Wedding Planning Checklist For Your Special Day

Congratulations on your engagement! It’s now time to plan your wedding!

The secret to wedding planning and event planning is to have fun with it. Lots of people in your life will have different pieces of advice on how you should organize this special event – from your wedding invitations, wedding bouquets, wedding decorations and even your wedding vows – but stay firm. It’s your day, so take charge and enjoy every moment from beginning to end.

To take the stress out of event management and bring back the joy of love, we’ve put together an easy to follow Wedding Planning Checklist. This wedding checklist, available below or as a printable PDF, features a comprehensive list of all the possible facets of wedding planning. However, if one particular activity is not something you’re personally wanting to do (or can afford to do!), simply ignore it and move on.

With this wedding planner checklist, you can make the celebration of your marriage as simple or as intricate as you wish. Let’s get straight into it.

12-14 Months To Go

Rings

▢ Choose your engagement ring (if he hasn’t chosen for you first!). Alternatively, find a designer to create you a custom ring.
▢ Once your engagement ring is purchased, consider getting it insured.

Engagement

▢ Announce your engagement.
▢ Decide what kind of wedding you want (style, theme, formal, informal). For wedding ideas go online and start browsing wedding blogs, bridal blogs and Pinterest. Create a wedding board on Pinterest and start pinning your favorite finds – wedding make-up, wedding flowers, wedding decoration ideas – or create your own wedding website or wedding blog.
▢ Throw an engagement party! If you can afford it, start generating excitement early by fully catering for food and drink otherwise organize a basic BYO affair. But be sure those you invite to your engagement are also on your wedding guest list or they’ll feel let down when they discover they haven’t made the cut.
▢ Did organising your engagement party wear you out already? Well, girl, that’s nothing. Consider hiring a wedding planner to help with the rest of your journey into marriage!

Event Management

▢ Set a budget. Will you be paying for all of it or will your families help? Find out as soon as possible, so you can save accordingly. Decide the most you wish to spend (then double it!). In all seriousness, establish a wedding budget early by writing a list of all the things you’d like to include in your wedding. Scale your priorities up or down by labelling items and activities as ‘must have’ ‘nice to have’ or ‘ideally have’. If it helps, compile a preliminary guest list.
▢ Put together some date options. If possible, keep it flexible.
▢ Start searching for wedding venues. Will your ceremony and wedding reception be at the same or different venue – or nearby? How many people do you need to sit? Do they have wedding packages? Do they allow outside catering? Know the right questions to ask.
▢ Book the venue or venues early! Once this is done, consider the date set.
▢ Consider purchasing wedding insurance.
▢ Decide who will be in your wedding party (Maid of Honour, Bridesmaids, Best Man, Groomsmen, Flower Girl, Ring Bearer) and invite them! Choose carefully – remember you’ll be conferring with regularly over the next year.
▢ Finalize your guest list.
▢ Pay any early invoices that are due.

Apparel

▢ Start searching for your bridal gown! For inspiration, visit bridal fairs, browse bridal stores and window-shop online. Alternatively, if you’re looking for something completely unique, research and select a dress designer.

Stationery

▢ Send out ‘save the date’ cards, email or text messages. There is no such thing as too early, particularly if there’s travel involved (e.g. destination weddings or people who will need to travel to you).

Memory Making

▢ Hire a photographer for your engagement party or visit a studio for some couple portraits
▢ Create a collage print of your engagement on canvas, acrylic glass or brushed aluminium.

Ceremony

▢ Start researching celebrants (secular or religious) who suits your personality, values and style.

8-10 Months To Go

Rings

▢ Finalize the design of your custom engagement ring and start wearing it!

Event Management

▢ Finalize your wedding theme, style and colors.
▢ Start researching wedding professionals, vendors whose job it is to help make your day the very best that it can be (be sure to secure an agreement in writing). Interview multiple vendors until you find one you connect with, admire and trust.
▢ Purchase as many items as possible early so you can check them off and feel a sense of achievement (otherwise later is fine too!).
▢ Meet with your bridal party (your partner too!) and make sure they know what their duties are.
▢ Pay any invoices that are due and review your budget to ensure you’re on track. Update accordingly.

