wedding-planning
The Complete Wedding Planning Checklist: A to Z Timeline Guide
A comprehensive wedding checklist organized by timeline — from 12+ months before to the final days before your big day.
Planning a wedding involves hundreds of tasks spread across months of preparation. This comprehensive checklist breaks everything down into 9 timeline phases so you can stay organized and stress-free from engagement to your big day.
1
12+ Months Before
☑Announce your engagement to family and friends!
☑Plan an engagement party
☑Start researching venues
☑Schedule an engagement photoshoot
☑Start your guest list
☑Explore our Ideas section and Real Weddings for advice and inspiration!
☑Figure out your budget
☑Research and book a wedding planner
☑Research religious officiants, celebrants or registrars
☑Choose a theme and colour scheme
☑Select your wedding party
☑Research venues with a few dates in mind
☑Start your registry
☑Start collecting guest list information
☑Book your venue and set the date!
☑Reserve your catering
☑Create your wedding website
☑Research and meet a few photographers
☑Create a weather "Plan B"
☑Research music and entertainment for your reception
☑Meet with a few photographers
☑Start looking at wedding outfits
☑Revise your guest list
☑Confirm your wedding party
☑Book your photographer
☑Create and order your save the dates
☑Book your reception musician, entertainer, band and/or DJ
2
9–11 Months Before
☑Start researching wedding party attire
☑Come up with a wellness plan
☑Reserve hotel rooms for your guests
☑Start researching videographers
☑Start looking at florists
☑Contact your local registry office
☑Book your videographer
☑Research decorations for your ceremony and reception
☑Start researching invitation designers
☑Book your florist
☑Research wedding rings
☑Start looking at honeymoon destinations
☑Make appointments at wedding boutiques and/or suit shops
☑Choose your wedding attire and schedule your first fitting
☑Update your supplier team
3
6–8 Months Before
☑Meet with your religious officiant, celebrant or registrar
☑Research rentals like marquees, place settings, chairs, and aisle runners
☑Research headpieces and veils
☑Create a gift list
☑Confirm your honeymoon plans
☑Research cake makers and schedule a tasting
☑Send save the dates
☑Order your invitations and thank you cards
☑Book your wedding musician(s)
☑Book rental, decoration and lighting professionals
☑Book transportation for you and for your guests
☑Research rehearsal dinner locations
☑Start researching hair and makeup suppliers
4
4–5 Months Before
☑Book your cake maker
☑Prepare to send the invitations - confirm guests' addresses!
☑Book your hair and makeup professionals
☑Use your wedding website to collect information from your guests (RSVPs, meal selections, etc.)
☑Begin the first steps to legally get married
☑Buy or hire male wedding party suits
☑Book accommodation for your wedding night
☑Arrange the wedding rehearsal
☑Make sure your wedding party has ordered their outfits
☑Order your wedding favours
☑Think of wedding ring engravings
5
3 Months Before
☑Purchase outfit accessories
☑Address and send your wedding invitations
☑Purchase your guest book
☑Purchase your wedding rings
☑Research/book a day-of-coordinator
☑Check on passports, vaccines and visas!
☑Think of a signature cocktail
☑If you want a hair cut, go now!
☑Purchase a wedding gift for your spouse-to-be
☑Think of something unique!
☑Sit down with your photographer again
☑Decide on hair and makeup styles
☑Double check with your transportation
☑Order any wedding party accessories
6
2 Months Before.
☑Check in with your religious officiant, celebrant or registrar and give notice
☑Confirm meal selections and notify caterer and dessert suppliers of any food allergies
☑Book a bartending or alcohol service, if not included in your venue or catering
☑Hair and makeup trial!
☑Finalise your wedding songs
☑Make a packing list for your wedding/honeymoon
☑Create your ceremony and reception timelines
☑Order your place cards, menus and orders of service
☑Make sure your wedding party knows the timeline
☑Buy wedding party gifts
☑Start thinking of your vows and speeches
☑Double check your orders of service and place cards
7
1 Months Before
☑Pick up your rings
☑Review the guest list and call guests that haven't RSVP'd
☑Finalise vows
☑Have another dress or outfit fitting
☑Confirm wedding rehearsal
☑Finalise and share the seating plan with your reception venue
☑Make sure the speeches are ready
8
2 Weeks Before
☑Start practising for your first dance
☑Pamper yourself!
☑Confirm your witnesses
9
10 Days Before
☑Pick up you and your partner's wedding outfits
☑Confirm details with wedding party
☑Confirm final details with all your suppliers and send last payments
☑Pack for your honeymoon
☑Write a sweet note to your partner
☑Pull together any last-minute essentials
Start Planning Your Wedding Today
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