Budget & planning
Wedding planning checklist.
A month-by-month checklist from the first big booking to the week of the wedding. Add your date for personal target months, tick tasks off as you go, and download a PDF — free, with no signup.
12+ months before
- Set your overall wedding budget
- Draft a rough guest list
- Choose a few possible dates
- Decide on a wedding style and vibe
- Start a venue shortlist
- Begin following inspiration and ideas
10–12 months before
- Book your ceremony and reception venue
- Lock in your wedding date
- Book a wedding planner, if you want one
- Book your photographer
- Book your videographer
- Start shopping for wedding attire
8–9 months before
- Book the caterer, if not through your venue
- Book the band or DJ
- Book the florist
- Book your officiant
- Send save-the-dates
- Set up your wedding website
- Reserve hotel room blocks for guests
6–7 months before
- Order your wedding attire
- Plan and book the honeymoon
- Choose your wedding party
- Book hair and makeup artists
- Register for gifts
- Arrange day-of transport
4–5 months before
- Order invitations and stationery
- Plan the ceremony details
- Choose the menu and schedule a tasting
- Order the wedding cake
- Book a rehearsal-dinner venue
- Buy your wedding rings
2–3 months before
- Send your invitations
- Finalise the playlist and special songs
- Start dress and suit fittings
- Write your vows
- Confirm details with every vendor
- Buy gifts for the wedding party
1 month before
- Chase up outstanding RSVPs
- Give the venue and caterer final numbers
- Create your seating chart
- Make place cards and table numbers
- Apply for your marriage licence
- Confirm the day-of timeline with vendors
The week of
- Pack for the honeymoon
- Confirm arrival times with vendors
- Delegate day-of tasks to your crew
- Prepare final payments and tips
- Rehearse the ceremony
- Break in your shoes
After the wedding
- Send thank-you cards
- Return any rentals
- Preserve your dress
- Leave reviews for your vendors
- Order your photo album
A calm order of things
One thing at a time.
Wedding planning only feels overwhelming when it all arrives at once. Grouped by how far out each task should be done, the list turns a year of decisions into a short, clear set of things to do this month — and nothing you need to worry about yet.
Book the big, slow things first — venue, photographer, caterer — then work down to the details: invitations, attire, the seating chart, place cards and final numbers. Add your wedding date and every phase shows the real month to aim for, so you can pace the whole year with confidence.
Questions
Planning questions.
When should I start planning my wedding?
Most couples start 12 to 18 months before the wedding. The earliest tasks — setting a budget, drafting a guest list and booking the venue — open up everything else, because popular venues and photographers book out a year or more ahead. The checklist above starts at 12+ months and walks you through to the week of.
What is on a wedding planning checklist?
It covers everything from the big early bookings (venue, caterer, photographer, band) through invitations and attire, down to the small final details like seating charts, place cards and final headcounts. The list is grouped by how far out each task should be done, so you always know what to focus on next.
How does the date-driven part work?
Enter your wedding date and each phase shows the real month to aim for — so "8–9 months before" becomes an actual target like "by March 2026". It turns a generic checklist into a personal timeline without any signup.
Are my ticked-off tasks saved?
Yes — your progress is saved in your browser, so it is still there when you come back on the same device. To plan across devices and share the list with your partner, create a free account and the whole checklist moves into your planner.
Can I print the checklist?
Yes. Download a clean PDF of the full checklist with your ticked items marked, ready to print or share. It is free, with no signup and no watermark.
Plan the whole wedding
One free tool here. The whole celebration inside.
Take the checklist with you — plan across devices with your partner and keep your budget, guests and timeline beside it, free, in one calm place.
Free to start · no card required