Apparel

▢ Select a bridal gown or wedding dress designer. Be aware you will need to set aside time for a minimum of three fittings.
▢ Select bridesmaids and flower girl dresses or designer. Let them know to set aside time for at least two fittings.

Stationery

▢ Discuss the design and wording of your wedding invitation with your families and stationer or consider online invitations (Greenvelope, Paperless Post). Include links to travel and accommodation information. For paper invites consider links to sites that service this online detail such as weddingchannel.com.

Memory Making

Start researching:
▢ Wedding photographers
▢ Wedding videographers
▢ Canvas Factory wall prints
▢ Photo albums

Ceremony

▢ Book a wedding celebrant (secular or religious) and fill in any required licensing paperwork.

Reception

▢ Select an MC for your reception.
▢ Start searching for wedding reception caterers and looking at menus.
▢ Start searching for wedding cakes, bakers/cake designer/Pâtissiers and doing taste testings (essential!).

Honeymoon

▢ Start talking seriously with your partner about honeymoon options and begin researching airfares, accommodation, transport and entertainment.

6-8 Months To Go

Rings

▢ Choose your wedding bands (take him shopping!). Alternatively, find a designer to create some custom rings.
▢ Decide what you’d like to get engraved on each of the rings.
▢ Arrange ring resizing and engraving, as required.
▢ Once your wedding bands are purchased, consider getting them insured.

Event Management

▢ Decide what type of gift you’d like your guests to give: online gift registry, instore gift registry, cash via a wishing well and/or charity donation.
▢ Arrange a gift registry should you decide to have one.
▢ Pay any invoices that are due and review your budget to ensure you’re on track. Update accordingly.

Apparel

▢ Have your first dress fitting.
▢ Hire or purchase the groom’s tux and groomsmen tux and ties.
▢ Start searching for bridal shoes, bridesmaid shoes and accessories for all.

Stationery

▢ Start researching stationery.

Consider the theme and colors of your party as you might like to coordinate the invitation with other items for the day such as programs, menu cards, place names, favors and thank you cards, including:
▢ Wedding invites
▢ Announcements
▢ Map/direction cards
▢ Reply cards
▢ Ceremony cards
▢ Postage
▢ Calligrapher
▢ Newspaper announcement
▢ Thank you notes
▢ Rehearsal dinner invitations
▢ Bridesmaid luncheon invitations
▢ Wedding programs
▢ Address labels

Flowers

Finalize and order your wedding flowers:
▢ Brides bouquet
▢ Bridesmaids bouquets
▢ Corsages
▢ Boutonnière
▢ Reception centerpieces
▢ Altarpiece
▢ Pew/chair bows
▢ Throw away bouquet
▢ Flower girls’ flowers

Gifts

▢ Start researching wedding gifts for bridal party and guests (favors). Consider the theme and colors of your stationery as you might like to coordinate your gifts with the invitation, menu cards, place names and thank you cards.

Memory Making

Book your:
▢ Photographer
▢ Videographer

Ceremony

Book the:
▢ Limousine/Carriage for wedding party
▢ Transportation for special guests
▢ Childcare for special guests

Reception

▢ Decide on a wedding cake and book in the cake designer/Pâtissier.
▢ Book the caterer and decide on the menu. Taste test if necessary.

Book the party:
▢ Musician/ Entertainment
▢ Bar tender
▢ Security

Miscellaneous

Book a:
▢ Hairdresser for your partner for the week prior to the wedding day.
▢ Hairdresser for you and your bridal party for the big day
▢ Make-up for you and your bridal party for the big day
▢ Manicure/pedicure for you and your bridal party a week prior to the day
▢ Hotel for you and your bridal party

Honeymoon

▢ Book your honeymoon airfare, accommodation, transport (e.g. rental car) and entertainment.

