Example Wedding Planning Checklist
2 weeks to 1 month before the wedding:
Meet with or talk to the officiant to go over the details of the ceremony. |
Consider offering special activities or souvenirs to keep younger children entertained during the reception. |
Consider hiring one or more babysitters so that parents can relax and enjoy the reception. |
Get the marriage license, if required. |
Bride: If you're getting your hair cut before the wedding, schedule it for at least two or three weeks before. |
Have a formal wedding portrait taken, if you want one. |
Keep all the decorations together so that they're ready to be taken to the wedding site, and include notes about what to do with the decorations. |
Keep all the decorations together so that they're ready to be taken to the Reception site, and include notes about what to do with the decorations. |
Schedule the wedding rehearsal. |
If there is a deadline for reserving hotel rooms, remind out-of-town guests in time for them to make their reservations. |
Pick up the wedding rings. |
If you have a lot of wedding presents at your house, ask someone to stay at your house during the rehearsal, wedding, and reception. |
Ask one person to be in charge of keeping everyone on schedule on the wedding day (and probably the day before). |
If you want to use a cake topper, borrow, buy, or make one. |
Bride and Groom: Arrange to have the Post Office hold your mail during the honeymoon if necessary. |
Groom: If you're getting your hair cut before the wedding, schedule it for at least two weeks before. |
If you used your credit card to reserve hotel rooms, cancel any unused reservations in time to protect your card from being charged (change the due date of this task to be the day before you need to cancel). |
Bride: Go to your final dress fitting (if you need to have one). |
Bride: If you know that any foods bother your complexion, stop eating them for the next few weeks. |
Groom: If you know that any foods bother your complexion, stop eating them for the next few weeks. |
You might want to have the bridesmaids schedule final fittings to make sure their outfits fit correctly. |
Ask the officiant and/or site manager when you can decorate the Wedding site. |
If you need to block public parking spaces in front of the wedding and/or reception site(s) (such as for a limousine or carriage), ask the site manager(s) how to arrange this. |
Ask the site manager when you can decorate the site. |
Give the baker a final number of guests for the Reception, and confirm delivery date, time, and location. |
Bride and Groom: Arrange to have someone take care of your pets and/or plants during your honeymoon, if necessary. |
As you delegate tasks to people, make sure to let them know what they need to do. |
If there are a lot of wedding decorations to set up, ask several people to help, and agree on a time. |
If there are a lot of Reception decorations to set up, ask several people to help, and agree on a time. |
If you're having formal photos taken, tell everyone who needs to be in them when and where to show up. |
Give the wedding announcements to someone who can mail them the day after the wedding. |
Bride and Groom: Plan any toasts or thank-you speeches you want to give. |
If you need to direct traffic before or after the wedding, contact the police department. |
If you need to direct traffic before or after the reception, contact the police department. |
Bride and Groom: Plan any extra day-before activities with friends, family, and/or attendants. |
Confirm all the reservations for both the wedding night and the rest of the honeymoon. |
Write up your honeymoon itinerary and contact information and give it to someone so that you can be reached in case of emergency. |
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