Wedding To-Do Checklist
The Decision-Making Period
Nine months before the wedding:
| Tell everyone! | ||
| Choose a date! | ||
| Start working on guest list. Try to nail down a good estimate of how many people you want at your wedding. | ||
| Decide what type and style of wedding you want to have. | ||
| Discuss your budget with everyone who will be involved. Determine who will pay for what and how much you are planning to spend. | ||
| Start a system. Have something that allows you quick access to all your vendors info and a method of keeping track of what you have paid for, what you will need to pay for, and when you will need to pay for it. | ||
| Book your ceremony site. | ||
| Choose who you want to officiate your ceremony and reserve them. | ||
| Book you reception site. | ||
| Order your dress. | ||
| Nail down what color scheme you want your wedding to have. | ||
| Announce your engagement in your local newspaper(s). | ||
| Check into getting a marriage license. Make sure you order any documents that you’ll need, i.e. birth certificate or visa. It may take time to receive these. | ||
| Find your photographer. | ||
| Choose who you want to be in your wedding party. | ||
| Get yourself a wedding calendar. Note any wedding-related activities in it, including appointments with vendors, get-togethers with your wedding party, showers and parties, fittings, beauty appointments, and deadlines to keep you on track. |
Six to nine months before the wedding:
| Select your wedding party attire. | ||
| Set up fittings for yourself and wedding party. Make sure to nail down deadlines for the delivery of all attire. (Often men’s attire places will want to work with a shorter timeline.) | ||
| Find your caterer and decide on your menu items. | ||
| Book musicians for your ceremony. | ||
| Book the music for your reception. | ||
| Find your videographer. | ||
| Find your florist. | ||
| Figure out where you are staying for your wedding night and make any reservations needed. | ||
| Work out accommodations for your out-of-town guests. Reserve a block of rooms at a hotel. | ||
| Start planning your honeymoon. Need a passport? Get it now! |
The "Narrowing Down the Details" Period
Four to six months before the wedding:
| Finalize your guest list. | ||
| Collect all addresses. | ||
| Pick out and order invitations and any other stationery items you may need. (Thank-you notes, programs, ect.) | ||
| Make final arrangements for rehearsal dinner. | ||
| Register for gifts. You may have to update this a couple times before the wedding, especially after any showers you may have. | ||
| Choose friends and family (and/or figure out if your venue will provide people) to help with services like attending the guest book and gifts, cake cutting, handing out programs, etc. | ||
| Make sure all reservations are made for honeymoon. | ||
| Finalize your look; purchase your accessories and shoes. | ||
| Figure out transportation to and from the ceremony and reception. Book any services you may need. |
Two to four months before the wedding:
| Choose your baker and order your wedding cake. | ||
| Pick out and purchase your wedding bands. | ||
| Purchase and/or rent any decoration items needed for ceremony and reception. | ||
| Order your favors. | ||
| Buying gifts for each other? Start shopping! | ||
| Shop for wedding party gifts. | ||
| Have a lot of out-of-town guests? Plan activities for them and make welcome baskets for their hotel rooms. | ||
| Going to have a pre-nup? Take care of that now. |
Six to eight weeks before the wedding:
| Mail your invitations! | ||
| Keep track of your RSVPs and the gifts you receive. Make sure to send thank-you notes as you receive gifts. | ||
| Figure out your hairstyle and make-up. Schedule trials with your stylist and make-up artist. | ||
| Schedule appointments to have your and your wedding party’s hair, make-up, nails, and any other beautification done the day of your wedding or the days leading up to your wedding. | ||
| Reserve wedding attire for the men in your wedding, if you have not already, and schedule fittings appropriately. | ||
| Get your marriage license. | ||
| Mail invites to your rehearsal dinner. | ||
| Start working on a wedding day timeline. This will help you nail down the little details. |
The Finalization Period
Two to six weeks before the wedding:
| Have your final fitting done. | ||
| Make sure your wedding party have their fittings done, and that they have all their attire ready for the wedding. (If they need to pick them up, make sure they know when and where to do this.) | ||
| Contact any guests that have not RSVP’d to help you get your final numbers. | ||
| Get final numbers to your caterer for your menu, beverage and alcohol order. | ||
| Finalize your timeline. | ||
| Provide copies of your timeline to EVERYONE. Your wedding party, your vendors, anyone who is helping you out in any way. | ||
| Meet with your officiant to confirm final ceremony details. | ||
| Finalize seating arrangements for your ceremony. | ||
| Give list to ushers of special seating arrangements for ceremony. | ||
| Finalize layout and seating for your reception | ||
| Meet with your wedding coordinator, venue coordinator, or your trusted friend, whoever is helping you set-up and decorate, to make sure everyone is on the same page. | ||
| Meet with all your vendors one last time to make sure all details are accounted for. Provide lists of anything special you want. (Songs you must hear at your reception, certain pictures you must have, people you must have included in your wedding video.) | ||
| Start packing for your honeymoon. |
The "This is Really Happening" Period
One week before the wedding:
| Pick up all your wedding attire and make sure everything fits. | ||
| Start organizing and gathering everything that you will need for the rehearsal and wedding. | ||
| Finish packing for honeymoon. | ||
| Put together emergency kit, including everything from extra black socks for the boys to Ibuprofen, in case of headaches. |
The Rehearsal Day:
| Rehearse! | ||
| Make sure everyone is on the same page, as far as when they need to be where and what they need to bring. | ||
| Put someone in charge of paying service providers as needed, traditionally the best man. | ||
| Put someone in charge of making sure all accessories get to where they need to be. | ||
| Make sure everyone has most updated version of your timeline. |
The Wedding Day:
| Give the best man the rings to hold onto until the ceremony. | ||
| Follow your timeline. | ||
| Be happy, be wed! |
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