4-6 Months To Go

Rings

▢ Finalize the design and purchase of your custom wedding rings and, once received, keep them in a safe place!

Event Management

▢ Pay any invoices that are due and review your budget to ensure you’re on track. Update accordingly.
▢ Finalize your guest list. Get everyone’s postal or email addresses.

Apparel

▢ Bridesmaids, flower girls and mother of bride to have their first dress fitting.
▢ Check in with the groom that he and the groomsmen are all sorted with suits, ties, shoes and belts.

It’s time to go shopping! It’s time to buy:
▢ Bridal Shoes
▢ Bridal slip
▢ Lingerie
▢ Hosiery
▢ Jewellery
▢ Bridal Headpiece/veil
▢ Bridal gloves
▢ Bridesmaid dresses
▢ Bridesmaid accessories
▢ Bridesmaid shoes
▢ Garters
▢ Going-away outfit (if you feel that way inclined!)
▢ Honeymoon clothes
▢ Children’s apparel

Stationery

It’s decision-making time! Order all your stationery:
▢ Wedding invitations
▢ Announcements
▢ Map/direction cards
▢ Reply cards
▢ Ceremony cards
▢ Postage
▢ Thank you notes
▢ Rehearsal dinner invitations
▢ Bridesmaid luncheon invitations
▢ Bachelor party invitations
▢ Wedding programs
▢ Address labels

▢ Confirm the text in your invitation with your stationer and revise as necessary. Request a sample and make sure it’s 100% correct! There’s no turning back once it’s gone to the printer!
▢ Hire a calligrapher if needed.

Gifts

▢ If you and your groom wish to buy a gift for each other on your wedding day, now is the time to do that.

Also on the list for you to tick off are:
▢ Bridal Party gifts
▢ Favors

Ceremony

▢ Meet with celebrant to discuss plans for the ceremony.
▢ Book the limousine or carriage for the bridal party.
▢ Book the ceremony chairs or pew rental.
▢ Organize ushers.

It’s time for more shopping! If needed, it’s time to buy:
▢ Altar/arch decorations
▢ Guest book/pen
▢ Ring bearer pillow
▢ Flower girl basket
▢ Unity candle
▢ Aisle runner

▢ Choose ceremony readings.
▢ Start discussing vows with your partner and celebrant. Would you like to include some unique promises within the ceremony? If so, start thinking about what you and your partner might like to say.

Reception

▢ Finalize arrangements for your desired décor with the reception venue host or your wedding planner.
▢ Book the groom’s cake, if relevant.

The shopping isn’t over yet! It’s time to buy:
▢ Cake knife
▢ Cake table decorations
▢ Servers
▢ Table decorations
▢ Other decorations
▢ Guest book
▢ Rice/Rose petals/bubbles

If the venue doesn’t provide it, it’s time to book hire for:
▢ Crockery
▢ Cutlery
▢ Glassware
▢ Napkins
▢ Linen
▢ Tables
▢ Chairs
▢ Parking
▢ Gratuities
▢ Limousine/Carriage
▢ Transportation
▢ Childcare
▢ Balloons

Rehearsal Dinner

▢ The rehearsal dinner is often held on a Friday night, the night before the wedding, to give people an opportunity to attend after work.
▢ Put together guest list for rehearsal dinner.
▢ Book the rehearsal venue.
▢ Book the rehearsal dinner venue. It may even be your own home.

Book the:
▢ Caterer
▢ Bartender
▢ Liquor
▢ Tables/chairs
▢ Decorations
▢ Security
▢ Music
▢ Sound system
▢ Guest parking
▢ Dishes
▢ Centerpieces
▢ Linens
▢ Food
▢ Servers

▢ Or, if you want to make the whole thing super easy, just book a big banquet table at a restaurant!

