Need the ultimate wedding planning checklist for your big day? This post should cover everything for your dream wedding ceremony and Pinterest worthy reception.
If you are looking for a checklist to help plan a smaller celebration or elopement, click over to these other checklists: coming soon! Small Celebration Wedding Planning Checklist – Elopement Planning Checklist.
Free Printable Wedding Planning Checklist (check your spam!!)
Wedding Planning Checklist – Count Down to “I Do”
Immediately After Engagement
Go to my Newly Engaged? Next Steps post for more details on this category!
– To Do: Insure Your Engagement Ring
– To Do: Host an Engagement Party
– To Do: “The Conversation“
– To Do: Engagement Photos
12 Months from the Wedding Day
Hire a Wedding Planner
– Full Service Planning & Design: Designs event with you, sources vendor options, reviews and organizes contracts, manages guest list, coordinates a flawless event, and more!
– Partial Planning or Event Management: Finalizes last minute details, confirms vendors and guest counts, creates and coordinates your timeline for a seamless day, etc.
– Day-Of Coordination: Reviews timelines, expectations and vendor contacts in order to coordinate the moving pieces day-of your wedding.
– For reasons in favor of hiring a Wedding Planner, please visit this blog post
Once you’ve hired your Wedding Planner, then proceed with the following:
– Choose: Wedding Date
– Choose: Budget (your Full Service Wedding Planner can help here)
– Choose: Guest List
– Choose: Formality & Theme
– Hire: Venue for Wedding Ceremony
– Hire: Venue for Wedding Reception (if different from ceremony location)
– Hire: Caterer for Wedding Reception
– Buy: Wedding Insurance (required by most venues)
– To Do: Publish Wedding Website (to get the URL, even if you are still working on the details)
10-11 Months from the Wedding Day
– Shop: Wedding Dress (try to not over shop but have fun!)
– Shop: Wedding Invitations
– Buy: “Save-The-Dates” & Stamps (some online stationary companies offer postage as part of their bundle if you want to mail directly from their website)
– Brainstorm: Design Concept (your Full Service Wedding Planner will help a lot here)
– Choose: Color Palette
– Hire: Photographer
– Hire: Videographer
– Hire: DJ / Band
– Hire: Hotel Room Block + Add Room Block Link to Wedding Website (most hotels have a “courtesy block” of about 10 rooms you can reserve at a special rate without any financial obligation on your part – should you want more than 10 rooms, they usually want some kind of guarantee)
– Ask: Wedding Party to be Bridesmaids/Groomsmen/Maid of Honor/Best Man
8-9 Months from the Wedding Day
– Send: “Save-The-Dates” (if skipping this step, consider sending Wedding Invitations sooner)
– Buy: Wedding Dress (& stop looking at dresses otherwise you will overthink it)
– Buy: Shoes & Bridal Accessories (Jewelry, Veil, Lingerie, etc.)
– Choose: Gifts for Wedding Registry (even if you “have everything you need” add a few things for those whose love language is gift giving, it would be polite to show what you are open to receiving)
– Choose: Bridesmaids Dresses
– Schedule: Dress Fittings
– Shop: Florist(s)
6-7 Months from the Wedding Day
– Hire: Venue for Rehearsal Dinner (& Caterer if needed)
– Hire: Wedding Ceremony Musicians
– Hire: Officiant (or ask a friend to get licensed to officiate your ceremony)
– Hire: All Rentals (Wedding Day & Rehearsal Dinner)
– Hire: Florist
– Hire: Lighting Technician (lighting is a major part of design that sometimes gets overlooked)
– Brainstorm: Honeymoon
4-5 Months from the Wedding Day
– To Do: Begin Premarital Counseling
– Buy: Wedding Bands
– Buy: Wedding Invitations & Stamps
– Buy or Rent: Groom’s Suit / Tuxedo
– Choose: Groomsmen Attire
– Schedule: Suit Fittings
– Schedule: Hair & Makeup Trials (its common to have your trial the morning of your wedding shower so you can be dolled up for this additional event)
– Hire: Hair & Makeup Technician(s)
– To Do: Final Tasting with Caterer
– Hire: Bakery & Choose Cake
– Hire: All Transportation
– To Do: Help Parents with Attire Selections
– To Do: Book Honeymoon
2-3 Months from the Wedding Day
– Send: Wedding & Rehearsal Dinner Invitations (sending an additional invitation to those the Rehearsal Dinner attendees eliminates a lot of confusion around who is supposed to attend the Rehearsal Dinner)
– To Do: Pick Up Marriage License
– Choose: Write Your Vows (I wish we wrote personalized vows but we ran out of time – don’t make my mistake if this is important to you!)
