Skip to content
  • Wedding planning tools, free to start
  • No ads, ever
  • Made by Britten, a family business in Bath since 2007

Wedding planning checklist, month by month

Enter your date and see every step in order, from the venue to the marriage license. Tick things off, add your own, print it.

We use it to put each step in the right month. It stays in this browser.

Add your date to see when each step is due

Fit it to your wedding

No answers yet

0 of 78 done

Where to start

Add your date and we'll put each step in the right month. Until then, here is where to start.

  • Talk through your budget and who is contributing
    Essential · Paperwork
  • Write a first guest list
    Essential · Guests
  • Choose a season and a general style
    Venue
  • Have an engagement party, if you want one
    Guests
  • Tour ceremony and reception venues
    Venue

Saved in this browser.

Save it and share with your partner

What to do first

  1. Talk through your budget and who is contributing.
  2. Write a first guest list. A rough count is enough.
  3. Agree a season and a general style.
  4. Tour venues, then book your venue and date.
  5. Book your officiant and your photographer.
  6. Then the caterer, music and outfits, and save-the-dates about eight months before.

How to use this checklist

  1. Add your wedding date. Every task moves into the month it belongs in, and moves again if your date changes. No date yet? Choose "Not sure yet" and start at the top.

  2. Fit it to your wedding. Three optional taps: civil or religious, dress or suit, and anything you're skipping. Tasks that don't fit hide, and come back in one tap.

  3. Start with this month. The list opens on the next few things to do. Anything whose date has passed waits in Catch up, spread over the coming weeks, most important first.

  4. Share the jobs. Give a task to yourself, your partner, both of you or a helper by name, and filter the list by who's doing what.

  5. Print it. Download a clean PDF on US Letter, with your ticks, for the fridge or the planning meeting.

If you're starting late, tasks whose dates have passed wait in Catch up, spread over the next few weeks with the venue first. Nothing is ever marked late.

The checklist by time left

18 to 12 months before

  • Talk through your budget and who is contributingAgree a total and the three things that matter most to you. Everything else gets easier to decide.
  • Write a first guest listA rough count is enough for now. It decides which venues are realistic.
  • Choose a season and a general styleIndoor or outdoor, formal or relaxed. A few photos you like will help later.
  • Have an engagement party, if you want oneEntirely optional. Keep the guest list to people you will invite to the wedding.
  • Tour ceremony and reception venuesAsk what is included, the vendor rules, the rain plan and the end time.
  • Book your venue and sign the contractPopular venues book up a year or more ahead, especially for weekends in spring and fall.
  • Decide whether to hire a planner or day-of coordinatorMany venues include a coordinator. Ask before you hire another.
  • Book your officiantA friend, a religious leader or a professional. Check they can legally marry you in your state.
  • Book your photographerGood photographers book early. Ask to see a full wedding gallery, not only highlights.

12 to 9 months before

  • Book your catererSkip this if your venue provides the food. Ask about dietary needs and the bar.
  • Book your DJ or bandAsk what equipment they bring and how long they play.
  • Ask your wedding partyYour maid of honor, best man, bridesmaids and groomsmen. Tell them early what you hope they will do.
  • Start looking at wedding dressesGowns are often made to order and can take six months or more. Allow time for alterations.
  • Book your videographerOptional. Check how they work alongside your photographer.
  • Reserve a hotel room block for out-of-town guestsAsk for a group rate and find out when the block releases.

9 to 6 months before

  • Book your engagement photosUseful for save-the-dates and your wedding website. Often a good way to meet your photographer first.
  • Choose and order your wedding dressAsk for a delivery date well before your first fitting.
  • Book your floristBring photos, your colors and your budget.
  • Set up your wedding websiteDates, locations, the schedule, hotels and the registry. Save the link for your save-the-dates.
  • Create your registryChoose a mix of prices. Add it to your wedding website, not your invitations.
  • Choose what your wedding party will wearMatching, mix-and-match or their own choice. Order early if anything needs making.
  • Send your save-the-datesSend them earlier if many guests are traveling or your date is on a holiday weekend.
  • Book hair and makeupAsk whether they travel to you and how many people they can do.
  • Plan and book your honeymoonBook flights and hotels once your date is firm.
  • Check your passportsIf you are traveling abroad, check they are valid for at least six months after your trip. A name change can wait until after the honeymoon.

6 to 3 months before

  • Check the marriage license rules where you marryThe license comes from the state where you marry. Each state sets its own waiting period and how long the license lasts, and counties can differ. Check with the county clerk.
  • Choose suits or tuxedosRent or buy. Allow time for tailoring.
  • Book your cake or dessert bakerAsk about tastings, delivery and what they need from the venue.
  • Book transportationFor you, your wedding party and any guest shuttles.
  • Choose your wedding ringsAllow time for sizing and engraving.
  • Look at wedding insuranceOptional. It can cover deposits if something outside your control changes. Read what is excluded.
  • Plan your ceremonyReadings, music, vows and who walks where. Talk it through with your officiant.
  • Plan the rehearsal dinnerUsually hosted the night before. Decide who is invited and book a place.
  • Order your invitationsOrder a few extra for keepsakes and mistakes. Allow time for printing.
  • Talk about bachelor or bachelorette partiesIf you want them. Let whoever is organizing know your dates and anything you would rather skip.
  • Talk about a wedding shower, if you are having oneUsually hosted by family or friends two to three months before. Share your registry and any dates that do not work.
  • Do a menu tastingSettle the menu, the bar and any dietary needs.