Miscellaneous

▢ Do a hair and make-up trial. You, the bride only for this one!
▢ Some church celebrants (officiants) will recommend pre-marriage counseling. Organize this now.
▢ It’s time for the girls to start planning the hen’s night! Be sure to let them know what you would (and wouldn’t) like to do. Let the girls arrange everything. You’ve got enough on your plate!
▢ Check in with the host of your bridal shower to see how they’re going. Make sure you’ve sent them a list of who to invite. What’s a bridal shower? Oh my, girlfriend, you haven’t lived! Will anyone attend? Only under duress!
▢ Send out your bridesmaid luncheon invitations. You can hold this anytime (or not at all!). It’s a traditional way to say thank you. An ideal time to host this is in the month prior to the wedding, so it doesn’t interfere with last-minute rush. It doesn’t have to be a luncheon – a morning tea or high tea will also win hearts.

Honeymoon

▢ Make sure your passports are in a safe place and not about to expire!

2-4 Months To Go

Event Management

▢ Pay any invoices that are due and review your budget to ensure you’re on track. Update accordingly.
▢ Supply guest list to maid of honour and best man for bridal shower/kitchen tea/hen’s/bucks and rehearsal events.

Apparel

▢ Have your second wedding dress fitting. Bring your new shoes along so your dressmaker can ensure your gown is the right length.
▢ Give your bridesmaids and flower girls all their accessories.

Stationery

▢ Finalize your guest list. You need to send out the invitations 6-8 weeks before the ceremony. The RSVP cutoff date is meant to be three weeks after you send them.
▢ Send out invitations! Yay! It’s very real now! As you receive them, record the RSVPs and dietary requirements for you, your caterer, venue host and wedding planner.

Ceremony

▢ Meet with your celebrant to finalize ceremony details.
▢ Finalize the ceremony seating plan.
▢ Finalize readers and readings.
▢ Choose music you would like to have played before and after the ceremony and/or discuss music options with live musicians.
▢ Start putting together wedding programs or booklets and church ceremony readings, if required.

Reception

▢ Invite friends, family and members of the bridal party to make a speech on the night. Confirm their acceptance.
▢ Start drafting a running sheet. Work with the groom and your MC. A running sheet is basically a schedule of the event from beginning to end (wedding party arrival, speeches, cake cutting, first dance).
▢ Choose the style of music and key songs you’d like to have at the reception (and which you absolutely detest!). Work with your DJ, musician or band. While wedding entertainers do like some flexibility, but sure to at least decide what should be playing when the bride and groom arrive, during dinner and for the first dance.
▢ Finalize the reception seating plan.

Rehearsal Dinner

▢ Send out rehearsal dinner invitations

Miscellaneous

▢ Book a hotel for guests from out of town and arrange welcome baskets.
▢ Finalize the gift registry. To keep guests happy, be sure to include enough options within each price range.

Honeymoon

▢ Schedule doctor’s appointment for any vaccinations you may need for a safe, healthy time away.

1 Month To Go

Event Management

▢ Pay any invoices that are due and review your budget to ensure you’re on track. Update accordingly.
▢ Meet with and ring vendors to confirm dates, finalize deposits and invoices and discuss details.
▢ Continue processing those RSVPs!

Apparel

▢ Have your third dress fitting. It’s time to confirm with your dressmaker that these will be the final alterations.
▢ Bridesmaids, flower girls and mother of bride to have their second and final dress fitting. They pick up their dresses.
▢ Start breaking in your wedding shoes. Give yourself plenty of time to practice walking in them, particularly if you’re not used to the size heel you’ve selected.

Gifts

▢ Did you decided to make your own favors? You better get cracking!

Memory Making

▢ Chat with your videographer and videographer to discuss locations for photos, talk through specific shots you’d like and hear their ideas. Meet with them on location and do a walk through if required.

Ceremony

▢ Finalize your wedding vows. Go on. Check if he’s written his yet!

