How to Create a Wedding Planning Checklist & Timeline

After announcing your engagement and planning your engagement party, you probably feel prepared and ready to start wedding planning. Knowing where to start and what the priorities are can be tricky, but having a wedding planning checklist and timeline can help.

Breaking down your wedding planning checklist into a timeline with monthly chunks makes the entire process much more manageable. Our wedding checklist works on a wedding planning timeline of 12 months, but you can customize it to fit your own timeframe.

Wedding Checklist Before You Start Planning

  • Write your ideal guest list: You can't determine a wedding budget or book a wedding venue until you know how many people you'd like to invite and how much money you're prepared to spend per head. It's a good idea to create a “no-ring, no-bring” rule and to know how many guests you’ll need to plan on budgeting for.
  • Decide your wedding budget: Figuring out how much you can afford to spend on your wedding is vital before you start planning. We have guides on how to plan a wedding budget, as well as tips on how to save for a wedding. If your parents are helping to pay for your wedding, make sure you know exactly how much they are willing to contribute.
  • Discuss the vision: Pull out your Pinterest boards! It’s time to decide on your wedding theme and color scheme. Be creative and represent yourselves as a couple. We recommend creating a mood board to collate your ideas and to look at wedding trends and real weddings for inspiration.
  • Start sending venue enquiries: Get a head start by making enquiries at wedding venues that interest you. Viewing online and in person and getting quotes from different locations will help you figure out what you like and what fits in your budget. Choose your wedding venue at least a year in advance, but look out for late availability or special offers for dates closer to the time.

Wedding Planning Checklist

As soon as you've booked your venue, you should book and attend a meeting with your registrar. These can be booked for any time between one year and three months before your wedding date, but it's best to get it out the way as soon as possible. On the day, you'll register your intention to marry, pay for your marriage certificate (some parishes will only accept cash payments) and be given a form (or it'll be sent in the post shortly afterwards) which asks for all of your wedding ceremony details. You will then have up until six weeks before the wedding to return your ceremony details, so don't stress if you haven't sorted it already.

Although you don't want to dwell on the worst-case scenarios, it might be a good idea to consider taking out wedding insurance before you spend too much money. As with home and contents insurance, wedding insurance prices vary depending on the level of cover you choose. Your policy will often cover scenarios like your wedding dress getting damaged or your venue going bust. We'd always recommend getting your engagement ring insured or added to your home contents insurance as soon as it's bought, too.

The booking of some wedding suppliers can be done a little closer to the wedding, but ones who get booked up quickly should be sorted as soon as your venue is confirmed. Wedding photographers and videographers are two of the wedding suppliers you really want to book as far in advance as possible. Photographers and videographers are two of the most important wedding suppliers as they will be the ones to create wedding memories that'll last forever. Other suppliers who should be booked early include your DJ or wedding band, plus any musicians you'd like playing earlier in the day. They'll be the life and soul of your party, and since they can only attend one wedding per day, it's a good idea to book your favourite pronto.

If the wedding venue you've booked is not going to be doing your catering, you'll need to consider hiring outside caterers. Think about the type of wedding breakfast you'd like – it can be a BBQ, hog roast or selection of sharing or grazing platters if you don't want something traditional – and go from there.

It's time to start wedding planning and this checklist will help you get everything done:

  • Book Your Florist: If you're not planning on doing your own DIY wedding flowers, it's a good idea to book your florist as soon as you know your theme and venue. Lots of florists will work on more than one wedding per day, so if you've got big ideas of flower arches and impressive hanging floral décor, there's nothing to lose from booking them early. Don't worry – you don't have to know exactly what you want just yet, as you and your florist are likely to head on a venue visit together later on in the process before you get everything finalised.
  • Order Your Save the Dates and Wedding Invitations: With all of your details decided and few months to go before your wedding invitations need to be sent (NB- you only send them at six months if you haven't done save the dates), you should get your stationery ordered. Most companies and designers will let you order a sample of your invite, so you don't need to do a mass order before being certain on design. Remember, stationery also includes orders of service, place cards, wedding signs and menus, but they can be ordered at a later date. If you're not sure what else you might like yet, let your designer know you might be in touch with a further order.
  • Assign Your Wedding Roles: Perhaps the most fun part of the wedding planning checklist is choosing and proposing to your wedding party. Depending on who you choose to be in your wedding party, there are lots of wedding roles to be delegated like the best man, maid of honour, ushers and bridesmaids. When allocating these roles, think about who will be the most helpful, and don't ask someone just because they asked you! Once you've decided on your wedding roles, pop the question to them with a fun gift.
  • Go Wedding Dress or Suit Shopping: When it comes to wedding outfits, it's worth noting that wedding dresses need more lead-time than wedding suits so the urgency of this task will depend on what you wear. Wedding dresses should be ordered and purchased between six and 12 months before the wedding. This gives plenty of time for the dress to arrive and lots of time for any alterations and production delays.