3 months to 1 month before

  • Order your veil and accessoriesBritten makes veils to order, so the safe date depends on your wedding date and where you live.
  • First dress fittingBring the shoes and undergarments you plan to wear.
  • Do a hair and makeup trial
  • Look at wills, insurance and beneficiariesMarriage is a good moment to check who is named. You can update them after the wedding too.
  • Draft your day timelineStart from the ceremony time and work forward and back. Leave room for photos and travel.
  • Send your invitationsUsually six to eight weeks before. Give an RSVP date about four weeks before the wedding.
  • Send your photographer a family photo listNames and groupings, plus anyone who needs a hand getting to the photos.
  • Write your vowsOptional. Keep them short enough to say out loud without notes.

The last month

  • Add your rings to your insuranceA rider on your renters or homeowners policy usually costs little. Keep the receipt or appraisal.
  • Apply for your marriage licenseThe license comes from the state where you marry, not where you live. Check its waiting period and how long it lasts with your county clerk before you go. Usually you both go in person with ID.
  • RSVP deadlineFollow up with anyone who has not replied.
  • Share your timeline with your vendors and wedding partyGive each vendor their own link to the parts that matter to them. Ask them to say it looks right.
  • Put together welcome bags for out-of-town guestsOptional. Water, a snack and a note with the timings are plenty.
  • Pack the emergency kitTwo to three weeks before, so it also covers the rehearsal. Give it to someone dependable to hold on the day.
  • Final dress fitting
  • Give your caterer and venue the final guest countInclude dietary needs and vendor meals.
  • Make your seating chartStart with the people who need to sit together, then fill in the rest.
  • Confirm each vendor's arrival timeSend the schedule and the venue address, and give them the phone number of someone who will answer on the day.
  • Pay final balancesCheck each contract for what is due and when.
  • Send the final timeline to your vendorsAbout ten days before. Your vendor links update by themselves, so a quick note that it is final is enough.

The week of the wedding

  • Put tips in labeled envelopesCheck each contract first, since some vendors include a service charge. Give the envelopes to someone you trust to hand them out.
  • Pick up your outfits and rings
  • Pack for your honeymoon
  • Choose a point person for the daySomeone who can answer vendor questions so you do not have to.
  • Check the things nobody can replaceThe rings, the marriage license, vows, shoes and chargers. Check they are packed the night before.
  • Hold the rehearsalWalk through where everyone stands and when. It usually takes under an hour.
  • Rehearsal dinnerA good time to give gifts to your wedding party and thank both families.
  • Give your marriage license to your officiantCheck whether your state needs witnesses.

The day

  • Sign your marriage licenseWith your officiant, and your witnesses if your state requires them.
  • Tip your vendorsHand over the envelopes, or ask your point person to.

After the wedding

  • Return rented itemsFormalwear, décor and anything borrowed.
  • Have your outfits cleaned and flowers preserved, if you likeDo it soon, before stains set.
  • Check your signed license has been filedYour officiant usually returns it to the county. Ask how long until your certificate is ready.
  • Order certified copies of your marriage certificateYou will need one for most name and benefit changes.
  • Start your thank-you notesWrite a few each day. Mention the gift and something specific about it.
  • Change your name, if you are taking a new oneOpen the name change tool. It puts the steps in order around your honeymoon.
  • Leave reviews for your vendors
  • Share your photos with family
  • Update insurance and beneficiariesMarriage usually lets you change health coverage for a limited time. Check the deadline with your employer.
  • Finish your thank-you notesWithin three months is a good aim.
  • Plan something for your first anniversaryDinner, a trip or simply looking back through the photos.

Printable wedding checklists

Free PDFs with real text, no email needed.

All printable checklists, including A4 · Planning in six months

Frequently asked questions

In what order should a wedding be planned?
Budget and a rough guest list first, because they decide which venues are realistic. Then the venue and date, your officiant and your photographer. Then the caterer, music and outfits, then save-the-dates. Invitations go out about eight weeks before, and the marriage license comes in the last month.
How long does it take to plan a wedding?
Most couples take 12 to 18 months, mainly because popular venues and photographers book a year or more ahead. Six months is plenty if you are flexible on the venue or the day of the week.
What should we do first after getting engaged?
Talk through your budget and who is contributing, write a first guest list, and agree a season and a rough style. Those three answers make every later choice easier, starting with the venue.
Can we plan a wedding in six months?
Yes. Book the venue, your officiant and your photographer in the first few weeks, then work down the list in order. Add your date to the checklist and it spreads the early tasks over the next four weeks for you.
When do we get our marriage license?
From the county where you marry, usually in the month before the wedding. Some states have a waiting period and every license lasts a set time, so the checklist dates it from your state's rules. Check with your county clerk before you go.
When do save-the-dates and invitations go out?
Save-the-dates go out about eight months before (a year for a destination wedding). Invitations go out six to eight weeks before, with an RSVP date about four weeks before the wedding.
Is there a printable PDF?
Yes. Download your own list as a PDF with your dates and ticks, or print one of our free checklists: the full list, 18, 12 or 6 months, or the last month. No email needed.
Is it free, and can my partner use it too?
It's free, with no account needed: your list stays in this browser. Save it to a free account and your partner can tick things off on their own phone, live.