Book the party:
▢ Transportation for special guests
▢ Childcare for special guests

▢ Finalize wedding programs or booklets and church ceremony readings.
▢ Decide on ‘Something Old, New, Borrowed, Blue’.

Reception

▢ Finalize the running sheet and send it to everyone who needs one – Venue, Caterers, MC, DJ, Band.

Rehearsal Dinner

▢ Make sure everything is organized for the rehearsal dinner.

Miscellaneous

▢ Attend the bridesmaid luncheon.

Honeymoon

▢ Reconfirm all the arrangements for your honeymoon. This is one holiday you want to ensure runs smoothly!
▢ Arrange for someone to care for your pets and plants while you’re away.

3-4 Weeks To Go

Event Management

▢ Pay any invoices that are due and review your budget to ensure you’re on track. Update accordingly.
▢ Start chasing down RSVPs. Frustrating, right? But it’s very important you have the numbers right before finalising the seating plan.
▢ Write a list covering who needs to do what, where and when. Delegate the last-minute, pre-wedding and wedding day duties!

Apparel

▢ Do your bridesmaids and flower girls have everything they need? Ask them to check!
▢ Have your final fitting and pick up your dress!

Stationery

▢ Write thank you cards for shower gifts and for any early wedding gifts you may have received.

Honeymoon

▢ Send family members your honeymoon itinerary so they know where you are and how they may be able to reach you in an emergency.

Miscellaneous

▢ Submit a newspaper wedding announcement.

1-2 Weeks To Go

Event Management

▢ Pay any invoices that are due and review your budget to ensure you’re on track. Update accordingly.
▢ Put together a time and location schedule for the entire day – hair, makeup, ceremony, reception – and include a list of contact numbers. Send the list to those who have an important role to play on the day (e.g. MC, celebrant, photographer, drivers, bridal party, father of the bride).
▢ Assign friends, family or bridal party to various tasks – someone to bustle your dress, carry your personals and transport your gifts.

Apparel

▢ Try on your dress again, just to make sure! Consider it a full dress rehearsal and wear your bridal jewellery, shoes and underwear. Call on your dressmaker if any emergency alterations are required.
▢ If the men in the bridal party have had their suits tailored or hired, make sure they have had their final suit fitting.
▢ Assign someone to return tuxes and rentals and hand out tips

Flowers

▢ Confirm delivery times and addresses with florist.

Ceremony

▢ Make sure your celebrant has a copy of your wedding vows.

Reception

▢ Start writing your wedding speech.
▢ Finalize the place cards based on the reception seating plan. To help plan place settings, draw out table shapes based on the room layout. Use post-it notes as place cards so you have the flexibility to move people around without redrawing it each time.
▢ Give final catering numbers to the caterer. Make sure they have all the special dietary requirement requests. And remember it’s their job to negotiate this complex minefield!
▢ Plan father/daughter dance and last dance.

Rehearsal Dinner

▢ Confirm all is organized for the rehearsal dinner, you have everything you need and everyone knows where they’re going.

Miscellaneous

▢ Get your hair cut and colored, if you wish.
▢ Have your final beauty appointments – eyebrow, leg and bikini wax plus a facial and spray tan (if desired).
▢ Have fun at your hen’s party! Here’s hoping your maid of honour has organized something special for you. Don’t drink too much! Oh, go on then …
▢ Forgive your husband-to-be for anything untoward that may have happened on his buck’s night. Blame his friends, instead.
▢ Put together a Bridal Emergency Kit or Wedding Day Survival Kit containing items that you may need, but hopefully won’t! For example, tweezers, dental floss, superglue tampons – you get the idea.
▢ Assemble the welcome baskets to visiting guests.
▢ Pick up marriage license.
▢ Get tip envelopes ready.

3-4 Days To Go

Event Management

▢ Pay any invoices that are due and review your budget to ensure you’re on track. Update accordingly.
▢ Check the weather reports. If they are predicting rain, snow or – heaven forbid – cyclone, make sure the venues and vendors all have contingency plans in place.

