You have a ring, a group chat that will not stop buzzing and, if you are in Provo or Orem, a dozen people already asking "when?" Here is what to do with the first month, in the order the decisions depend on each other. (Still planning the question? See our proposal ideas and lab-grown vs natural diamonds guides.)
This page is the front door. The month-by-month plan lives in our Utah Valley wedding timeline; the money lives in the wedding budget guide. What follows is the part neither of those can do for you: the five or six choices that have to be settled before a timeline means anything.
Week one: decide what kind of wedding it is
Every other choice hangs on this one, so make it first and make it together. Couples with a small guest list can weigh one event or two.
A temple sealing. For Latter-day Saint couples, the Church's General Handbook says both people must be endowed before they can be sealed, and that couples are either married civilly first or married and sealed in the same temple ceremony. In Utah, where the law allows it, a couple can do both at once. You schedule with the temple, not with a venue, and the guests inside are limited to endowed members with a current recommend.
A civil wedding. Any officiant Utah law recognizes, any place in the state, any day you like. If you are not members, or one of you is not, this is your path, and our civil and non-temple weddings guide covers venues, officiants and the courthouse option.
A civil ceremony first, sealing later. The handbook describes this pattern for places where temple marriages are not legally recognized, and adds that it "may also be followed when a temple marriage could cause parents or immediate family members to feel excluded." The handbook names no waiting period between the two. Some couples do the civil ceremony in the morning and the sealing days or weeks later; others do it the other way around in their heads and have to rework the plan. Decide now.
Which one you choose decides:
| If you choose | Who sets the ceremony time | Guest lists | Ring ceremony at reception? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sealing only | The temple | Usually three | Optional, with limits |
| Civil only | You and your officiant | One or two | Not needed |
| Civil, then sealing | You, then the temple | Two or three | Rings can go at either |
The ring rules are specific and worth reading before anyone books a string quartet; our ring ceremony explainer quotes the handbook.
Week one, continued: tell the families how the day will work
If any parent, grandparent or sibling will not be inside the temple, have that conversation in the first week, in person if you can. Waiting until invitations go out is how families end up hurt.
The plain facts help. The handbook says couples "should invite only close family members and friends to a temple sealing" and that accountable attendees "must be endowed and have a current temple recommend." The handbook adds that children on temple grounds need adult supervision; temple workers look after children only when the children themselves are part of a family sealing, so plan who watches the little ones. Everyone else waits on the grounds, which are open to the public. Our guide for out-of-town guests is written for exactly those relatives; send it to them.
Then listen. Some couples, after that talk, choose the civil-first pattern. Some add a ring ceremony. Some keep the plan and build the temple exit and photos around the family members outside. All three are common here.
Week two: the bishop, then the temple
For members, the order matters. The handbook says members planning a sealing "should contact the temple in advance to schedule the ordinance" and that "they may do so after they have met with their bishop." A first sealing requires a recommend for living ordinances, issued after interviews with the bishop and the stake president.
So in week two:
- Ask your bishop for an appointment. If you are a student who just moved, make sure your membership record is in your current ward first; our guide to finding your ward in Utah Valley explains how records move.
- Pick two or three candidate temples. Utah County has six operating temples as of October 2026, each with its own page on Provo.com: Provo City Center, Orem, Payson, Saratoga Springs, Mount Timpanogos and Lindon. The original Provo temple is closed for reconstruction and is not an option.
- Call the temple once the interviews are scheduled. The temple pages list phone numbers; the Church's scheduling help says members receiving their own sealing contact the temple directly rather than booking online.
Week two, continued: choose a date window, not a date
A date has to clear four calendars: the temple's, the reception venue's, the photographer's and your family's. Start with the one you cannot negotiate.
Temples are closed on Sundays. The Church's temple FAQ says temples "are not open on the Sabbath."
Temples close for maintenance, usually two weeks at a time, staggered across the valley. As listed on the Church's temple pages on October 19, 2026:
- Provo City Center: November 30 to December 14, 2026; May 31 to July 5, 2027; November 29 to December 13, 2027.
- Saratoga Springs: November 30 to December 14, 2026; June 7 to 21, 2027.
- Mount Timpanogos: November 9 to 24, 2026; May 17 to 31, 2027.
- Lindon: October 19 to November 2, 2026; February 1 to 15 and August 2 to 16, 2027.
- Orem: February 22 to March 8 and August 23 to September 6, 2027.
- Payson: March 22 to April 5 and September 13 to 27, 2027.
Single-day closures fall on the general conference Saturdays (April 3 and October 2, 2027, at most local temples), July 24, the Wednesday and Thursday of Thanksgiving week, Christmas Eve and Day, and New Year's Eve and Day. Every temple's list differs slightly; check yours.
Church buildings have their own rules. For a civil wedding or reception in a meetinghouse, the handbook says weddings "should not be held on the Sabbath or on Monday evenings."
Bring three acceptable Saturdays (or a Friday and two Saturdays) to the temple call. Flexibility is the cheapest thing you can bring.
Week three: write the guest lists, plural
A temple wedding in Utah Valley usually has three guest lists, and writing all three now prevents the worst conversations later.
