Wedding Checklist: Free Printable Month-by-Month Planner

76 tasks from the first budget talk to the thank-you notes, worked back from your wedding date. Tick things off as you go, hide what doesn't apply, add your own, and print it.

How to use this checklist

Add your date. Every task gets a due date. If your wedding is less than a year away, the early tasks are spread over the time you have, and anything already past due moves to a "Catch up" list at the top.
Make it yours. Tick tasks as you finish them, hide the ones that don't apply with the ×, and add your own with a timing that suits you.
Share it. Print it or save it as a PDF, copy it into a message, or download the CSV and open it in Google Sheets to share with your partner or planner.

Your ticks and tasks stay in this browser. When you get close to the day, build the hour-by-hour schedule with the wedding day timeline generator; it uses the same wedding date.

Wedding planning timeline at a glance

The checklist follows a twelve-month plan. These are the tasks that matter most in each stretch.

When	Main tasks	Tasks
12 months or more before	Talk through the budget: who is contributing and how much; Book the venue(s) and set the date; Ask the people you want in your wedding party	9
10 to 12 months before	Book the photographer; Book the caterer, if the venue does not provide one; Book the officiant	9
8 to 10 months before	Send save-the-dates; Shop for wedding attire; Book the florist	5
6 to 8 months before	Order invitations and other stationery; Book rentals: tables, chairs, linens, tent, lighting; Book the cake or dessert baker	7
4 to 6 months before	Buy the wedding rings; Taste and choose the menu; Look up marriage license rules where you will marry	7
3 months before	Finalize the guest list and addresses; Have the hair and makeup trial; Choose music for the ceremony and first dance	5
2 months before	Mail the invitations; Draft your wedding day timeline and share it with your vendors; Confirm the details, arrival times and balances with every vendor	7
1 month before	Get the marriage license within its valid window; Make the seating chart; Follow up with guests who have not replied	7
2 weeks before	Give the final headcount to the caterer and venue; Send the final timeline and a contact list to vendors and the wedding party; Print programs, escort cards, place cards and table numbers	4
The week before	Prepare final payments and tip envelopes, labeled by vendor; Pack an emergency kit: pins, stain remover, pain relievers, chargers, snacks; Choose a point person for vendor questions on the day	5
The day before	Hold the rehearsal and rehearsal dinner; Lay out everything you will wear and charge your phone	3
The wedding day	Give the rings, license and vendor envelopes to your point person; Sign the marriage license with your officiant and witnesses	3
After the wedding	Make sure the signed license is returned to the issuing office; Send thank-you notes; Return rentals and rented attire on time	5

What to book first

Venue. It fixes your date, your guest limit and often your caterer.
Photographer. Good ones are booked for popular dates a year or more ahead.
Caterer, if your venue doesn't include one.
Officiant, especially for a Saturday in peak season.
Band or DJ.
Wedding attire, because ordering and alterations take months.

Planning on a shorter timeline

Six months, or even three, is enough when you decide fast. The checklist keeps the last month's tasks where they are, since things like the final headcount and the marriage license have fixed deadlines, and squeezes everything earlier into the time you have. A few things help:

Book the venue and the key vendors in the first two or three weeks, before anything else.
Consider a Friday, a Sunday or an off-season date. Venues and vendors are much easier to get.
Choose ready-to-wear attire, or ask about rush orders and alteration lead times before you buy.
Send a short "save the date" email or website link instead of printed save-the-dates.

Printable wedding checklist

Use Print or save PDF above. Without a date you get a clean month-by-month list to fill in by hand; with a date, every task shows its due date and your ticks are printed too. The settings and buttons are left off the printout.

Wedding checklist FAQ

When should you start planning a wedding?

Many couples start about a year ahead, because popular venues and photographers book that far out. This checklist assumes twelve months but adapts: enter your date and, if there is less time, the early tasks are spread across the time you have.

What should you do first when planning a wedding?

Agree on a budget and a rough guest count, then book the venue, because the venue fixes your date and capacity. After that, book the vendors who fill up first: photographer, caterer (if the venue does not provide one), officiant and music.

When should save-the-dates and invitations go out?

Save-the-dates usually go out six to eight months before the wedding, or eight to twelve months for a destination wedding. Invitations usually go out six to eight weeks before, with an RSVP date three to four weeks before the wedding.

When should we get the marriage license?

It depends on where you marry. Some places have a waiting period after you apply and licenses expire after a set number of days. Check with the office that issues licenses there (in the US, usually the county clerk) a few months ahead, then apply inside the valid window.

Can you plan a wedding in six months?

Yes. Enter your date and the checklist compresses the early tasks into the months you have. Book the venue and the key vendors in the first few weeks, and consider a Friday, Sunday or off-season date, when availability is better.

Is my checklist saved? Can my partner see it?

Your ticks and your own tasks are saved in this browser on this device only; nothing is sent to our server. To share it, print it, save it as a PDF, copy it as text or download the CSV and open it in Google Sheets.

Wedding Planning Checklist