Ultimate Wedding Checklist

6-12 Months

• Discuss the budget and who will pay for what
• Choose the kind of wedding you will have — theme, date, and time
• Look at reception locations and reserve the reception location
• Reserve the wedding location (speak with officiant/clergy, find out church/synagogue requirements)
• Choose the honored roles — bridesmaids, groomsmen, ushers, flower girl, ring bearer
• Discuss the guest list with fiancé and families
• Discuss honeymoon and reservations
• Develop an organization system for contracts, ideas, photos, invitations, gifts, and thank-you letters
• Choose and purchase your weddings rings
• Start looking for a wedding gown, veil, accessories and your attendant’s attire
• Start customizing and looking at invitations
• Begin to send out save-the-date cards
• Select your photographer, florist, caterer, and/or videographer
• Sign up for your gift registry

4-5 Months

• Place wedding announcement in the local newspaper
• Order wedding stationary (invitations, envelopes, programs)
• Start shopping for the bridal party’s attire
• Book limo/transportation
• Finalize arrangements with your florist
• Select wedding cake
• Start planning wedding decorations
• Decide on wedding favors (have favors to go with your theme, or contributions to a charity)
• Finalize your guest list
• Set time, date, and location for rehearsal dinner
• Arrange accommodations for out-of-town guests
• Select and book honeymoon night suite

2-3 Months

• Order your wedding cake
• Buy the cake knife, guest book, toasting glasses and garter
• Choose gifts for bridal party, parents, helpers
• Start addressing and sending out the invitations
• Customize your wedding vows, if you plan to do them yourself
• Check state/county marriage license requirements
• Plan ceremony, reception, menus, music
• Go on trials and book wedding day hair and makeup, bring your headpiece (veil)
• Plan reception seating
• Begin putting together your ceremony program

1 Month before the Wedding

• Confirm honeymoon reservations
• Meet with your photographer and videographer for last minute details
• Maintain a record of RSVP’s
• Pick up marriage license
• Confirm all final payment amounts, dates, and times with vendors
• Select ceremony readers
• Select ushers to seat your guests
• Mail invitations to rehearsal dinner
• Select your something old, new, borrowed, and blue

2 Weeks

• Write seating cards and place cards for the reception
• Call guests who have not yet responded to wedding and rehearsal dinner invitations
• Compose reception toasts
• Final fittings for yourself and bridesmaids
• Make a wedding day itinerary
• Pick up wedding rings
• Give photographer a photo checklist
• Give musicians a list of your music selection
• Pick up honeymoon tickets

1 Week

• Give reception venue/caterer final number of guests
• Pick up men’s formalwear and your wedding gown
• Pack for honeymoon and wedding night
• Confirm honeymoon travel arrangements
• Clean engagement ring
• Arrange mail collection and pet care for while you are on honeymoon
• Remind wedding party and families what time they need to show up for rehearsal

1 Day before the wedding

• Attend rehearsal
• Drop all wedding accessories and décor off at ceremony and reception locations
• Confirm wedding day transportation
• Get a manicure and pedicure
• Put out everything you need for tomorrow (marriage license, dress, shoes, accessories, etc.)
• Remind wedding party and immediate families what time they need to show up for pictures
• Speak with everyone in the wedding party and make sure they know where to be at what time
• Go to bed at a reasonable time and try to get some sleep

Wedding Day

• Show up on time for hair and makeup appointments
• Get dressed
• Switch engagement ring to your right hand before the ceremony
• Make sure the Maid of Honor has the groom’s ring and Best Man has bride’s ring
• Spend a moment alone to calm down before the ceremony
• Look yourself in the mirror and smile!