Printable Wedding Checklist
Every task from 12 months out to the week after the wedding, grouped by when it needs to happen. Print it, or copy it into whatever you already use.
There are also condensed versions for 6-month, 3-month, and 6-week timelines, plus the day-before and day-after lists most checklists forget.
How to use this checklist
- Print it, or copy it into whatever you already use — the format matters less than having one list.
- Assign an owner to every task. Unowned tasks are the ones that get missed.
- Give every task a date, not a month. 'Book florist' with no date sits still for six weeks.
- Work backwards from the wedding date; the timings below are all relative.
- Do the booking tasks first and the aesthetic tasks last — venues and photographers sell out, napkin colours do not.
12 to 9 months before
- Set the total budget and agree who is contributing
- Draft the guest list with A and B tiers
- Choose 3 to 5 possible dates
- Tour and book the ceremony and reception venues
- Book the photographer
- Book the videographer
- Book the officiant
- Book the band or DJ
- Choose the wedding party and ask them
- Start dress and suit shopping
- Buy wedding insurance
- Create the wedding website and reserve the URL
- Send save-the-dates for destination weddings
9 to 6 months before
- Book the caterer and schedule a tasting
- Book the florist
- Book the cake maker
- Book hair and makeup and schedule trials
- Order the dress (allow 6 to 9 months for delivery and alterations)
- Book transport for the couple and wedding party
- Reserve hotel room blocks
- Send save-the-dates
- Book the rehearsal dinner venue
- Plan the honeymoon and check passport expiry dates
- Register for gifts
- Book any rentals — chairs, linens, lighting, marquee
6 to 3 months before
- Order invitations and all stationery
- Finalise the ceremony order with the officiant
- Choose readings and ask readers
- Order wedding party attire
- Buy wedding rings
- Book the ceremony musicians
- Confirm the menu after the tasting
- Plan the bar and confirm corkage rules
- Book the photo booth or any entertainment extras
- Arrange the marriage licence appointment
- Start writing vows
- Confirm the shot list with the photographer
3 months to 1 month before
- Mail the invitations (8 weeks out; 12 for destination)
- Set the RSVP deadline at 3 to 4 weeks before the wedding
- Have the first dress fitting
- Finalise the ceremony music cue sheet
- Write and finalise the vows
- Order favours and signage
- Draft the day-of timeline and share it with all vendors
- Confirm hair and makeup trial results
- Buy wedding party and parent gifts
- Chase outstanding RSVPs
- Apply for the marriage licence
- Break in your shoes
The final month
- Give the caterer the final headcount
- Build the seating chart
- Print place cards, escort cards, and table numbers
- Confirm arrival times with every vendor in writing
- Final dress fitting
- Pack the emergency kit
- Prepare vendor tip envelopes, labelled
- Confirm transport pickup times and addresses
- Send the final timeline to the wedding party and both families
- Delegate day-of jobs: rings, licence, gifts, decor setup, teardown
- Pre-pay any outstanding vendor balances
- Pack for the honeymoon
The week of, the day before, and the day after
| When | Tasks |
|---|---|
| Week of | Confirm final numbers, pick up attire, get cash for tips, rest |
| 2 days before | Steam or press everything, charge every device, pack overnight bags |
| Day before | Rehearsal, rehearsal dinner, hand out gifts and timelines, sleep 8 hours |
| Morning of | Eat breakfast, hydrate, hand the emergency kit to your point person |
| Day of | Give someone else the phone; you are not the coordinator today |
| Day after | Return rentals, collect gifts and decor, hand over the licence |
| Week after | Send thank you cards, review vendors, order the dress cleaning |
Short-timeline versions
- 6 months: book venue, photographer, and caterer in the first week. Skip save-the-dates and send invitations at 6 weeks. Choose an off-menu, in-stock dress.
- 3 months: pick a venue with in-house catering, use a weekday or Sunday date, order digital invitations, and use a rental or off-the-rack dress.
- 6 weeks: courthouse or small venue ceremony, restaurant reception, digital invitations, photographer for 4 hours only. Everything else is optional.
- In every short timeline, the rule is the same — book the things that can sell out first, and cut the things that only affect appearance.
Frequently Asked Questions
How far in advance should you plan a wedding?
Twelve months is comfortable for a full-size wedding, mainly because venues and photographers book out that far. Six months is workable and three months is possible with a smaller guest list and a flexible date.
What should you book first when planning a wedding?
Budget and guest list first, then the venue, because the venue's capacity and available dates constrain everything else. Photographer, caterer, and officiant follow immediately after.
When should wedding invitations be sent?
Eight weeks before the wedding for local guests and twelve weeks for destination weddings, with the RSVP deadline set three to four weeks before the day.
What do you do in the last month before a wedding?
Final headcount to the caterer, seating chart, printed stationery, written vendor arrival confirmations, tip envelopes, the emergency kit, and the final timeline sent to everyone with a role.
How many tasks are in a wedding checklist?
A complete 12-month wedding checklist runs to roughly 70 to 80 tasks. What matters more than the count is that each one has an owner and a specific date rather than just a month.
Can you plan a wedding in 3 months?
Yes. Choose a venue with in-house catering, a weekday or Sunday date, digital invitations, and an off-the-rack dress. Book the venue, photographer, and caterer in the first week.
Keep planning
A month-by-month countdown from engagement to the last dance, with 72 tasks in order.
Real percentages, average costs by category, and a calculator method that survives contact with reality.
Table shapes, capacity math, seating rules, and the order to place guests in.
Stop Printing. Start Ticking.
AI Wedding Planner loads the entire 72-task checklist with automatic due dates, owners, costs, and vendor links.
Start Free 7-Day Trial$29/mo after trial · Cancel anytime