Wedding Checklist: 6 - 7 Months Out

Wedding suits can be ordered and made quickly, usually bought off the rack or rented, but shopping for these eight to six months before the wedding is perfectly okay.

Book your accommodation - if a wedding venue with its own accommodation isn't exclusively hired, make sure a hotel nearby is booked. Additionally, book out a set of rooms for your closest family and friends for the night of the wedding.

Send out your save the dates - anywhere from 12 to six months before the wedding, but if you're getting married during peak wedding season on a Saturday in summer, send them out as soon as possible. For clarity, they should outline the wedding date and what guests can expect after in the way of a wedding invitation or website.

Finding a Wedding Cake Supplier

Finding someone to make your wedding cake can be done closer to the wedding date than the booking of other suppliers, since cake makers can work on more than one wedding in a single day and wedding cakes can even be collected before the day. Look for a supplier close to your wedding venue, one that creates cakes in keeping with the theme. For example, a rustic wedding might call for semi-naked cakes. To finalize the design, send lots of photos of the kinds of cakes you like, and even visit them to make sure you're happy with it, all by the four-month mark. Be sure to confirm with the cake maker whether you'll need to pick up the cake or if they will deliver it, and when the payment will be due.

Transportation

If the wedding ceremony and reception are being held at different places, arrange for transportation to get the guests from one site to the other. Special transport could be arranged for the wedding party, so they can arrive in style. When booking transport for guests, also book transport for anyone in the wedding party not staying on-site the night before.

Bridesmaids and Wedding Party Stepping Out in Style

If there are bridesmaids, go shopping for their dresses and the wedding party suits after your own outfit is chosen. It may seem like six to seven months is a lot of time, but getting something everybody likes can be tricky. Purchase the outfits three to four months before the wedding, but an initial shopping trip before then cannot hurt.

When choosing outfits for members of the wedding party, remember any younger ones, such as flower girls or page boys.

Tasting Time!

When you make your booking, your wedding venue will invite you to a menu tasting. If you're using external caterers, ask them for a menu tasting between the six and four-month mark. Whether at a tasting evening with other couples or a private one, trying the menu choices will let you make the final selections for your wedding breakfast. If you don't want a traditional three-course dinner, consider delicious options such as hog roasts, sharing platters and BBQs. Double-check with the venue or caterers if anybody in attendance has food intolerances or special dietary requirements.

Hair and Makeup Time

If you or your wedding party are getting their makeup done, search our directory of hair and makeup suppliers and choose ones whose work you appreciate.

Wedding Planning Checklist - 8 Weeks Before the Big Day

Collect inspiration from Instagram and Pinterest and take it with you to your trials (which should be booked for any time between now and three months before the wedding).

Decide On & Create Your Gift List

If you've decided to have a wedding gift list, now is the time to fill it; this is because it needs to be ready in time for the posting of your wedding invitations. There are lots of advantages to creating a wedding gift list, including the fact that it saves guests the stress of deciding what to buy you and they won't waste money on gifts which you won't need or like.

Create Your Wedding Website

Wedding websites are great way to keep your guests up to date with all the plans for your big day, and there are plenty of free options out there. Most also offer a personalised email address which is perfect for keeping your wedmin away from your regular inbox.

Another thing to do before you send your invitations is to create a list of recommended hotels (covering a range of budgets) which are close to your wedding venue, as well as details of local transport (taxi numbers and reputable companies) so your guests can book cabs in advance. You might want to speak to the hotels and ask if you can arrange a discount for your guests in exchange for blocking out a substantial number of rooms. This is particularly important if your venue doesn't have accommodation.

