Wedding planning checklist
A schedule generated from your own date, guest count and shape — with real calendar dates on every task, and an honest plan when there is not enough time. Not a fixed twelve-month list. Yours.
Plan your wedding
The schedule updates as you change any of these. Nothing you enter leaves your browser.
Example — a neutral 12-month plan. Enter your own date, guests and shape to generate yours.
You have 52 weeks, and this plan needs about 52. There is room.
The schedule below is drawn at a comfortable pace. You can breathe — the far-future tasks are deliberately dim because they are not your problem yet.
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wedding
This month25 tasks
Aug 17 – Aug 24
Aug 17 – Aug 31
Aug 24 – Aug 31
Aug 24 – Sep 14
Aug 24 – Sep 21
Aug 24 – Sep 7
Aug 24 – Aug 31
Aug 31 – Sep 28
Aug 31 – Sep 21
Aug 31 – Sep 28
Aug 31 – Oct 12
Aug 31 – Sep 21
Aug 31 – Sep 21
Aug 31 – Sep 14
Aug 31 – Sep 14
Aug 31 – Sep 14
Aug 31 – Sep 7
Aug 31 – Sep 14
Aug 31 – Sep 14
Aug 31 – Sep 14
Aug 31 – Sep 21
Aug 31 – Sep 14
Sep 14 – Sep 28
Sep 14 – Sep 28
Sep 14 – Sep 28
1–3 months out50 tasks
Sep 21 – Sep 28
Sep 21 – Sep 28
Sep 21 – Oct 19
Sep 21 – Oct 5
Sep 21 – Sep 28
Sep 21 – Oct 12
Sep 21 – Oct 12
Sep 28 – Oct 26
Sep 28 – Oct 5
Sep 28 – Oct 12
Sep 28 – Oct 5
Sep 28 – Oct 19
Sep 28 – Oct 12
Sep 28 – Oct 19
Sep 28 – Oct 12
Sep 28 – Oct 12
Sep 28 – Oct 5
Sep 28 – Nov 9
Sep 28 – Oct 5
Sep 28 – Oct 5
Sep 28 – Oct 12
Sep 28 – Oct 19
Sep 28 – Oct 19
Sep 28 – Oct 12
Sep 28 – Oct 12
Sep 28 – Oct 19
Sep 28 – Oct 12
Sep 28 – Oct 12
Sep 28 – Oct 12
Oct 5 – Oct 19
Oct 12 – Nov 9
Oct 12 – Oct 19
Oct 12 – Oct 26
Oct 19 – Nov 16
Oct 19 – Oct 26
Oct 19 – Oct 26
Oct 19 – Nov 2
Oct 26 – Nov 2
Oct 26 – Nov 2
Oct 26 – Nov 2
Oct 26 – Nov 2
Nov 2 – Nov 9
Nov 2 – Nov 9
Nov 9 – Nov 16
Nov 9 – Nov 30
Nov 9 – Nov 16
Nov 9 – Nov 23
Nov 9 – Nov 16
Nov 9 – Nov 23
Nov 9 – Nov 16
3–6 months out2 tasks
Nov 30 – Dec 7
Dec 7 – Jan 4
9–12 months out3 tasks
After the wedding5 tasks
Oct 26 – Dec 7
Dec 7 – Feb 1
This month
Aug 17Set your total budget and who contributesWork out the total you and your partner are comfortable spending and who puts in what, before any deposit or booking. This is the number every other decision hangs off. It does not need to be fixed forever, but it needs to exist now so you can say yes and no without regret.
Aug 17Build a first guest list and a working countWrite down everyone you would invite, then everyone your partner would, then the families' additions. The count drives the venue size, the catering and the seating. It is a draft, not a commitment — you will cut and add it many times.
Aug 24Confirm the date against the venue and your peoplePick a date that works for the venue you want and the people you most need there. Check the few people who are not optional before it is fixed. Everything downstream is measured from this one number.
