Weddings · 5 min read
The wedding planning checklist: what to do and when
Wedding planning feels big because everything seems due at once. It is not. Most tasks belong to a phase, and once you sort them by phase the list stops feeling like one endless pile. This post walks through the planning phases in order, from just engaged to the week before, and shows what usually gets done in each so nothing slips.
Just engaged: book the things that depend on a date first
Before you touch colours, favours or a playlist, lock the bookings that scale with your date and guest count. Venue, catering and photographer are the big three. They get booked out first, they cost the most, and almost every later decision keys off them. Settle a rough date, a rough headcount and a total budget, then chase those three.
A phase-based list keeps you from jumping ahead. In the app the Timeline groups tasks from Just Engaged onward, so the early phase surfaces the date-dependent bookings rather than the fun-but-later details. Set an estimate against Venue and Catering in Budget and Payments early, since those two usually move your total more than anything else.
Six to nine months out: guests, budget and the rest of your suppliers
With the date and venue fixed, build your guest list properly. A confirmed headcount drives your catering numbers and a big slice of your budget, so this is the moment to quick-add guests, sort them into groups and start tracking who is coming. From there, book the remaining suppliers you care about: florist, music, cake, celebrant or officiant, hair and make-up.
Track each supplier as you go so nothing sits half-booked. The Vendors section holds a quote, deposit, final-payment due date and whether the contract is signed for each one, which is how you catch a deposit that was never paid or a final that is creeping up. Tick these tasks off in the Timeline as they land.
Three to six months: pin down the details
This is the middle stretch where the shape of the day fills in. Send invitations and start collecting RSVPs, choose outfits and order attire, plan the ceremony, sort transport and any accommodation, and firm up the menu with your caterer. Dietary notes matter here, because they feed straight back into your final catering numbers.
Use this phase to draft the parts that need a near-final headcount: your seating plan and your run sheet. You can lay out tables and room elements on the Room Layout canvas and assign guests to seats once RSVPs are mostly in, rather than redoing it every time a reply changes.
One to two months and the week before
In the last one to two months you confirm final numbers, pay remaining balances, and give the caterer and venue your locked headcount. Build a minute-by-minute plan for the day itself, gather the questions and details you still owe suppliers, and confirm arrival times with everyone involved.
The week before is about handover, not decisions. Use the Day Of tools to set the event timeline with times, names and who is assigned, list your key contacts, and run through a day-of essentials checklist so the people helping you know exactly what happens and when. If a task is on the list and ticked, it is off your mind.
The app that helps
Wedding Planner
Everything you need to plan your wedding, in one place.
- The Timeline groups planning tasks by phase, from Just Engaged to the Week Before, so each task shows up when it is due rather than all at once.
- The Checklist gives you 32 items across 6 groups that you can tick off, add to or remove, so nothing standard gets forgotten.
- The Vendors section tracks each supplier's status, quote, deposit, final-payment due date and signed contract, so your date-dependent bookings stay on track.
Common questions
How far ahead should we book the venue and caterer?
As early as you can. Venue, catering and photographer book out first and cost the most, so most couples chase these in the just-engaged phase once they have a rough date and headcount. Everything else keys off them, so getting them settled makes the rest of the plan easier.
What if we have less than a year to plan?
The order stays the same, the gaps just compress. Still book the date-dependent things first (venue, catering, photographer), then guests and suppliers, then details. Use the Timeline and Checklist to see what belongs in each phase and work through them faster rather than skipping steps.
A quick note
This is based on our own wedding and what worked for us, shared as general information rather than professional advice. Costs and customs vary a lot by location and vendor, so treat any numbers as a starting point and get your own quotes.