WedPlanner

Wedding planning checklist

Enter your wedding date and every task gets a due date, counted back from the day. Overdue items float to your attention; tick them off as you go.

Add your date to see real due dates. Until then, tasks are grouped by how far ahead they’re usually done.

12–10 months before

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9–7 months before

6–4 months before

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3–2 months before

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1 month before

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Final two weeks

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After the wedding

How to use a wedding planning timeline

The checklist follows the order vendors actually book up. Venue and date come first because everything else depends on them. Photographers, caterers and bands are next because the good ones take a limited number of dates a year. Stationery, cake and hair follow once the look is settled. The last month is logistics: numbers, seating, payments and timings.

If your engagement is shorter than a year, don’t panic about the overdue flags. Work through them top to bottom and book the vendors with the fewest available dates first, then fill in the rest. When a date on this list feels arbitrary, it usually isn’t: it is counted back from someone else’s deadline, like the caterer needing final numbers or the printer needing proofs.

Invitation and RSVP timing at a glance

ItemLocal weddingDestination wedding
Save-the-dates6–8 months before8–12 months before
Invitations6–8 weeks beforeAbout 3 months before
RSVP deadline3–4 weeks before4–8 weeks before
Final numbers to caterer10–14 days beforePer venue contract

Questions couples ask

When should we start planning a wedding?

About 12–18 months ahead for a traditional wedding, because popular venues and photographers book roughly a year out. With a shorter engagement, the checklist compresses: tasks that are already overdue appear at the top so you can tackle them first.

When do save-the-dates go out?

Six to eight months before the wedding, or 8–12 months for a destination wedding or a date on a holiday weekend.

How far in advance do we send wedding invitations?

Six to eight weeks before the wedding, and about three months ahead for destination weddings. Set the RSVP deadline three to four weeks before the day.

What gets forgotten most often?

Marriage licence timing, vendor meals, tip envelopes, a rain plan for outdoor ceremonies, and someone assigned to collect gifts and décor at the end of the night.

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