Aug 24Research your vendor shortlistBefore booking anyone, research three or four options per role from people you trust and your own questions. Read contracts carefully, ask what is included and what costs extra, and note how a person responds to a straight question. This is the research that makes the bookings safe.
Aug 24Shortlist and tour venues that fit your countVisit the venues that fit your date and guest count, not the prettiest ones. Ask the capacity, the base price, what furniture and staff come with it, and what a rainy day looks like. See three before you choose, and revisit the front-runner once.
Aug 24Agree a shared direction for the lookSpend an evening collecting a shared sense of what you both want: formal or relaxed, indoors or out, minimal or decorated. You are not designing anything yet — you are finding words both of you agree on, so later decisions have a test to pass.
Aug 24Decide the order of the big decisionsAgree with your partner the order you will handle the biggest calls — venue, then the vendors that depend on it, then the rest. A short written order stops you both from solving the same problem twice.
Aug 31Book the caterer and set the menuBook catering once you know your guest band, and confirm the headcount and menu in writing. Ask about staff, service style, dietary needs and what is served vs prepared offsite. A tasting settles far more than a menu review.
Aug 31Book your officiant and plan the ceremonyChoose who will lead the ceremony — an officiant, a celebrant, a religious leader, or a friend — and agree the shape of the ceremony, the vows, and any legal steps involved. Your area's legal requirements are what you look up yourself, not what anyone tells you.
Aug 31Design, print and send invitationsSend invitations with the full details and a clear reply date, leaving enough time for RSVPs to come back before you need final numbers. Address them accurately, weigh them for postage, and check the reply method works.
Aug 31Choose your wedding attireChoose what you will wear, allowing plenty of time for ordering, making or altering. Try things on, order early, and leave room for changes. What you wear sets how comfortable you feel for the whole day.
Aug 31Choose and buy the ringsChoose the rings together, sized properly, and buy them early enough to allow resizing and to confirm they are safe before the day. This is one of the few tasks that applies to every kind of wedding.
Aug 31Find out what your licence requires and applyLook up the marriage licence requirements for the county or country where the wedding is — the documents you need, the waiting time between applying and marrying, the validity window and who must sign. Get this from the official source for your own area; do not assume what someone told you. It is the one legal step, and the details genuinely vary by place.
Aug 31Plan the bar and drinksDecide the bar: open, cash, by-the-glass, or something in between, and how drinks are handled for people who do not drink. Confirm the plan with the venue and the server so nobody is guessing how much to pour.
Aug 31Send save-the-datesSend save-the-dates to everyone you want there, well in advance, so people who need to travel or arrange time off can plan around the date. A message is enough for many; a printed card is a choice, not a requirement.
Aug 31Block rooms for out-of-town guestsIf people are travelling, block a small number of rooms at one or two nearby hotels and give your guests the details. A courtesy block, not an obligation — people will still book what suits them.
Aug 31Put the key dates in a shared calendarPut the wedding date, the RSVP deadline, and the deposit and payment dates into a calendar you both can see, so neither of you carries the whole plan in your head. It is unglamorous and it works.
Aug 31Book hair and makeupBook hair and makeup for yourself and anyone you are covering, with a trial before the day so nothing is a surprise. Confirm timing so people are ready without rushing. It is a genuinely optional call and a common one to make.
Aug 31Plan for children at the weddingDecide how children are handled: welcome with space to play, a quiet corner, or a childcare arrangement for the evening. A little thought here keeps the smallest guests happy and the adults present.
Aug 31Decide on and arrange favorsIf you want favors, choose something small that fits your people and budget, and arrange how they are handed out. Favors are a genuine choice — many couples now skip them and spend the money elsewhere.
Aug 31Book the honeymoon if you want oneIf you are taking a honeymoon, book travel and lodging early for the best rates and to confirm you can actually go after the date. Many couples prefer to rest immediately after and travel later, which is a perfectly good plan.
