The Ultimate Wedding Planning Checklist for All Engaged Couples

Wedding Planning Checklist

You can prepare your dream wedding for a year or you can do everything in a month, depending on when you set your wedding date and how you imagined it would look. It’s all a lot easier when you have a to-do list and you can just easily go through it and cross out everything you took care of. That is why we give you the ultimate wedding planning checklist that you can slightly adjust to the time you have available.

Celebrate your engagement

• Set a wedding date (consider religious holidays and other important family and personal dates)
• Don’t forget that your engagement also is a time to celebrate – get your photos and plan an announcement party
• Tell your parents about your wedding date, and have a joint dinner with your parents, especially if they haven’t met before
• Decide if you wish to contact a wedding organization agency
• Agree on a preliminary budget for your wedding
• Research photographers, caterers, bands, ceremony styles, venues
• Start making the first draft of your guest list
• Plan the theme and time of your wedding: is it during a day or in the evening, indoors or outdoors, is it going to be a traditional wedding
• Decide on your wedding-themed party – all in white and beige, a beach wedding, destination wedding, etc.
• Look at the engagement and wedding band rings – make sure those complement each other; do research or find more here

Twelve to nine months before your wedding – you got this!

• Finalize the first guest list
• Find and if you can book a venue that can receive your number of guests
• Schedule your wedding at the church
• Research and find your wedding team: planner, photographer, videographer, caterer, florist, musicians
• Unless one of you or both know how to dance, go to a dance school
• Decide who is in your wedding party – Maid of Honor and Bridesmaids, Best Man and Groomsmen, Flower girl and Ringbearer
• Pick out your wedding dress and suit
• Flip through magazines and visit salons for inspirations
• Start researching how your wedding cake will look and taste
• Will you need to reserve rooms for out of town guests?

Seven to five months before your wedding – you are on a roll

• Revise the first list and make the final guest list
• Start collecting guests addresses
• Make a gift register
• Select invitations compose text (with the date to confirm arrival), print, mail, or hand in person
• Buy clothes for your wedding party
• Make an appointment with a limousine rental agency or if you have a close family friend who has a good car
• To help ease yourself and avoid the pressure and interference of parents, siblings, aunts, things you want to make on your own, give them small tasks ahead of time that will make them happy and allow you to make your own decisions
• Put together a timeline for your wedding
• Start your dress fittings, purchase your shoes and jewelry
• Book a makeup and hair artists
• Meet with your band or a DJ and see what are you going to need?
• Schedule the date, time and place of delivery of your wedding cake
• Meet with the wedding officiant and make sure you are on the same page
• Choose your honeymoon destination
• Book a hotel and plan for your honeymoon
• Get a leave of absence from work for your wedding and honeymoon
• Apply for a visa if you need it

Four to two months earlier – you’ve come so far!

• Remind yourself of the customs and plan the order of events on your wedding day
• Go to a cosmetologist for treatment
• Contact guests who come from elsewhere and see if they have a place to stay
• Finalize everything that is left – menu, design, dress…
• Send your wedding timeline to your vendors
• Purchase your wedding rings
• Decide who will be giving toasts and talk with them
• Decide what undergarments will you be wearing on your wedding day and night
• Set up your new regular fitness and skincare routine

Two to one month earlier – planning is almost done

• Call the photographer and arrange a time and place and make sure you indicate if you have any special wishes
• Choose groom and godmother gifts
• Contact guests who did not respond
• Make an appointment with your hairdresser and makeup artist whether you will be going to the salon on the wedding day or they will come to you and schedule an appointment for your wedding day
• Walk around the house regularly in wedding shoes to make sure you are comfortable on your wedding or elopement photographer will love the fact that touching up your wedding images will be minimal since airbrush makeup lasts so much longer than any other foundation.
• Go shopping for your honeymoon
• Have fun at your bachelor and bachelorette parties, and bridal showers
• Get your marriage license
• Get a haircut or a coloring
• Mail invitations for your rehearsal dinner
• Send final payments to your vendors
• Decide on your thank you gifts for guests

Two to four weeks earlier – wrapping things up

• Take a table plan from the restaurant and draw up a seating arrangement (one list should be made by table seating, the other by surname with the number of the table)
• Make speeches and toasts
• Check how the weather is going to be on your wedding day
• Finally, specify with all parties how the wedding will take place
• Confirm arrival times with all your vendors
• Confirm your wedding timeline with your partner and your wedding parties

One week before your wedding – relax

• Start packing for your honeymoon
• Make sure everything is flowing as planned around cake, vehicles, elopement photographers, decorators, music, catering
• Go for a makeup and hairstyle rehearsal
• The groom can schedule a haircut
• Visit a beauty salon (manicure, waxing)

The day before the wedding – it’s almost time!

• Visit a beauty salon and treat yourself to a relaxing massage
• Pack clothes and shoes if you want to change into something more comfortable during your wedding party
• Confirm with the registrar and at church and prepare all documentation
• Go to your wedding rehearsal and have fun
• Try going to bed early

It is your wedding day – have fun!

• Good morning, have a good breakfast
• Visit the beauty salon – hairdresser and makeup artist (bring your veil, bowls..)
• Pose for the photographer
• Enjoy your wedding because you have done your best to make it perfect, and if not everything goes according to plan, think that it is important that you are loved by people who love you and then nothing can spoil your best day!