A complete wedding planning checklist grouped by how long is left, from the first conversation about budget to the week of the wedding and the days after it.
A wedding planning checklist works best grouped by time left, not by topic. Start with the decisions everything else depends on (budget, rough guest count, date and venue), then book the vendors who fill up first, then handle stationery, clothes and legal paperwork, and finish with confirmations and the seating chart in the last few weeks. The list below follows that order and assumes about a year; if you have less, the same steps apply, just closer together.
Before you book anything
These decisions shape every quote you'll get, so settle them first.
Pick your top three priorities. Food, photos, music, venue, a long guest list: you can't fund everything equally.
Draft a rough guest count. A range is enough at this stage, but venue capacity and catering cost both hang on it. How to build a wedding guest list walks through it.
Choose the season and a few possible dates. Flexibility here is the cheapest lever you have.
Decide on the style. Formal or relaxed, one day or a weekend, religious or civil, one ceremony or two.
Budget pressure is common: in a LendingTree survey of 1,050 US newlyweds conducted in March 2025, 32% said they went over budget and money was the most commonly named source of planning stress.
12 months or more before
Book the ceremony and reception venue, which usually fixes the date.
Book the officiant, or check the requirements of your place of worship.
Book the vendors in highest demand locally, typically photographer, caterer (if the venue doesn't provide one) and band or DJ. What to book first explains the order.
Ask your wedding party.
Start a shared planning document or app so both of you can see the same list.
Mail invitations, usually six to eight weeks ahead for a local wedding.
Apply for the marriage license. Rules differ by place: FindLaw notes that many US states have a waiting period and that licenses are only valid for a set time, which varies by state. Check with your county or local registrar.
Schedule dress fittings and hair and makeup trials.
Hand the day-of timeline and vendor contacts to one trusted person.
Prepare tips and final payments in labelled envelopes.
Print escort cards or the seating display.
Attend the rehearsal.
Rest. Nothing on this list is worth arriving exhausted.
After the wedding
Send thank-you notes.
Return rentals and settle any final invoices.
If you are changing your name, update official documents in the order your local authorities require.
If you're keeping the guest list, RSVPs and meal choices in one place, Forever Farrah handles those alongside the seating chart and a wedding website. On a shorter engagement, use the 6-month or 3-month plan instead; the 12-month timeline breaks this checklist down month by month.
Frequently asked questions
What is the first thing to do when planning a wedding?
Agree the budget and a rough guest count together. Venue capacity and every vendor quote depend on those two numbers, so they come before booking anything.
How far in advance should you start planning a wedding?
Many couples plan for about a year, and the Emily Post Institute's checklist starts a year or more out. Weddings are regularly planned in six or even three months; you just have less choice of date and vendors.
When should you get your marriage license?
In the one to three months before the wedding, but check your local rules. Waiting periods and how long a license stays valid vary by state and country.
When should the seating chart be done?
In the final few weeks, once RSVPs are in. Starting earlier means redoing it every time a reply changes.
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