– Choose: Ceremony Readings (for your officiant to share stories, scripture, etc.)
– To Do: Meet with Officiant (invite them to the Rehearsal Dinner)
– To Do: Start Dance Lessons
– To Do: Start on DIY Items
– Choose: Finalize All Menus (Rehearsal Dinner, Wedding Dinner, Wedding Late Night Snacks)
– Choose: Floral Mock-Ups
– To Do: 1st Wedding Dress Fitting
– Brainstorm: Wedding Favors
– Brainstorm: Hotel Block Gift Bags (water, vitamins, snacks, shuttle schedule, alcohol, etc.)
– Brainstorm: Special Dance Songs (Ceremony, First Dance, FOB, MOG, etc.)
– Choose: Music Suggestions/Playlists sent to DJ & Musicians
– Hire: Guest Entertainment (360 Photo Booth, Portrait Studio, Yard Games, Mini Golf, Audio Guest Book, Slide Show, Flower Favor Station, etc.)
– Buy: Wedding Party Gifts (robes, jewelry, ties, cufflinks, tumbler, etc.)
– Buy: “Thank You” Cards & Stamps
– Buy: All Miscellaneous Items (Card Box, Easels, Decor, etc.)
– Attend: Wedding Shower
– Attend: Hen / Stag Party
1 Month from the Wedding Day
– To Do: Assemble Gifts Bags for Hotel Block Guests
– To Do: Pay Vendors in Full
– Choose: Create Seating Chart
– To Do: Print All Signage & Paperie (Welcome Sign, Ceremony Sign(s), Seating Chart, Guest Book Sign, Card Box Sign, QR Code/Hashtag Sign, Place Cards, Dinner Menus, Bar Menu, etc.)
1 Week from the Wedding Day
– To Do: Final Dress Fitting, Take Dress Home
– To Do: Spa Day (Mani, Pedi, Waxing, Hair, Facial, Eyelashes, etc.)
– To Do: Practice Your Vows
– To Do: Pack for Honeymoon
– To Do: Give Final Head Count to Vendors
Night Before the Wedding Day
– To Do: Pack Clutch of Small Personal Items (lipstick, perfume, tissue, mints, etc.)
– To Do: Pack Car
– To Do: Steam Wedding Dress & Bridesmaid Dresses
– To Do: Prep Vendor Tips & Give to Wedding Planner
– To Do: Sleep Well
Day Of the Wedding Day
– To Do: Eat
– To Do: Breathe
– To Do: Say “I Do”
– To Do: Say “Thank You”
After Wedding
– To Do: Send “Thank You” Cards
– To Do: Share Photos
– To Do: Enjoy Honeymoon
Conclusion
I hope there is something you were able to take away from this Best Ever Wedding Planning Checklist for your Big Day. Remember to Pin this post for when you are ready for next steps.
Real Weddings – I am looking for couples ready to share their wedding day story and photos on the blog. Please complete this form, or email me at jenni@anexcitingday.com to be featured in my next REAL WEDDING post!
Vendor Spotlight – Are you a local Northern California wedding vendor? Interested in free marketing? Please email me at jenni@anexcitingday.com to be the next VENDOR SPOTLIGHT on the blog.
Join my email list to be notified of the next real wedding story!
This is so detailed, and just the thing for future brides (or grooms) to turn to for an organized approach! Thanks for taking the time to compile all of this.
This the absolute perfectly detailed wedding checklist! Loved this!🤩
Thank you!
Love how practical your article is with the timeline!
My pleasure! Thank you for your kind words.
I wish I had a checklist like this when we were wedding planning! Thankfully my mom and sister are very organized- this is a great tool.
Love this! Saving for my daughter some day. ♥️
Thank you!