Wedding Planning Checklist: What to Do and When
A month-by-month wedding planning checklist: budget, venue, giving notice, suppliers, photos and what to do after the day – with a timeline, a printable table and a short version for 3–6 months.
A wedding has a surprising number of moving parts: venue, ceremony, outfits, food, music, photos, guests travelling in and needing somewhere to stay. None of it is hard on its own. It gets hard when everything is due at once. This checklist spreads the jobs over a year, by time and by category, so you always know what matters now and what can wait.
Short on time? Don't panic. There's a condensed version for weddings planned in three to six months near the end.
When should you start planning a wedding?
Ideally 10–12 months before your date, and earlier if you've set your heart on a popular venue. Summer Saturdays go first, and almost everything else depends on the date. Many couples have more time than that anyway: Bridebook's 2026 UK Wedding Report puts the average engagement at 23.8 months (as of October 2026).
Some numbers to anchor your planning, from Bridebook's survey of 7,000 couples for its 2026 UK Wedding Report (as of October 2026):
- Average cost of a UK wedding
- £20,604
- Average spend per guest
- £278
- Minimum notice before a civil ceremony in England and Wales
- 29 days
Wedding planning checklist: what to do and when
The timeline assumes about a year of planning. If you have longer, start the first steps earlier – the order stays the same. Two terms you'll meet along the way: a save the date is the early heads-up about your date, sent well before the formal invitation – wedding site The Knot suggests six to eight months ahead, closer to eight if guests are travelling (as of October 2026). A place card shows each guest their seat – and is a handy spot for the QR code for guest photos.
12–10 months before
Lay the foundations
Agree a budget (with a 10–15% buffer), draft the guest list, pick a date and area, view and book venues, ask your best man, maid of honour or bridesmaids.
10–8 months before
Book the key suppliers
Photographer, caterer (if the venue doesn't provide one), DJ or band, celebrant or church. Finalise the guest list and addresses.
8–6 months before
Save the dates, outfits and style
Send save the dates (early in this window if guests are travelling), choose the dress (allow for delivery time), settle on colours and decor, reserve a block of hotel rooms, set up a wedding website or info page.
6–4 months before
Invitations and paperwork
Send invitations, book flowers, cake and stationery, choose rings, sort suits. Book your appointment to give notice of marriage at the register office.
3 months before
Plan the day
Draft the order of the day, do the menu tasting, agree speeches and games, collect photo ideas and start a shot list.
2 months before
Lock in the details
Chase RSVPs, start the seating plan, design place cards and menus, send song requests to the DJ or band, book hair and make-up trials.
4 weeks before
Confirm everything
Final numbers to venue and caterer, order of the day to all suppliers, final dress fitting, collect rings, print QR codes for guest photos.
1 week before
Last jobs
Confirm arrival times, set aside final payments and tips, pack an emergency kit, hand out jobs for the day.
The day before
Breathe
Drop decor at the venue, lay out outfits, get an early night. Anything not done by now didn't matter.
After the wedding
Wrap up
Collect guests' photos, write thank-you cards, return hired items, settle final invoices, update your name on documents and accounts if it's changing.
What does wedding planning involve? The checklist by category
The timeline tells you when something is due. This table shows what each area involves and the latest point it should be sorted. Print it or copy it into a shared note.
| Area | What to sort out | By |
|---|---|---|
| Budget | Total, buffer, who pays for what | 12 months before |
| Guests | Guest list and addresses, then save the dates | 8 months before |
| Venue | Viewings, contract, capacity, accommodation | 10 months before |
| Ceremony | Register office, church or celebrant | 6 months before |
| Photos | Photographer, shot list, guest photos via QR code | 8 months before |
| Food & drink | Book the caterer; tasting and dietary requirements come later | Caterer 8 months, tasting 3 months before |
| Music | DJ or band, first dance, playlist | 8 months before |
| Outfits | Dress, suits, shoes, fittings | 6 months before |
| Stationery | Invitations, then place cards, menus, seating plan | Invitations 3 months, place cards 2 months before |
| The day | Order of the day, speeches, games, point of contact | 1 month before |
When do you need to give notice of marriage?
In England and Wales, you must give notice at your local register office at least 29 days before the ceremony, and the ceremony has to take place within 12 months of giving notice. You usually need an appointment, and you must have lived in that registration district for the past 7 days. If you live in different districts, you each give notice at your own office. That's how GOV.UK sets it out (as of October 2026).
