How to Plan a Wedding in Latvia: Complete Checklist

How to Plan a Wedding in Latvia Without Unnecessary Stress

Wedding planning starts with the exciting parts: choosing a venue, flowers, music, décor and imagining the celebration with your family and friends.

But it quickly becomes a combination of bookings, budgets, deadlines and many small decisions.

The easiest way to stay organized is to divide the planning process into stages and book the most in-demand services first.

9–12 Months Before the Wedding

Start with the most important decisions.

Define:

• your total wedding budget;

• approximate number of guests;

• wedding date;

• preferred wedding style;

• venue.

If you are planning a summer wedding or have chosen a popular date, start looking for a venue as early as possible.

When visiting venues, ask about capacity, furniture, catering, ceremony options, accommodation and how late music can be played.

For an outdoor wedding, always check what happens in case of bad weather.

Set Your Wedding Budget

A typical wedding budget may include:

• venue rental;

• catering;

• photographer;

• videographer;

• wedding host;

• DJ or live music;

• flowers and decorations;

• wedding cake;

• transportation;

• entertainment;

• additional expenses.

It is also useful to keep approximately 5–10% of your budget available for unexpected costs.

6–9 Months Before the Wedding

Once your date and venue are confirmed, book your key wedding suppliers.

Start with:

• photographer;

• videographer;

• wedding host;

• DJ or musicians;

• catering;

• decorator.

Choose your photographer based not only on price but also on photography style.

Look at full wedding galleries rather than only selected images on social media.

When choosing a wedding host, discuss the atmosphere you want, languages, guest ages, games and any activities you would prefer to avoid.

Wedding Catering

Catering is often one of the biggest parts of the wedding budget.

Before booking, ask:

• what is included in the price per person;

• whether service staff are included;

• whether plates and glasses are provided;

• whether children's menus are available;

• whether vegetarian and vegan options are offered;

• whether a tasting is possible;

• whether drinks are included.

The more accurate your guest count is, the easier it will be to estimate the final catering cost.

3–6 Months Before the Wedding

Now it is time to focus on the details.

Arrange:

• wedding cake;

• flowers;

• decorations;

• invitations;

• transportation;

• guest accommodation;

• entertainment;

• ceremony details.

For decorations, choose one overall style and color palette.

A few coordinated elements usually look more elegant than combining too many different trends.

1–2 Months Before the Wedding

Create a detailed wedding-day schedule.

For example:

2:00 PM — ceremony

3:00 PM — congratulations and drinks

4:00 PM — photos

5:00 PM — dinner

7:00 PM — first dance

8:00 PM — entertainment

10:00 PM — wedding cake

11:00 PM — dancing

Your schedule may look completely different, but every supplier should understand the overall flow of the day.

Confirm Your Final Guest Count

Contact guests who have not yet confirmed attendance.

You will need the final number for:

• catering;

• venue;

• decorator;

• cake supplier;

• transportation;

• accommodation.

One Week Before the Wedding

At this stage, avoid making major new changes.

Instead, confirm all existing arrangements:

• venue;

• catering;

• ceremony time;

• photographer and videographer;

• DJ or musicians;

• decorations;

• cake;

• transportation;

• rings;

• documents;

• payments and deposits.

It is also helpful to appoint one person who can deal with practical questions on the wedding day.

The couple should not be answering calls about where the cake should be delivered or where the DJ equipment should be installed.

Example Wedding Budget for 50 Guests

Venue — approximately €2,000

Catering — approximately €2,500

Photographer — approximately €900

Wedding host — approximately €700

Decorations — approximately €800

Music — approximately €600

Wedding cake — approximately €250

Total — approximately €7,750

These prices are only an example.

The actual cost of a wedding in Latvia will depend on the season, guest count, venue, service level and your personal priorities.

How Can You Reduce Your Wedding Budget?

Consider:

• getting married on a Friday or Sunday;

• choosing a date outside the peak summer season;

• reducing the guest list;

• holding the ceremony and reception at the same venue;

• choosing seasonal flowers;

• using digital invitations;

• hiring a DJ instead of a live band;

• ordering a smaller wedding cake with a dessert table.

You do not need to choose the cheapest option for everything.

Instead, decide which two or three elements matter most to you and prioritize your budget around them.

What Do Couples Often Forget?

Small practical details can easily be missed during wedding planning.

For example:

• meals for photographers, musicians and other suppliers;

• high chairs for children;

• a rain plan;

• a place for gifts and flowers;

• transportation at the end of the evening;

• comfortable spare shoes;

• electricity access and extension cables;

• a wedding-day contact person.

These small details often make a big difference to how smoothly the day runs.

Plan Your Wedding in One Place with GoGetParty

GoGetParty helps you discover wedding services in Latvia in one place.

You can search for:

• wedding venues;

• photographers;

• videographers;

• wedding hosts;

• DJs and musicians;

• catering;

• decorators;

• wedding cakes;

• entertainment;

• other wedding services.

Instead of searching through multiple websites and social media pages, you can find the services you need for your celebration in one place.