Send Your Wedding Invitations

If you're not sending save the dates, wedding invitations should be sent around six months before your wedding day - and we'd always advise the more time, the better. If you have sent save the dates, you can leave sending your invites until a few months before the wedding. If you're not including all the finer details of the day on a wedding website, your wedding invitation should include details of your guest list, timings of the day, nearby accommodation recommendations, dress code, date and location. If you're asking for your guests to post their responses, remember to provide an address for RSVPs to be sent to and a stamp or cost of postage. If you're asking them to do it online or another way, make sure your details are super clear. Don't forget to include an RSVP deadline and ask for any dietary requirements to be submitted with their response.

Buy Your Wedding Rings

With four to five months to go, you'll want to purchase your wedding rings. Take your time to make the decision, because you'll be wearing it every day forever! Also, make sure you choose something which complements your engagement ring (if you have one), and set a firm budget. Designing a bespoke ring is a lovely alternative idea to choosing something in a ready-to-wear collection, but it might take a little longer. We'd recommended starting the process a little earlier on if this is the route you choose to go down. We also have a handy ring sizer tool which will help you guarantee the perfect fit.

Purchase Your Outfit Accessories

Since you'll have chosen your wedding outfits by now, you can start purchasing your accessories, like shoes, hair accessories, and lingerie. Grooms can buy shoes to start wearing them in, and pick things like their tie and cufflinks and suit accessories. You want to make sure you have your accessories well before your final fittings so you can see the final look ahead of the wedding day. Things like heels, cufflinks and belts can alter the way a garment fits so you want to have the exact ones you'll be wearing to the wedding to ensure any alterations are spot on. This is such a fun step in your wedding planning checklist!

Other Wedmin To Do

At this point, you will want to buy any finishing touches and extra pieces to decorate your wedding venue with. You'll also want to order your wedding guest book, buy all of your on the day wedding stationery such as orders of service, place cards, wedding signs and menus, as well as your wedding favours. This is also the perfect time to think about any additional wedding entertainment you might want. This could be anything from outdoor wedding games to photo booths. Decide on your table names. We've got a list of 47 fun table name ideas if you're feeling stuck. Purchase welcome signs and wedding signs for your dessert table, unplugged wedding announcement or outdoor area. Think about whether you'll be leaving any gifts in the rooms of overnight guests. Hangover kits always go down well! Do you need any final décor items?

Wedding Supplies and Payments

Wedding cake knives, ring bearer pillows, cake toppers and the guest book can't be forgotten! Print your menu cards, your programmes and your place names. This may involve another order from your stationery designer if you want everything to be uniform. How should your suppliers and guests address you? Consider your name change options well in advance - if you are planning a twist on the traditional you should let them know how you want to be formally addressed after you say I do.

With everything set in stone, now is a good time to ensure all of your wedding suppliers and vendors have been paid or there is a payment schedule in place to ensure payment. The last thing you want are outstanding invoices and unhappy vendors.

With all of your suppliers paid, it's a good idea to create a wedding day schedule to send to your vendors. Send your final wedding playlist to your DJ with details of your first dance and the song you want to end your wedding to. Florists and cake makers will need to know what time to arrive and drop things off, and entertainment will need to know when they can set up.

RSVPs and Seating Plan

You're soon going to be sending your venue and suppliers final numbers, making place settings and creating your seating plan. If you sent your invites at six months out, the one to two month mark should be when you chase those who haven't RSVP'd for a definite answer. If you're sending out your invites now at the eight week mark, you'll need to give guests four to five weeks to RSVP. You can start chasing them one month to three weeks before the wedding - but check with your venue for when they need the final numbers by. Some will give you a fortnight, some will give you three months.

With all of your RSVPs (finally) rounded up, you can write and order your seating plan. This is best left to the very last minute in case of any cancellations. Once you’ve created your seating plan, give your caterer a copy along with the final headcount and details of any dietary requirements (and where those with the dietary requirements will be sitting) the week before the wedding. This is really important as it will ease any nerves or last minute worries you have because you'll be able to catch up with your venue and on the day coordinator about every last detail.