In practice, book the appointment early – register offices can be busy in spring and summer. Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own rules, so check with your local registrar.
This is general information, not legal advice. Your register office will tell you exactly what you need to bring.
How much should you budget for a wedding?
Guest numbers drive most of it, because food and venue are usually priced per head. According to Bridebook's 2026 UK Wedding Report, the venue is the biggest single cost (as of October 2026):
| Item | Average |
|---|---|
| Whole wedding | £20,604 |
| Per guest | £278 |
| Venue (excluding catering) | £6,040 |
| Photography | £1,484 |
Three ways to keep the budget on track:
- Priorities first. Each of you writes down the three things that matter most. Spend there, save on the rest.
- Build in a buffer. Set aside 10–15% for the unexpected.
- Be honest about numbers. Every extra guest means another meal, drink, chair and invitation. A smaller wedding is often the biggest saving you can make.
How to plan your wedding photos
Photos are what you keep from the day – yet they're often planned last. Sort three things early:
- Pro or not? Popular photographers get booked up early for summer Saturdays, so ask right after you've secured the venue. If the budget won't stretch, our guide to a wedding without a photographer shows how to still get great pictures.
- A shot list of every group photo and moment you can't miss. Give it to someone who knows the family – often your best man or maid of honour.
- Your guests' view. The photographer follows the couple; your guests capture everything else – your aunt on the dance floor, the table at midnight. The easiest way to collect these candid photos is a QR code on each table. Here's how to make a QR code for wedding photos.
Filmriss works like a disposable camera on guests' phones: they scan the code, shoot in the browser with no app, everyone gets a limited number of shots, and the next morning all the photos are "developed" together. For ideas on what guests can shoot, try our wedding photo scavenger hunt.
What goes in the order of the day?
The order of the day is the one page everyone needs on the day: venue, caterer, DJ, photographer and your wedding party. Include:
- every time slot (getting ready, ceremony, drinks reception, meal, speeches, first dance, cake)
- addresses and contacts with mobile numbers
- who brings what and who sets up what
- the shot list and when group photos happen
- a wet-weather plan
Leave slack between items. Group photos, congratulations and moving between rooms always take longer than you think. For entertainment ideas, see our wedding reception games. If many of your guests don't know each other, a quick icebreaker game at the drinks reception helps.
What do you need to do after the wedding?
Most checklists stop at the wedding day. A few jobs remain:
- Collect the photos: Ask guests for their pictures in the first few days, while they're still on their phones. Our guide on how to share wedding photos covers getting them back out to everyone.
- Say thank you: Thank-you cards with a photo from the day always go down well.
- Invoices and hired items: Pay final balances, return decor and equipment.
- Keep the memories safe: Turn the best shots into a photo book, and store the originals in at least two places.
- Paperwork: If one of you is changing your name, update your passport, bank, insurance and employer.
Short version: planning a wedding in 3–6 months
Less time just means clearer priorities:
- Week 1: Set budget, guest numbers and date. Be flexible on the day of the week – Fridays and Sundays are easier to book.
- Weeks 2–3: Secure the venue and book your notice appointment straight away.
- Weeks 3–4: Send digital invitations, book caterer and photographer.
- Then: Outfits, rings, music, decor – in that order.
- Four weeks before: Confirm everything and write the order of the day.
Everything on the long list that isn't here is nice to have, not a must.
Printable wedding checklist
The timeline and table above are built to print straight from your browser (choose "Print") or copy into a shared notes app. Tip: split the list by category so each of you owns a few areas. It saves arguments and double-booking suppliers.
For more ideas and everything about guest photos on your day, see Filmriss for weddings.
How far in advance should you start planning a wedding?
Ten to twelve months is ideal: enough time to get your preferred venue and key suppliers. With clear priorities, a wedding can also be planned in three to six months.
What should you plan first for a wedding?
Budget, rough guest numbers and date. Those three decide which venues are possible, and the venue shapes almost everything else.
When do you have to give notice of marriage in England and Wales?
At least 29 days before the ceremony, and the ceremony must take place within 12 months of giving notice. You usually need an appointment at your local register office.
When should you send save the dates and invitations?
Save the dates roughly six to eight months ahead, closer to eight if guests are travelling or it's a holiday weekend. Invitations follow around three to six months before the wedding.
How do you get guests' photos after the wedding?
The simplest way is a QR code on the tables that leads to a shared album or a digital disposable camera like Filmriss, so every photo ends up in one place without chasing guests one by one.
Cover photo: Alexa Williams / Unsplash
