The Ultimate Guide To Creating A Wedding Checklist

Planning a wedding can be a daunting task, but with a comprehensive checklist, you can make the process more manageable. The first step is to determine your priorities and budget. This will help you decide on the top three things that are important to you and allocate funds accordingly.

Next, break down your wedding planning checklist into smaller, more manageable tasks. For example, research venues can be further divided into research ceremony venues and research reception venues. Delegate tasks to your partner, friends, or family to make the process less overwhelming.

Some essential items on your checklist should include:

- Insuring your engagement ring

- Determining your budget and guest list

- Booking your venue and hiring a wedding planner, if desired

- Sending out save-the-dates and invitations

- Finalizing your menu and choosing a cake

- Selecting your wedding attire and having fittings

- Purchasing wedding rings and bands

- Finalizing the details with your vendors, such as photographers, caterers, and florists

- Obtaining your marriage license

- Creating a seating chart and timeline for the wedding day

- Preparing an emergency kit for the big day

Budgeting and booking

12+ Months Out:

• Have a conversation with all stakeholders: This includes anyone beyond you and your partner who will contribute financially to the wedding. Discuss and set a budget, and decide on a guest list.
• Decide if you'll use a wedding planner: If you can afford it, a wedding planner can be a great investment. They will guide you through the entire process and handle all the logistics.
• Research and tour venues: Start researching venues that fit your vision and budget. Most venues have minimum and maximum guest counts, so it's important to have a general idea of your guest list before finalizing a venue.
• Begin pulling style and decor inspiration: Pick a theme or style that reflects your personalities and tastes. This will help you create a cohesive look for your wedding.

11 Months Out:

• Touch base with must-have guests and vendors: If you're stuck between a few potential dates, check with your most important guests and vendors to find a date that works for everyone.
• Finalize your date and venue: With your guest list and budget in mind, finalize your wedding date and book your venue.
• Start booking vendors: In addition to your venue, start researching and booking other vendors such as caterers, photographers, bands or DJs, and florists.
• Determine your wedding party: Start thinking about who you want in your wedding party and begin planning how you'll propose to them.

10 Months Out:

• Start shopping for wedding attire: Begin the search for your wedding dress or suit, allowing plenty of time for fittings and alterations.
• Book hotel room blocks and transportation: Reserve room blocks for out-of-town guests and look into local transportation services if needed.

9 Months Out:

• Choose save-the-dates: Select a design for your save-the-date cards and have them ready to send out in the coming months.
• Plan your entertainment: Decide if you want a live band, a DJ, or other entertainment and book their services.
• Begin booking rentals: Start booking any necessary rentals, such as tents, tables, chairs, linens, etc.
• Have an engagement photo session: Consider booking an engagement photoshoot to celebrate this special time and get comfortable in front of the camera.

8 Months Out:

• Make your registry: Creating a registry will help you avoid unwanted gifts and give your guests a guide to shower you with gifts you truly want.
• Start your wedding website: A wedding website is a great resource for guests and can be customized to match your wedding theme.
• Send save-the-dates: Send out your save-the-date cards to give guests plenty of time to plan their attendance.
• Secure insurance policies: Don't skip wedding insurance! Understanding policies and their terms can be overwhelming, but it's important to protect yourself and your loved ones.
• Daydream about your honeymoon: Start thinking about your honeymoon plans and destinations. If you want to depart right after the wedding, make sure to give yourself enough time to unwind and relax before extending the celebration.

7 Months Out:

• Shop for wedding party attire: With your wedding attire selected, start shopping for your wedding party's outfits.
• Finalize all vendor hires: Ensure that all your vendors are booked and confirm their availability for your wedding date.
• Secure the rehearsal dinner location: If your venue doesn't offer a rehearsal dinner, book a separate location for this event.

6 Months Out:

• Attend premarital counseling: Premarital counseling can be a great way to prepare your relationship for marriage and align your goals and expectations.
• Shop for wedding bands: Start shopping for your wedding bands, allowing enough time for customizations or alterations.
• Renew your passports: If you're planning a honeymoon to a far-flung locale, make sure your passports are up to date.
• Secure your hair and makeup team: Book your hair and makeup artists, and schedule a trial to finalize your wedding day look.
• Complete your invitation suite: Finalize the design for your invitation suite, including save-the-dates, formal invitations, and any other stationery.

5 Months Out:

• Order formal invitations: Order your formal wedding invitations and have them ready to send out in the coming months.
• Finalize your menu: Work with your caterer to customize your menu and plan a wedding cake tasting if desired.
• Buy additional pre-wedding outfits: Shop for any additional outfits you'll need for wedding-related events such as showers, bachelorette parties, and rehearsal dinners.
• Finalize honeymoon plans: Finalize your honeymoon plans, including flights, lodging, and excursions.
• Book a ceremony officiant: If you're not getting married in a religious institution, book the services of an officiant.
• Begin optional wedding beauty upkeep: If desired, start any pre-wedding beauty treatments or routines, such as teeth whitening or a new skincare regimen.