Aug 31Take engagement photos if you want themIf you want engagement photos, book them with your photographer before the wedding — they double as save-the-date images and a relaxed way to meet the person who will shoot the day.
Sep 14Set up a simple wedding websiteA one-page site holding the date, the venue, travel and lodging information, and a link to your registry if you have one, saves a hundred repeat questions. It does not need to be elaborate — it needs to answer the questions people ask.
Sep 14Review every contract togetherRead through every signed contract once, together, and confirm you both understand the payment schedule, the cancellation terms and what is included. A half-hour here prevents a year of small surprises.
Sep 14Prepare welcome bags for travelling guestsIf you want to welcome out-of-town guests, prepare small bags with the schedule, local essentials and a note, and arrange for them to be handed out. It is a thoughtful touch, entirely optional, and often very appreciated.
1–3 months out
Sep 21Sign the venue contractRead the contract closely, confirm the date in writing, and sign when you are sure. Note the deposit, the payment schedule, the cancellation terms and exactly what the venue provides on the day. This is the single largest commitment of the plan and the anchor for most other bookings.
Sep 21Revisit your venue once before committingGo back to the venue you are leaning toward at the same time of day the wedding would run, to see the light, the noise and the space as it actually is. A venue can look very different at 4pm than it did at noon on a quiet weekday.
Sep 21Write your vowsIf you are writing your own vows, draft them early, keep them to a length you can say without notes, and practise out loud. Decide with your partner whether they are shared in advance or a surprise.
Sep 21Choose the ceremony musicDecide the music for the processional, the ceremony and the recessional, and confirm who plays it and when. Even a simple playlist needs the timing agreed so the moment runs smoothly.
Sep 21Plan and run the rehearsalHold a short rehearsal the day before, or at least walk the key people through the order of events, so everyone knows where to stand, when to walk, and who does what. It turns the day from a guess into a plan.
Sep 21Draft the day-of timeline earlyDraft the order of the day — ceremony, photos, dinner, toasts, dance — while there is time to change it, then refine it as vendors confirm. A draft beats a blank page when the final version needs to appear.
Sep 21Choose readings or ceremony contentIf the ceremony includes readings, poems, or rituals from your traditions, choose them and confirm who reads them and when. Every tradition adds its own; this list is a starting point, not a complete account of anyone's wedding.
Sep 28Book your photographerBook someone whose work and working style you trust, for the hours you actually need. Ask what they shoot, how many hours are included, and when you get the images. Photos are the one thing you keep after the day, so this is worth the method.
Sep 28Settle final paymentsConfirm and settle the final balances for the venue, caterer and other booked vendors a few days out, and confirm everyone knows the plan. Clear payments before the day mean no invoices chasing you during it.
Sep 28Track deposits and payment datesKeep a simple list of every deposit and payment due, by date, so nothing is paid twice or missed. Bookings across the year hide in different inboxes; one list keeps them all visible.
Sep 28Tell the people who need to know firstCall or tell the immediate family and the closest friends before any public announcement, so nobody important hears it second-hand. A short, warm phone call settles more than a month of anxious guessing about who was told when.
Sep 28Book the musicBook the music that fits the day and your people, whether a DJ, a band, or a well-built playlist with a friend on the equipment. Agree the timing, the equipment, and the volume rules with the venue so the music runs to schedule.
Sep 28Hire a day-of coordinatorA day-of coordinator runs the schedule, talks to vendors, and handles the small disasters so you do not have to. If you cannot afford one, assign a calm, briefed friend to hold the timeline. The day will have problems; someone should be paid or appointed to own them.
Sep 28Book rentals for tables, chairs and linensIf the venue or home does not provide furniture, book tables, chairs, linens, and any equipment you need, matched to the layout and the guest count. Confirm delivery and collection times so the space is ready when people arrive.
Sep 28Do the catering tastingTaste the menu before it is final. This is where you confirm the food is actually good and the portions are right, and where the couple with strong opinions settles the menu calmly rather than on the day.