Apparel

▢ Get everything you need together in the one place.

Stationery

▢ Deliver all required stationery items to the ceremony and reception venues.

Gifts

▢ Deliver all required gifts to the reception venue

Ceremony

▢ Check in on decoration of the venue.
▢ Confirm that everyone has their readings.

Reception

▢ Finish your wedding speech.
▢ Check in on decoration of the venue.
▢ Arrange for someone to pack your gifts and other belongings after the reception party, including the top tier of your cake.

Honeymoon

▢ Start packing for your honeymoon. Yes, you have to fit in some time to do laundry. Not every day can be glamourous!

1 Day To Go

Rings

▢ Lay out your rings!

Event Management

▢ Pay any invoices that are due and review your budget to ensure you’re on track. Update accordingly.

Apparel

▢ Lay out your clothes.

Flowers

▢ Pick up all the flowers (actually, get someone else to!) and make sure they’re distributed accordingly.

Gifts

▢ Give your fiancé his wedding gift.

Rehearsal Dinner

▢ Attend rehearsal and dinner. Enjoy your last night as a single woman (with your fiancé by your side, of course!)
▢ Give out gifts to your bridal party.

Miscellaneous

▢ Distribute the welcome baskets to visiting guests.
▢ Get your beauty sleep. Go to bed early! Easier said than done, for sure.

Honeymoon

▢ Finalize packing! Don’t forget to pack your passport!

The Big Day!

Rings

▢ Give the rings to the best man or ring bearer.

Event Management

▢ Don’t stress on the day. It’s too late then, anyway! Everything will be fine.

Flowers

▢ Don’t forget to throw your bouquet!

Memory Making

▢ Smile until you cannot possibly smile anymore then smile some more!

Ceremony

▢ After the ceremony, greet everyone and thank them for attending.

Reception

▢ Feel the love. Gaze into your new husband’s eyes. Don’t get lost in the crowd – stop to appreciate him as well.
▢ Dance the night away.

Miscellaneous

▢ Allow plenty of time to get ready.
▢ Eat a good breakfast!
▢ Have your hair and make up done.
▢ Begin getting dressed two hours before the ceremony.
▢ Live in the moment. Enjoy it all.

2-3 Days After

Event Management

▢ Pay any invoices that are due and review your budget to ensure you’re on track. Update accordingly.
▢ Ensure hire companies have picked up their goods from the ceremony and reception venues.

Apparel

▢ Make sure your groom and groomsmen return any hired tuxes.

Honeymoon

▢ Relax! Enjoy! You did it!
▢ Get used to introducing yourself and your husband! ‘This is my husband …’

2-3 Weeks After

Event Management

▢ Pay any invoices that are due and review your budget to ensure you’re on track. Update accordingly.

Apparel

▢ Arrange gown preservation and/or cleaning.

Stationery

▢ Write and send your guests thank you cards. Don’t leave it too late! 8 weeks maximum!

Gifts

▢ Exchange any unwanted or duplicate gifts from your gift registry.

Memory Making

▢ Check in with your photographer to see how the edited proofs are coming along and with your videographer to see how the edited footage is going.

Miscellaneous

▢ Start practicing your new signature. Oh, we know you’ve done that already!

4-6 Weeks After

Memory Making

▢ Receive images and video from photographer and videographer.
▢ Put your favourite wedding photos onto a beautiful custom Canvas Factory print. You can choose collage, themed, split image or wall displays in canvas, acrylic glass or brushed aluminium.

6-10 Weeks After

Miscellaneous

Arrange name changes for:
▢ passport
▢ driver’s licence
▢ credit cards
▢ bank accounts
▢ mortgage
▢ health insurance
▢ superannuation
▢ IRS
▢ vehicle registration
▢ voter registration

Congratulations! You did it! Your fairytale wedding was a success. Good luck with all that the future is yet to bring you and your husband.