4 Months Out:

• Send wedding shower invites: If you're having a wedding shower, send out invitations to your guests.
• Create a music wishlist: Work with your partner to create a list of must-play and do-not-play songs for your wedding.
• Plan personalized details: Add unique touches to your wedding, such as vow books, bar menus, signage, and other customized items.
• Finalize your ceremony program: Finalize the design and printing of your ceremony program if you've opted for one.

3 Months Out:

• Attend your wedding shower: Enjoy your wedding shower and spend time celebrating with your loved ones.
• Purchase thank-you gifts: Buy gifts for your family and wedding party members to express your gratitude for their support.
• Schedule your hair and makeup trial: Book a trial with your hair and makeup artists to finalize your wedding day look.
• Send formal wedding invitations: Send out your formal wedding invitations, allowing enough time for guests to RSVP and make travel arrangements.

2 Months Out:

• Enjoy your bachelor/bachelorette party: Take some time to relax and celebrate with your closest friends before the big day.
• Start writing your vows: Writing your vows early will help prevent last-minute stress and give you time to perfect them.
• Plan your favors and welcome bags: If desired, purchase wedding favors and welcome bags for your guests, allowing enough time for shipping and assembly.

1 Month Out:

Apply for a marriage

Guest lists and invites

The guest list is one of the first jobs on your wedding checklist. You'll need to know rough numbers to start thinking about your budget and looking for a venue that's the right size.

Step 1: Write a List of Everyone You'd Consider Inviting

Start with immediate family and close friends and work outwards, including colleagues, schoolmates, and distant relatives. This is your master list, but now it's time to start trimming it down.

Step 2: Separate Out Your Top-Tier Guests

Call them the A-list, the non-negotiables, the must-haves. You simply wouldn't get married without these people there. Highlight them and know that no matter how the list goes from here, they stay on it.

Step 3: Work Out How Many Guests You Can Realistically Afford

Deciding on a venue and a guest list go hand in hand. You can't fully figure out the latter if the vision for the former isn't set. Even if you don't have an exact location, you probably know what kind of day you want, and how many people it can feasibly hold. Can your wedding budget stretch to that many?

Step 4: Consider Your Parents' Input

Traditionally, both sets of parents get a say on who is invited to a wedding, particularly if they are contributing financially. It's your day, and your decision, but to avoid friction, loop mum and dad in early.

Step 5: Be Fair with Family

If four of your cousins are coming, the fifth will probably be upset if they're not. If your partner's great-grandmother gets a front-row seat for the vows, yours might be miffed to have been dropped from the list. It's not obligatory, but one effective way to avoid hurt feelings is to ensure you treat members of different families in the same way.

Step 6: Stagger Your Invites

Your first draft of the 'final' list probably won't be final. Etiquette dictates that you should send invitations at least eight weeks in advance. When you start posting them and the RSVPs start trickling in, you will probably get a handful of regrets. This doesn't mean you've been snubbed, it means life got in the way. The silver lining is that you now have space to ask the people you would have loved to include if you'd had room the first time around.

Step 7: Remember How You Feel When You Aren't Invited to a Wedding

If you don't get an invite to someone else's wedding, how does it affect you? Even if you think you're definitely on the list, you might feel a bit let down for a day or two, but you'd do your best to understand and move on. A wedding is one day, and anyone who truly cares about you will be there for you well after it takes place.

Step 8: Finalise the List and Send Invites

Once you've nailed the guest list, it's time to send out those invites. Invites should be sent out six to eight weeks before the big day. If you're hosting a destination wedding, these should be sent even earlier: four to six months in advance is ideal.

Step 9: Track RSVPs

Keep track of who has confirmed and who still needs to respond. This will help you finalise numbers for your venue and caterers.

Wedding attire

For the Happy Couple

The wedding attire for the happy couple is usually determined by the dress code, season, and location of the wedding. If you're having a black-tie wedding, the groom should wear a tuxedo, while the bride can opt for a floor-length gown or a sophisticated cocktail dress. For a more casual affair, the groom can go for a suit or even a Cuban-collar shirt and shorts if it's a beach wedding. The bride might choose a tea-length dress or a dressy pantsuit.

It's important to start shopping for wedding attire early, especially if you plan to have your outfit custom-made or tailored. This will give you plenty of time for fittings and alterations. Don't forget to purchase your wedding shoes and accessories, such as jewellery, and to break in your shoes before the big day to avoid blisters.

For the Wedding Party

The wedding party's attire should complement the couple's style and the overall theme of the wedding. It's a good idea to start planning the wedding party proposals early so that you can involve them in the shopping process. This will ensure that they feel comfortable and confident in their outfits.

Bridesmaids usually wear matching or coordinating dresses, while groomsmen typically wear matching suits or tuxedos. Don't forget to plan for any additional wedding events, such as the rehearsal dinner, and choose appropriate outfits for those as well.