Sep 28Address and assemble the invitationsAddress, stuff and stamp every invitation carefully, and keep a clear list of who has what. This is quiet, error-prone work best done in one sitting when you are not tired.
Sep 28Weigh and post the invitationsTake a finished, stuffed invitation to the post office and have it weighed so you pay the correct postage, then send them all together. Oversized or heavy cards cost more and can be delayed or returned if underpaid.
Sep 28Track RSVPs and chase the stragglersKeep a running list of who is coming and chase everyone who has not replied by a few days after the deadline. The final number drives catering, seating and the day-of count, and it only exists if you ask.
Sep 28Run the ceremony to the planOn the day, everyone follows the run sheet: who walks when, who is where, what happens after. A rehearsal and a briefed helper mean the ceremony simply happens rather than being directed in the moment.
Sep 28Do a final walkthrough of the venueVisit the venue a week or two out, at the time the wedding would run, to confirm the layout, the light and the plan with the venue coordinator. This is the last chance to catch a mismatch before the day.
Sep 28Order the cakeOrder the cake you actually want to serve, sized to your final guest count. Confirm the flavour, the design and the delivery or pickup time with the venue, so the cake arrives intact and on schedule. A cutting cake with sheet cakes behind is a common honest compromise.
Sep 28Book flowers or plan the decorBook whatever greenery, florals or decor matters to you, sized to the space and the season. Confirm what is real, what is rented, and when it is delivered and collected. There is a wide honest range here, and the right answer is what you care about.
Sep 28Book the videographerIf moving images matter to you, book a videographer who fits the day and confirm the hours, the deliverables and the editing timeline. It is a genuine choice — some couples want it, some do not, and both are right.
Sep 28Sort lighting for an evening or outdoor spaceIf the celebration runs into the evening or outside, sort the lighting: where the light comes from, how it feels, and what is safe. Confirm what the venue provides and what you need to bring, so the space works after dark.
Sep 28Hire a photo booth or fun elementIf you want a photo booth, a games table, or another entertainment element, book it early and confirm delivery, staffing and how it is shared. It is a genuine extra that some couples love and others skip.
Sep 28Book transport for the wedding partyIf you want the wedding party to travel together or arrive by something special, book it once the schedule is fixed. Confirm the pickups, the times and the route so everyone is where the timeline says they should be.
Sep 28Order programs, menus and signsIf you want printed programs, menus or signs, design and order them once the details are final. Confirm quantities against the guest count. Many couples skip these entirely and the day is no worse for it.
Sep 28Arrange event insurance if usefulIf your venue, home or circumstances suggest it, arrange event insurance that covers cancellation or damage. Check what the venue already covers before you buy, and match the cover to your actual exposure.
Sep 28Plan the rehearsal dinnerIf you are hosting a meal after the rehearsal, choose the place, the guest list and the cost, and confirm who covers it. It is a social extra, entirely optional, and a common way to thank the people who helped.
Oct 5Ask who will stand with youAsk the people you want beside you, in person if you can. There is no required number and no required composition. Tell each person what the role actually involves before they accept, so there are no surprises about cost or time.
Oct 12Get your attire fitted and alteredTake your attire in for fittings with enough time for the work, the re-fits and any surprises. Alterations need lead time; last-minute tailoring is expensive and stressful and still may not fit.
Oct 12Make a welcome signIf you want a sign welcoming people as they arrive, make or order it once you know the layout and where it will stand. A simple, readable sign at the entrance removes the first awkward moment for guests.
Oct 12Gather accessories and shoesSort the shoes, jewellery, and any other accessories, and break them in before the day. Walk in the shoes, wear the outfit once, and confirm everything is where it should be in the day-of bag.
Oct 19Sort the wedding party's attireDecide what the people standing with you will wear, and give them enough notice and guidance to sort it. Be clear about whether you are covering the cost or they are, so nobody is surprised.
Oct 19Send the day-of timeline to everyoneSend the final day-of timeline to every vendor and helper a few days out, with the times they are needed and who to contact. A written timeline is the difference between a day that runs and a day that is asked about all day.
