Treat the timeline as a guide, not a rulebook. If you’re planning in six months, start at the top anyway and work through the earlier sections quickly. Popular venues and vendors book first, so those come before anything decorative.
12+ months before: lay the foundation
Every later decision depends on three numbers: your budget, your guest count and your date. Settle those first.
- Talk through your vision together: size, style, season, formal or relaxed
- Set a total budget and agree who is contributing what
- Draft a rough guest list to get a working headcount
- Decide whether you’ll use a wedding planner or day-of coordinator
- Choose two or three possible dates
- Tour venues and book your ceremony and reception spaces
- Start a shared spreadsheet or planning tool for budget, guests and vendors
- Ask your wedding party
- Look into wedding insurance
Once the venue is signed, your date is real. Everything else books around it.
9 to 12 months before: book the big vendors
The vendors who can only work one wedding per day fill their calendars first. Secure them now.
- Book your photographer and videographer
- Book your caterer, if the venue doesn’t provide one
- Book your band or DJ
- Start shopping for wedding attire; gowns can take 6 to 9 months to arrive
- Choose your wedding colours with our colour palette generator
- Create a wedding website with your date, venue, travel details and FAQs
- Reserve hotel room blocks for out-of-town guests
- Book an engagement photo session, if you want one
- Send save-the-dates, especially for destination or holiday weddings
A wedding website saves you dozens of repeat questions later. Share the link on your save-the-dates so guests know where to look.
6 to 9 months before: shape the look and feel
With the major pieces booked, this stretch is about style and guest experience.
- Book your officiant and talk through the ceremony structure
- Hire a florist and decide on bouquets, centrepieces and ceremony flowers
- Choose wedding party attire and share ordering deadlines
- Set up your gift registry and add it to your website
- Book hair and makeup artists and schedule trials
- Plan the rehearsal dinner and book its venue
- Start planning your honeymoon and check passport expiry dates
- Book any extras: photo booth, lighting, lawn games, a videographer if not done yet
3 to 6 months before: lock in the details
This is when the smaller, practical pieces fall into place.
- Order invitations and other stationery: programs, menus, place cards
- Finalize the guest list and collect mailing addresses
- Choose and order wedding rings, allowing time for sizing or engraving
- Hold a tasting and order your cake or desserts
- Book rentals: tables, chairs, linens, tents, tableware
- Arrange transportation for the couple, wedding party and guests if needed
- Check marriage licence requirements where you’re marrying, including wait periods and ID
- Buy shoes and accessories and schedule your first dress fitting
- Choose ceremony readings and start writing vows if you’re writing your own
1 to 3 months before: invitations out, plans firm up
Invitations usually go out 6 to 8 weeks ahead, with an RSVP deadline about 3 to 4 weeks before the wedding.
- Mail invitations and set your RSVP deadline
- Draft a day-of timeline with your planner, venue and photographer
- Give your photographer a shot list of must-have family groupings
- Send your DJ or band your must-play and do-not-play songs
- Buy gifts for your wedding party and parents
- Have your final hair and makeup trial
- Apply for your marriage licence within its valid window
- Plan any welcome bags for out-of-town guests
- Follow up with guests who haven’t RSVP’d
The final weeks: confirm everything
The goal now is to hand off as much as possible so you can be present on the day.
2 to 4 weeks before
- Give final headcount to your caterer and venue
- Create the seating chart and order escort or place cards
- Confirm arrival times, addresses and contacts with every vendor
- Have your final dress or suit fitting
- Break in your wedding shoes
- Prepare tip and final-payment envelopes, labelled by vendor
The week of
- Share the day-of timeline with your wedding party and vendors
- Assign a point person to handle vendor questions on the day
- Pack an emergency kit: safety pins, stain remover, pain relievers, phone charger
- Pack for your honeymoon
- Attend the rehearsal and rehearsal dinner
- Get a good night’s sleep before the big day
After the wedding
- Return rentals and borrowed items
- Send thank-you notes within about three months
- File your signed marriage licence, if your officiant doesn’t
- Update your name on ID and accounts, if you’re changing it
- Leave reviews for the vendors you loved
- Preserve your dress and bouquet, if you’d like to keep them
A few tips to make it easier
Keep everything in one place. A single shared document or planning tool for guests, budget, contracts and deadlines prevents the scramble of searching through emails.
Add a 10 to 15 percent buffer to your budget. Small costs like postage, tips, alterations and last-minute rentals add up fast.
Delegate early. Give trusted friends or family specific jobs, so the day runs without needing you to manage it.
Most of all, protect a little time for each other. The checklist exists to serve the day, not the other way around.