For the Guests

The wedding invitation will usually give guests an idea of the dress code, but it's always a good idea to clarify with the couple if you're unsure. For a black-tie wedding, guests should wear formal attire, with men in tuxedos and women in floor-length gowns. For a more casual affair, men can wear a suit and tie, and women can opt for a dress or a nice pantsuit.

It's important to avoid wearing white as a guest, as this is usually reserved for the bride. Steer clear of anything too revealing, flashy, or casual, unless the couple has specifically requested it.

Cultural Attire

Traditional groom attire varies between cultures, and it's important to incorporate any cultural elements that are meaningful to you and your partner. For example, at Malaysian weddings, the groom typically wears a long-sleeved silk or cotton shirt called a "baju melayu," paired with loose pants and a "sampin" wrap. In Vietnamese ceremonies, the bride and groom wear an "áo dài," with the groom's outfit always being blue.

Food and drink

12+ Months Out From Wedding

When you are more than 12 months out from your wedding, it's a good time to start thinking about the kind of food and drink you want to serve at your reception. Do you want a four-course meal, bites from your favourite food truck, or a buffet spread? Will you have a full bar, a few signature cocktails, or just beer and wine? Knowing what you want will help you to create a food and drink budget.

10 Months Out From Wedding

Now it's time to start shopping for a caterer. Join a tasting event to help you choose between several caterers or different menu options.

9 Months Out From Wedding

Finalise the menu and decide on the service details. This includes the appetisers, entrées, side dishes, bread and butter, and dessert. Keep in mind that some of your guests might be vegetarian or vegan, so it’s always good to include some meatless options on the menu.

5 Months Out From Wedding

Buy any additional pre-wedding outfits, including for your shower, bachelorette party, rehearsal dinner, after-party, and any additional wedding weekend soirées, like a day-after brunch or a kickoff happy hour.

4 Months Out From Wedding

If you are planning to have a wedding cake, now is the time to hire a wedding cake vendor and do a tasting. Once you decide on your dream wedding cake, place your order and give the vendor plenty of time to work on it.

3 Months Out From Wedding

Attend your wedding shower and relax! This is also a good time to purchase thank-you gifts for close family and wedding party members.

2 Months Out From Wedding

Enjoy your bachelorette party! If you are planning to have a food station, such as a taco bar, now is the time to purchase any extra food items you might need.

1 Month Out From Wedding

Give your caterer the final guest count. Once you’ve sent out the invitations and have a clear idea of how many guests have RSVP-ed, give your caterer the final number. To be on the safe side, you can tell them to prepare a few extra dishes in case some guests decide to come at the last minute.

The rehearsal

The wedding rehearsal is an important part of the planning process as it allows you to work out any scheduling issues and ensures everyone knows what they are doing and when. The rehearsal is usually held the day before the wedding and should last about an hour. It is a good idea to invite all participants to a rehearsal dinner after the run-through.

• Start with a formal introduction (5 minutes): Introduce everyone involved, especially if some members of the wedding party are meeting for the first time. This includes parents, the officiant, the wedding party (including child attendants), and any readers or performers.
• Instruct the ushers (5 minutes): If your groomsmen will be serving as ushers, now is the time to communicate where you want them to stand to greet guests and how they should accompany guests to their chairs.
• Time the music correctly (5 minutes): Whether you have a live musician or recorded music, decide when the music should start and stop.
• Practice the processional order (15 minutes, run through twice): The processional is the entrance to the wedding ceremony. The order may vary depending on the type of ceremony you have chosen. For a traditional Christian ceremony, the order is as follows: Maid of Honour/Matron of Honour, Flower Girl and Ring Bearer, Bride and Father of the Bride.
• Practice readings (10 minutes): The officiant should review how they will lead the ceremony. This is also the time for any readers to practice their readings aloud and for everyone to gauge their speed and volume.
• Rehearse any special movements for the Maid of Honour and Best Man: If you have any special requests, such as organising the bride's dress or presenting the rings, communicate these requests and cues, and have the responsible individuals practice.
• Practice the recessional order (10 minutes): The recessional is usually in the reverse order of the processional. The married couple will exit first, followed by pairs of the wedding party, then the Flower Girl and Ring Bearer, and finally the parents and grandparents.
• Final Q&A (5 minutes): After the practice run, bring the group together to see if anyone has any questions. Go over when and where they should meet for the actual wedding.
• Thank-you's, final instructions, and invitation reminder for the rehearsal dinner (5 minutes): If you are hosting a rehearsal dinner, communicate the details to all participants.

Additional Tips:

• It is a good idea to give your wedding party plenty of advance notice for the rehearsal, so they can arrange travel plans and work schedules.
• The dress code for the wedding rehearsal is up to you. If you are having a semi-formal rehearsal dinner, let participants know in advance.
• If your ceremony venue doesn't provide a coordinator, choose a friend or family member to help you. The best person for this job is someone who is assertive and can corral everyone together.
• The rehearsal should not last more than 20-30 minutes.

Frequently asked questions