Oct 19Plan the load-in and load-outWork out how furniture, rentals and decorations get in and out, who does it, and when. A clear load-in plan means the space is ready on time and nothing is left behind to be collected after.
Oct 19Plan toasts and who gives themDecide whether toasts happen, who speaks, in what order, and roughly how long each runs. A little structure keeps the toasts warm and within the schedule, and gives nervous speakers a clear slot.
Oct 26Set a backup plan for outdoor plansIf the ceremony or reception is outdoors, decide now what happens if it rains — where you move, who decides, and how guests are told. A calm written plan removes a genuinely anxious decision from the morning of the wedding.
Oct 26Decide who leads setup and whenAppoint one calm person to own setup and the timeline on the day — someone who is not you — and give them the run sheet and the vendor contact list. Your job is to be present, not to run the room.
Oct 26Brief vendors and helpers on the morningOn the morning, walk the setup lead, vendors and helpers through the plan once, confirm the key times, and hand over contact details. A short, calm brief prevents a hundred small miscommunications.
Oct 26Give the photographer your must-have shotsSend the photographer a short list of the specific groupings and moments you most want captured — the people, the combinations, the shots that matter to you. A list makes the day's photography intentional.
Nov 2Run the reception to the planThe reception follows the timeline: toasts, first dance, dinner, and the moments in between, each with a time. A briefed coordinator or helper keeps it moving so the evening has shape rather than drifting.
Nov 2Hand the setup lead the contact listGive the person leading setup a printed list of every vendor and helper's phone number, and tell them they are the contact on the day. Your phone stays quiet and the day keeps moving.
Nov 9Do a final fitting checkTry everything on together — the full outfit, the shoes, the accessories — in the weeks before, and fix anything that is wrong while there is still time. This is the last moment to catch a problem.
Nov 9Build the seating planOnce RSVPs are in, assign seats or tables so people sit with the people they will enjoy and near the people they need to greet. A good plan keeps the meal moving and the mood warm. Do it once, then resist tinkering.
Nov 9Give the caterer the final headcountConfirm the final number of guests to the caterer and venue by their deadline, so the food, seats and place settings match who is actually coming. This number is the one every quantity hangs off.
Nov 9Collect dietary needs from guestsAsk guests about allergies and dietary needs on the RSVP, and pass a clear list to the caterer. A little collecting here means nobody is served something they cannot eat.
Nov 9Have the attire pressed and readyHave everything pressed or steamed and hung somewhere clean in the days before, so it is ready to put on without a last-minute ironing panic. This is a small task that prevents a visible, avoidable wrinkle.
Nov 9Arrange guest transport if neededIf parking is tight or the venues are far apart, arrange how guests get from ceremony to reception and home. A shared shuttle or clear parking and taxi information removes a real source of stress.
Nov 9Send clear directions and travel infoSend guests the address, parking, and any access details a few days out, in one clear message. A little clarity here removes the most common source of guests arriving late and stressed.
3–6 months out
Nov 30Arrange reserved seating for the front rowsDecide who sits in the front rows and how the reserved seats are marked, so the people closest to you are where they can see and be seen. A simple sign or note settles it.
Dec 7Decide on prints for familyIf family members have asked for prints, order them together once you have selected the images, so they receive the photos they asked for.
9–12 months out
Aug 9Pack the day-of emergency bagPack a bag with the small things that save a day: a sewing kit, safety pins, tissues, snacks, water, phone chargers, and anything specific to your attire. Assign it to one calm person who knows where it is.
Aug 9Eat and rest on the morningEat a real breakfast, drink water, and protect a little quiet time on the morning before the day begins. It is the least glamorous task on the list and the one most worth doing.
Aug 16Return duplicate or unwanted giftsSort the gifts after the wedding: note what came from whom, return or exchange anything duplicate or not wanted within the return window, and keep the thank-you list accurate.
