12–10 months: define the event
Start with the guest count, departure cities, number of nights and a firm financial ceiling. A venue with dinner capacity for 100 may have far fewer guest bedrooms.
Compare three or four venues using the same information sheet: exclusivity, sleeping capacity, music curfew, catering, supplier restrictions, wet-weather alternative and payment milestones.
- Build a provisional guest list, including children.
- Shortlist two possible date windows.
- Request quotations using identical nights and events.
9–7 months: secure the essentials
Before paying a deposit, read cancellation, rescheduling and exclusivity clauses. Ask for written confirmation of which spaces are included and when amplified music must stop.
Reserve critical suppliers and any extra accommodation, then track commitments centrally rather than in scattered email threads.
- Check venue contract against the brochure.
- Reserve overflow bedrooms and transport if needed.
- Create a payment tracker with signed quotation numbers.
6–4 months: design the weekend
Plan arrival, welcome dinner, ceremony, drinks, dinner, late celebration and brunch as separate events. Travel between the medina, a villa and Agafay takes organisation, not just map estimates.
Send guests a practical first briefing with the actual pickup point, dress code, local contact and dietary request deadline.
- Confirm production and supplier schedules.
- Design a weather alternative with adequate capacity.
- Check power supply, delivery access and sound restrictions.
3–1 months: resolve the detail
Confirm numbers for each event rather than using the same guest count for everything. Reconcile dietary needs, children’s menus and guest transfers.
Ask your coordinator to verify supplier access, installation windows, seating, loading, teardown and any additional charges.
- Review final budget variances.
- Assign one named contact per supplier.
- Prepare emergency contacts and a contingency kit.
Final week and departure
Review official weather updates shortly before the event and agree a decision deadline for activating the fallback plan. Confirm transportation in writing.
After the celebration, collect receipts, lost property and final deliverables, and make arrangements for departure transfers.
- Share one final timeline and contact sheet.
- Confirm catering cut-off dates.
- Appoint someone to manage last-minute payments.