You’ll go through the schedule of the ceremony and everything you need to know about how the legal aspects of the day are going to work. You can choose to attend as a couple, come alone or attend with a family member or friend, and the meetings usually won’t last much longer than half an hour. You can also take them through any special requests you have ahead of the day and ensure everyone is clear about timings.

Whether you've ordered a dream gown or a tailor-made suit, it’s time to head to your wedding dress alteration or suit fitting appointment a month before the wedding. This is an exciting appointment where any major alterations need to be decided (such as the adding of straps or changing length of legs/sleeves). Your final fitting will be the time to make smaller changes to the fit and should take place between one and three weeks before the wedding. Start to think about gifts for your wedding party and immediate family to say thank you. If you are having them, bridesmaid gifts or gifts for your groomsmen that they can wear on the day are perfect to give out on the morning of. You may even want to get a gift to give to your partner on the morning of the wedding, or prepare a sweet note for them.

Photography and Videography

A month before the wedding you should call or meet with your wedding photographer and videographer to inform them of any particular shots, moments or people you’d like captured. If you want group shots, you should let them know which ones, where and who will be involved.

Vows and Final Fitting

With a matter of weeks before the big day, it's time to think about your wedding vows. Though may write these closer to the time, we think writing your wedding vows within the month leading up to your wedding is a great idea as it gives you plenty of time to revisit and ensure you have said everything you need to. We have a guide on writing your own wedding vows, as well as some gorgeous vow books for you to read them from. Have your final dress or suit fitting between one and three weeks before your wedding.

Do It Yourself Simple Wedding Checklist

Planning an unforgettable wedding requires a lot of effort and attention to details. From deciding a theme and budgeting to writing a guest list and registering to marry - it all needs to be done in a timely manner. Making sure you're on top of all the tasks for your big day is important for an enjoyable experience. Here's a do it yourself simple wedding checklist which takes you from 12 months right theway through to your big day:

  • Start budgeting
  • Research venues and decide on a date
  • Come up with a guest list
  • Book the wedding venue
  • Buy wedding insurance
  • Book photographers and videographers
  • Invite guests with wedding invitations
  • Register to marry
  • Start working on your wedding speech
  • Buy a wedding dress
  • Pick your bridesmaids dresses
  • Find your dream honeymoon destination
  • Hire suppliers for the big day
  • Buy wedding rings
  • Get your wedding cake made
  • Buy wedding favours
  • Start planning your hen do & stag do
  • Practice wedding vows
  • Take care of wedding seating plan
  • Finalise menu, drinks & entertainment
  • Arrange wedding flowers and decorations
  • Book hair and makeup artists
  • Finish the wedding speech
  • Make sure you have a wedding emergency kit
  • Pack your wedding night bag
  • Remember to sign an A4 schedule document on the day
  • Consider changing your name
  • Write thank you cards
  • Arrange a photograph viewing day.

1 Week To Go: Get Wedding Ready!

With one week to go, there will be lots of beauty appointments to attend to ensure you look and feel your best on your wedding day. Consider if you'd like to book in for a facial, spray tan, haircut, waxing, beard trim and more. Go perfume or cologne shopping. Plan a wedding day surprise for your other half. Pack a wedding day emergency kit. Collect your wedding dress/suit if you didn’t take it away with you at the final fitting. Brief your wedding party on their roles for the day. Get Wedding Ready! Now for the part you've been waiting for! It's time to get ready. For brides, create a schedule so that you can get your hair and makeup (hair first, makeup after) done with plenty of time to spare. Give Out Your Wedding Party Gifts. Meet the Registrar. Do a First Look Shoot. Gather Your Thoughts After the Ceremony. Have Your Couple and Group Pictures. Collect Things From Your Venue. Store Your Wedding Certificate. Additionally, if you have your final fitting of your wedding outfit one week before the wedding, this gives you enough time for small alterations to be made, but this is not the time to ask for anything drastic - that should have been done in your first fitting. If there are no alterations to be made to your outfit, you'll usually take it home with you at this fitting. If there are, you'll go back to collect it the week of your wedding. Break in your wedding shoes around the house to break them in and ensure they're comfortable. Whether it's designer wedding heels or men's wedding shoes you're rocking, no one wants to experience pain on their wedding day.