After the wedding
Oct 26Select your photos with the photographerOnce you receive your images, go through them with your photographer and choose the ones for your album or prints. Doing it while the day is fresh makes the selection better and faster.
Dec 7Print your album or select printsIf you want a physical album or prints, order them while the photos are still fresh and the selection is made. Digital images are wonderful and many couples stop there, which is a perfectly good place to stop.
Aug 23Send thank-you notes after the weddingWrite and send a thank-you note to everyone who gave a gift or helped, within a reasonable window after the wedding. A short, specific note matters far more than a long, generic one.
Aug 23Preserve or clean your attire afterIf you want to keep your attire, have it cleaned and preserved properly soon after, while the stains from the day can still be treated. It is a choice — many couples keep their attire with no formal preservation.
Aug 30Sort the name change if you want oneIf you are changing your name, update the documents and accounts in the order that makes it easiest — typically the marriage document first, then ID, then the rest. It is entirely optional, and the decision is yours alone.
Walk into every supplier meeting knowing what to ask before you sign
The schedule above is yours to print. The Binder is what you take to meetings: what to ask each kind of vendor before you sign and what to get in writing, the order to give things up in if you run short of time or money and what each one actually costs you, a guest list and seating tracker sized to your numbers, and your day-of run sheet already filled in. It prints as one job.
What the Binder holds
PhotographerWhat to ask before you sign, and what to get in writing
CatererThe questions that reveal how a kitchen actually runs
OfficiantWhat to settle about the ceremony before the day
MusicTiming, equipment and the backup that matters
Every other vendorThe two questions that reveal most about any supplier
TriageWhat to give up first if you run short of time or money
TriageThe order to give things up in, and what each one actually costs you
TriageWhat a short engagement saves you, and what it costs
Open the BinderFREE · NO ACCOUNT · NO CARD · NOTHING SENT ANYWHERE
Opens a short sponsor step, then brings you straight back to this page with the Binder open. Your date and your answers stay in this tab — they are not sent with you.
How the schedule is built, and what it assumes
Every task carries when it should start, how long it realistically takes, and what must happen first. Given your date, the schedule places each task at the right moment, then sizes it by how long it takes. If the time you have is shorter than the plan needs, it compresses the essential tasks proportionally, moves the nice-to-haves to an if you have time list, and marks anything that now overruns the date as tight. Nothing is ever placed in the past — anything whose ideal start has passed is surfaced as start now, at the top, in priority order.
The plan assumes the shape and guest band you chose, and nothing else. It assumes no gender, no religion, no first marriage, and no single couple's composition — tradition-specific tasks are marked optional, because every tradition adds its own and this list is a starting point, not a complete account of anyone's wedding.
Your wedding date never leaves your browser. It never enters a URL, a link, or a network request. The schedule is computed entirely on this page, so nothing you enter is sent anywhere.
Print it, or save it as a PDF
Use your browser's print dialog to print the schedule as a dated list grouped by period, or save it as a PDF. This page prints from its own address — no separate file, so it is always the current version.
Common questions
- How far in advance should you plan a wedding?
- It depends entirely on your date, your guest count and the shape of your wedding — which is why this site does not publish one universal number. A twelve-month plan is right for some couples; a four-month plan with an honest triage is right for others. Enter your date above and the schedule computes exactly how much time you have against what the plan needs, and what has to give if there is not enough of it.
- What is the first thing to do when planning a wedding?
- Three things, before anything else: agree your budget, agree the rough guest count, and settle the date. Everything else in the schedule hangs off those three numbers. The guides page walks through the first two weeks in detail, and the schedule above places every task with a real date from them.
- Is there really enough time if we are planning in under six months?
- Yes — it is normal and it works. The schedule above tells you the truth about it: it states how many weeks you have against how many the plan needs at a comfortable pace, marks the tasks that have to start now, and moves the nice-to-haves to an if-you-have-time list. The guide on planning in under six months covers what compresses well and what does not.