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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.
These decisions shape every quote you'll get, so settle them first.
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.
Build the full guest list with addresses. Set up a wedding website with the date, location and travel basics. Reserve hotel room blocks if many guests travel. Shop for wedding attire; made-to-order clothes can take months. Book videographer, florist and hair and makeup if you want them. Plan the honeymoon and check passports.
Send save-the-dates. For timing, see when to send save-the-dates and invitations. Order invitations and other stationery. Book rentals, transport and any entertainment beyond music. Choose attendant outfits. Book the rehearsal dinner location.
Plan the menu and have a tasting. Order or buy wedding rings. Order the cake or dessert. Meet the officiant to plan the ceremony. Draft the day's timeline with your venue. Our 4pm ceremony timeline is a useful template. Check your wedding vendor checklist for anything still unbooked.
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. Write vows and choose readings. Plan the music, including the must-play and do-not-play list. Buy gifts for the wedding party and parents.
Chase missing RSVPs; our guide on guests who don't RSVP has wording. Send final numbers and meal choices to the caterer. Make the seating chart. Start with wedding seating chart etiquette. Confirm every vendor: arrival times, contacts, balances due. Break in your shoes and have final fittings. Pack a wedding day emergency kit.
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.
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.
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.
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