed with real lead times from Mexico
03

Adjust, share out, check off

Change the date or add your own tasks and the plan rearranges. Assign who’s on each one and see only what’s next.

Assignee

BothSofiaDiego
Book music or a DJ

Lead times

How far ahead do you book each thing in Mexico?

How far before the wedding it makes sense to book each line, and the minimum that still works. The ideal figures assume a high-season Saturday; weekdays leave more room.

Each bar runs from the ideal to the reasonable minimum, in months before the wedding.

Venue12 months

Reasonable minimum: 4 months. It’s the decision that unlocks almost everything else.

Catering10 months

Reasonable minimum: 3 months. Many venues include it — ask before quoting it separately.

Photo & video10 months

Reasonable minimum: 3 months. Choosing means full portfolios: never a 48-hour call.

Dress & styling9 months

Reasonable minimum: 5 months. Made-to-measure takes 4–8 months; below that, rent or buy off-the-rack.

Music & entertainment9 months

Reasonable minimum: 11 weeks. A mariachi or a local DJ can be found 2–3 months out.

Lodging & transport8 months

Reasonable minimum: 3 months. In the Riviera Maya or San Miguel, 12–18 months out.

Decor & flowers7 months

Reasonable minimum: 2 months. The flowers themselves are ordered 7–10 days out.

Paperwork & ceremony6 months

Reasonable minimum: 3 months. Appointment required; requirements vary by state.

Honeymoon5 months

Reasonable minimum: 6 weeks. Nothing here blocks the wedding.

Invitations3 months

Reasonable minimum: 2 months. Should reach guests 6–8 weeks out; 10–12 with travel.

Small purchases3 months

Reasonable minimum: 1 month. Engraved rings take 10–15 business days.

Last reviewed July 2026. They’re the criteria OPHIRA plans with, not a market study: they guide, they never flag an error.

What’s included

A list you’ll actually follow.

The plan rearranges itself

Change the date and the windows recalculate; anything you edited by hand is left alone.

Your own tasks next to the suggested ones

Add yours with a category and a priority; they live alongside the plan.

An owner per task

You, your partner, or both: filter by who’s on it, or group by person.

A short plan when the date is close

With three months: fewer steps and shorter paths. Never an impossible list.

In confidence

Your list isn’t a lead.

No vendor sees your checklist or your progress. Tasks exist to organize your wedding, not to sell you something at every step.

Your information is never sold

We don’t sell or rent your data. The list belongs to the two of you.

Nobody sponsors the suggestions

No task recommends a specific vendor or pays to appear.

You decide who gets in

Only your partner and whoever you invite can see the list.

Every task ends in a payment.

The venue deposit, the catering balance, the rings. The checklist says when to decide; the budget says what’s covered.

See the wedding budget tool

Common questions

When should you start planning a wedding?

In Mexico, ideally 12–18 months out if you want a high-season Saturday: venue, photographer and catering get booked first and sell out first. With 6 months you can plan well on a weekday or in low season, and with 3 it’s still doable on a short plan.

What do you do first when planning a wedding?

Three decisions unlock the rest: budget, guest list and venue. The budget sets what you can spend; the list sets how big the venue and catering need to be; the venue sets the final date and the other vendors. They come first even before you have a date.

How far ahead do you book a venue and a photographer in Mexico?

The venue about 12 months out, with 4 as a reasonable minimum: it’s what sells out first. The photographer about 10 months, with 3 as the minimum. On a weekday or off-season there’s more room for both. The table above covers all eleven lines.

What if my wedding is in three months?

It can be done. OPHIRA sees the timeline is short and builds a brief plan: fewer tasks, in the order that fits, with shorter paths — a digital invitation instead of print, an off-the-rack or rented dress instead of made-to-measure. What doesn’t fit doesn’t appear.

How far ahead do you handle the Registro Civil paperwork?

The checklist places it six months out, with three as a minimum. The Registro Civil (Mexico’s civil registry, where the legally binding ceremony happens) needs an appointment — slots often run weeks ahead — plus certified birth certificates and CURP for both of you. Requirements vary by state and office, so ask at yours.

Is the checklist free?

Yes: free for the two of you, no credit card, no limited version. OPHIRA is paid for by vendors, who pay only when you request quotes. If someone else joins to help — your mom, a wedding planner — that extra seat is paid.

Is the app itself in English?

Yes. Sign up from this page and your account is set to English from the start — the app, our emails, and the help center. What stays in Spanish is what goes out to a Mexican vendor on your behalf, like a quote request, because that is the language it will be answered in.

Still have a question? Visit the Help Center

Your wedding, in order.
One task at a time.

Set your date and get your checklist on real Mexican lead times: what’s next, when, and who’s on it.

Create my checklist for free

No credit card · Your list stays private