Print this helpful checklist off for your planning!
1 Year Wedding Planning Timeline
12+ Months Before Wedding
- Envision wedding.
- Draw up budget.
- Hire Wedding Consultant.
- Pick up date and time.
- Start planning the guest list.
- Create Budget Tracker.
- Create Planning Calendar.
- Create RSVP Tracker.
- Create Event Website for out-of-town / international guests.
- Look for ceremony sites.
- Book ceremony site.
- Look for reception sites.
- Book reception site.
- Identify wedding party.
- Ask family / friends to be in the wedding.
- Optional: Have an engagement party.
8-10 Months Before Wedding
- Finalize Budget.
- Select color palette.
- Select event theme / design.
- Revise / edit Budget Tracker.
- Revise / edit Planning Calendar.
- Revise / edit RSVP Tracker.
- Revise Event Website for out-of-town / international guests.
- BRIDE: Bridal Dress – Think about, shop for and order your gown.
- Envision reception food.
- Decide what type of entertainment you want.
- Think about your floral décor.
- Research and obtain proposals from vendors.
- Interview vendors.
- Book your wedding professionals.
- Research a wedding insurance policy to protect your deposits.
- Research and reserve accommodations for your guests.
- Register for gifts.
- Contact rental companies for rentals needed.
6-8 Months Before Wedding
- Book ceremony musicians.
- Order bridesmaid dresses.
- Start planning honeymoon.
- Send save-the-date cards.
4-6 Months Before Wedding
- Attend pre-wedding counseling, if required.
- Shop for invitations.
- Order invitations.
- Shop for wedding rings.
- Order wedding rings.
- Shop for formalwear.
- Renew or get passports, if necessary.
- Envision your wedding cake.
- Research cake designer.
- Book cake designer.
3 Months Before Wedding
- Review all vendor contracts, orders and check payments due.
- Order wedding cake.
- Hire a calligrapher, if desired.
- Attend your shower (date might be earlier, depending on host).
- GROOM: Rent the men’s formalwear.
- Hire wedding day transport (limo, cars, bus, etc.).
2 Months Before Wedding
- Mail your invitations.
- Write your vows.
- Purchase gifts for parents, attendants, each other, and others.
- Book your stylist and tryout wedding day hairstyles.
- Book a makeup artist and go for a trial run.
- Determine wedding party positions during ceremony and processional and recessional order.
- Create detailed floor layout of event.
- Create detailed timeline of event.
- Create detailed vendor contact list (add to timeline).
1 Month Before Wedding
- Apply for a marriage license.
- BRIDE: Have final gown fitting.
- Call all bridesmaids. Make sure they have their gowns ready for the wedding.
- Call all groomsmen. Make sure they have ordered/reserved their formalwear.
- Make last-minute adjustments with vendors.
- Create a wedding program to hand out to guests.
- Revise wedding party positions during ceremony and processional and recessional order.
- Revise detailed floor layout of event.
- Revise detailed timeline of event.
- Revise detailed vendor contact list (add to timeline).
- Create reception seating chart.
- Order and plan in-room welcome baskets for out-of-town guests.
- Review RSVP list and call any guests who have not yet sent a reply.
- Deliver must-have shot lists to your photographer and videographer.
- Deliver final song list to your DJ or bandleader.
- Ensure all wedding professional contracts are paid in full.
2 Weeks Before Wedding
- Finalize wedding party positions during ceremony and processional and recessional order.
- Finalize detailed floor layout of event.
- Finalize detailed timeline of event.
- Finalize detailed vendor contact list (add to timeline).
- Finalize vendor delivery times, setup times and tear down times.
- Finalize reception seating chart.
- Print place and table cards, or finalize list with the calligrapher.
- Review final RSVP list and call any guests who have not yet sent a reply.
- Give reception site / caterer final guest head count. Include vendors.
- Deliver must-have shot lists to your photographer and videographer.
- Deliver final song list to your DJ or bandleader.
- BRIDE: Get last pre-wedding haircut and color.
1 Week Before Wedding
- Call all wedding vendors and confirm arrangements.
- GROOM: Get your hair trimmed.
- Attend bachelor / ette parties.
2-3 Days Before Wedding
- BRIDE: Have gown pressed or seamed, if needed.
- GROOM: Go for final fitting and pick up your formalwear.
- GROOM: Make sure all groomsmen attend fittings and pick up their outfits.
- Reconfirm final details with all vendors. Discuss any necessary last-minute changes / substitutions.
- Call car rental company and confirm pickup times and locations.
- Arrange for guests without cars to be picked up from the airport or train station.
- Deliver welcome baskets to the hotel concierge; include names and delivery instructions.
- Write final payments, if needed.
- Write gratuity envelopes, if planned.
Day Before Wedding
- Rehearse ceremony.
- Deliver ceremony accessories (unity candle, aisle runners, etc.) to ceremony site.
- Give marriage license to officiant.
- Attend rehearsal dinner.
- Present attendants with gifts at rehearsal dinner.
- Give Wedding Consultant final payment for vendors (officiant), if needed.
- Give Wedding Consultant gratuity envelopes, if planned.
- Assign family member or attendant to be the photographer’s contact so he/she knows who’s who.
Day of Wedding
- Present parents and each other with gifts.
- Give wedding bands to best man and maid of honor to hold during ceremony.
Post Wedding
- Plan for attendants to take bride’s gown for cleaning.
- Plan for attendants to return groom’s tux to rental shop.
- Write and send thank-you notes to gift-bearing guests.
- Write and send thank-you notes for vendors who were especially helpful.
- Write reviews for vendors.
