For couples
Wedding planning checklist
Everything that needs doing, in the order it needs doing, from setting a budget to packing the emergency kit. Read it here, or let it set its own dates from your wedding day.
The checklist, month by month
Counted back from the wedding day. These are the tasks every new wedding on Wedding List Manager starts with.
18 months before
- Set a budget Agree on an overall budget before booking suppliers.
15 months before
- Book venue Popular venues book up fast — start searching early.
12 months before
- Book photographer
- Book officiant
- Arrange wedding insurance
10 months before
- Book caterer / catering
- Choose bridesmaids & groomsmen
- Book videographer
9 months before
- Book entertainment / band / DJ
- Plan honeymoon
8 months before
- Send save-the-dates
7 months before
- Book florist
6 months before
- Order wedding outfits Allow time for fittings and alterations.
- Book wedding transport
- Order wedding cake
5 months before
- Buy wedding rings
- Book accommodation for guests
4 months before
- Arrange hair & makeup trial
3 months before
- Send invitations
- Order stationery (order of service, menus, place cards)
2 months before
- Plan rehearsal dinner
- Confirm all supplier timings
1 month before
- Confirm final headcount Chase outstanding RSVPs and confirm numbers with caterer.
- Finalise seating plan
- Write vows
- Break in wedding shoes Wear them around the house a few times before the day.
2 weeks before
- Prepare day-of emergency kit Sewing kit, plasters, paracetamol, tissues, stain remover.
Why a checklist with dates beats a printout
Due dates from your date
Tell us the day and every task gets a deadline. Engaged with only nine months to go? Anything already late is due today, not quietly skipped.
Overdue, upcoming, done
See what has slipped and what is next without rereading the whole list.
Linked to the real work
The guest list, table plan, budget and RSVPs are in the same account, so the work behind most tasks is right next to the list.
How to use a wedding planning checklist without it running your life
A checklist is there to stop things being forgotten, not to make you do them all at once. The early months are about a handful of big decisions: budget, guest numbers, venue, photographer. Book those and most of the pressure goes.
The middle months are about suppliers and outfits, and the last two months are about confirming things: final numbers, the table plan, supplier timings. If you start late, do the bookings first and let the smaller jobs catch up.
Not every task applies to every wedding. Dismiss the ones that do not fit and add the ones only your wedding has.
Questions couples ask
When should we start planning our wedding?
Many UK couples start 12 to 18 months before the day, because popular venues and photographers book up a year or more ahead. If you have less time than that, start with the venue and work down the list. Everything after it can be squeezed.
What should we do first?
Agree a budget, then a rough guest count, then book the venue. Those three decide almost everything else, from the caterer to the size of your table plan, so they are worth settling before you book anyone.
How is the free version different from this list?
It is the same list, but each task gets a due date worked out from your wedding date. Tasks move into Overdue, Upcoming and Done as you go, and if your date changes the dates can be recalculated for you.
Can we add our own tasks?
Yes. Add anything with its own due date and category, tick off what is done, and dismiss the suggestions that do not apply to your wedding.
What about the legal side, like giving notice?
In England and Wales you have to give notice at your local register office before you can marry, and the rules on timing are strict. Our guide to the legal requirements covers the notice period, what to bring and how Scotland and Northern Ireland differ.
Put dates on every task
It takes a couple of minutes to set up, and nothing about it costs anything.
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