- The sealing. Close family and friends who are endowed and hold a current recommend. The Church does not publish sealing-room capacities on its temple pages, so ask the temple when you schedule.
- The luncheon. Usually the people who were at the temple plus a few others: grandparents who waited outside, a non-member parent's partner, the officiant. Our guide to wedding luncheon venues covers how this meal works and where it goes.
- The reception. Everyone: the ward, the roommates, the coworkers, your parents' friends. In Utah Valley this is often a come-and-go open house; our open-house reception explainer covers the format and the math.
Once the reception list exists, you know whether you need a room for 150 or a ballroom for 600, and venue shopping gets much shorter.
Week three, continued: the budget conversation
Have it before you tour anything, because venues are good at selling the room you cannot afford. Two Utah Valley specifics change the usual budget:
- You may be paying for two catered events, the luncheon and the reception, with different guest counts.
- Open-house receptions trade a plated dinner for volume. Fewer dollars per guest, many more guests.
Our budget guide has the line items. Decide who is paying for what (couple, each family) in the first month, out loud.
Week four: book the two things that disappear
The reception venue. Popular Utah Valley venues say plainly that prime dates go early. Wadley Farms in Lindon, for example, says its prime weekends "generally book one year in advance." If your engagement is four months, look at weekday and Friday receptions, which several venues price lower, and at the reception centers by city list for options near your temple. If you want engagement photos for announcements, see engagement photographers.
The photographer. A temple exit is a short window that cannot be repeated, and photographers who know the local temples book Saturdays early. Our guides to choosing a wedding photographer and engagement photo locations cover both shoots.
Everything else (flowers, cake, dress, invitations, DJ) can wait until month two. Our timeline puts each one in order.
The paperwork you can ignore for now
The marriage license. A Utah County license is digital, issued the moment you pay, and expires 32 days after issue. The Clerk's own advice is to apply "about 10-15 days before your wedding." Put a reminder on your calendar and move on. When the week arrives, our wedding-week timeline goes day by day.
The one thing to start now: the Clerk waives $20 of the fee for couples who complete qualifying premarital education. If you want the discount, sign up for a course this month so it is finished in time. Our marriage license guide walks through the fee and the course options.
If you are students
A few things are different on BYU and UVU calendars:
- Finals and move-out weeks fill the valley's hotels and calendars. Avoid the last week of a semester if out-of-town family is coming.
- Your ward will change after the wedding if you live in a single student ward. Plan the bishop meeting with the ward you are in now.
- Housing contracts rarely line up with a wedding date; our guide to buying out of a mid-year housing contract explains the options.
A one-page checklist for the first month
- Decide: sealing, civil, or civil then sealing.
- Tell families how the day will work, especially anyone who will wait outside.
- Members: schedule the bishop interview; confirm your record is in your ward.
- Shortlist two or three temples and check their closure weeks.
- Pick three acceptable dates.
- Write the sealing, luncheon and reception lists.
- Agree on the budget and who pays for what.
- Book the reception venue and the photographer.
- Calendar the license date (10 to 15 days out) and, if you want it, start a marriage education course.
Then breathe. Month two is flowers.
Related Guides
- How to Plan a Utah Valley Wedding: A Month-by-Month Timeline
- Engagement Rings in Utah Valley
- Utah Valley Bridal Expos
- Utah Valley Wedding Venues: The Complete 2026 Guide
Frequently Asked Questions
What should we do first after getting engaged in Utah Valley?
How far ahead do we need to schedule a temple sealing?
Can we get married on a Sunday in Utah Valley?
Which dates are hard to get married on in Utah Valley in 2027?
When should we get the marriage license?
Do non-member parents need to know about the temple plan right away?
What sells out first for a Utah Valley wedding?
How many guest lists does a Utah Valley wedding have?
Sources
The facts in this guide were checked against these sources. Hours, fees and rules change, so confirm anything time-sensitive with the source before you go. How we make Provo.com.
- Apply for a License, Utah County Clerk. Checked October 20, 2026.
- General Handbook, 27: Temple Ordinances for the Living (27.3 Sealing of Husband and Wife), The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Checked October 20, 2026.
- General Handbook, 38: Church Policies and Guidelines (38.3 Marriage), The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Checked October 20, 2026.
- Scheduling a Temple Appointment, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Checked October 20, 2026.
- Temples: Common Questions, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Checked October 20, 2026.
- Provo City Center Temple (details, services, closures, milestones), The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Checked October 20, 2026.
- Orem Utah Temple (details, services, closures, milestones), The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Checked October 20, 2026.
- Payson Utah Temple (details, services, closures, milestones), The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Checked October 20, 2026.
- Saratoga Springs Utah Temple (details, services, closures, milestones), The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Checked October 20, 2026.
- Mount Timpanogos Utah Temple (details, services, closures, milestones), The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Checked October 20, 2026.
- Lindon Utah Temple (details, services, closures, milestones), The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Checked October 20, 2026.
- Provo Utah Rock Canyon Temple (details, services, closures, milestones), The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Checked October 20, 2026.
- Wadley Farms: FAQs, Wadley Farms. Checked October 20, 2026.
