The Ultimate Wedding Planning Checklist & Timeline For Brides-To-Be

Weddings are undoubtedly one of the most special occasions in everyone's life. A wedding marks an important milestone in people’s lives and is the most awaited day. Hence, a lot of effort is required to plan the day to make the vision come to life. Planning a wedding entails uncountable tasks and arrangements. And while the adrenaline is high, the huge amount of responsibility in planning a wedding can make the whole process overwhelming and daunting, taking you on an emotional roller coaster ride, which can make you forget a lot of the tasks. The key to making the planning stage stress-free and seamless and pulling off your dream wedding is to start planning at the earliest! 

Wedding Planning Checklists for Brides to be

Once the question has been popped, it is time to get straight to work. The first thing that needs working on is a checklist. Creating a wedding checklist is going to make your job of planning your wedding a whole lot easier. It will also help you stay organized, help you prioritize tasks, stay on budget, manage your time efficiently and give you peace of mind! With so many tasks and details to take care of, it’s best to cut the wedding checklist into bite-sized chunks. And the best way to categorize the checklist is according to the months. The ideal time to start planning is around 12-14 months in advance. We at Pyaari Weddings took it upon ourselves to help you with your wedding planning and created the ultimate wedding checklist just for you!

12 Months Before The Wedding

1. Determine the Budget

Once you have the dates decided, it’s time to do the math as the biggest concern that pops up is the budget. With the wedding having so many elements, it is important to allocate funds accordingly. As the figures will most likely change, the couple should decide on a ballpark figure and maintain a spreadsheet to stay on top of it all. 

2. Prepare the Guest List

Once the budget has been decided it’s time to prepare the guest list as you will have an idea of how many guests you can accommodate in your budget. Also, a guest list will be handy to choose a venue with the right capacity. 

3. Select the Venue

Source: Flowers Living

Choosing a venue is going to be one of the most crucial decisions you will be making in your wedding planning journey. A venue influences numerous aspects of the wedding like the vibe, decor, guest list, etc., and also they get booked quite quickly, especially when you are getting married in the season, so it is only wise to dedicate ample time for venue hunting and explore your options.

Also Read: Real Bride Reveals: Tips To Consider While Selecting A Wedding Venue

11 Months Before The Wedding

1. Hire a Wedding Planner

Depending on your budget and how much stress you are willing to take on, hiring a wedding planner may be a wise choice. A wedding planner will manage everything for you and will be like your wingman assisting you in making all the decisions.

2. Choose the Vendors

Vendors are the people who will take care of different aspects of your wedding and make your celebrations memorable. Make a list of all the vendors you require, do your research before hiring anyone, and make sure to ask all the right questions. 

10 Months Before The Wedding

1. Choose the Overall Theme

Source: Flowers by Edgar, MP Singh Photography

Source: Flowers by Edgar, Usman B Photography

It’s time to gather all the inspiration to turn your dream wedding into a reality, and what better place to start than Pinterest? Create your mood boards, and color palettes, or just look around you for inspiration. 

Also Read: 8 Tips To Choosing Flowers For Your Wedding

2. Pick your Outfits

Source: Zehra Jagani Photographer

Now that you have your theme and color palette decided, it’s time for the most fun part of the wedding planning journey- choose your outfits. Depending upon how many events you have lined up, you want to start looking for the outfits now as it can take a while till you ‘say yes to the dress’! Also, with all the intricate embroidery and beadwork, traditional dresses can take a while to make. 

3. Finalize Invitations

Source: Lauren Engfer Photo

Wedding invitations are your guests’ first insight into your wedding day. You want to make sure to put your best foot forward, so start working with your graphic designer and make the first impression on your guests stand out!

Also Read: 20 Best Wedding Invitation Card Designs To Save For Your Wedding Day

9 Months Before The Wedding

1. Send Save-The-Dates

Source: Meadows Event Center

Now is the time to inform everyone officially of your wedding details. 

2. Pick Your Jewelry

Source: Ombre by Harsheen Jammu

Now that you have your wedding outfits picked, you can start your jewelry hunt. Or if you want to take a wiser route, then you can first choose your jewelry and then look for outfits to match your jewelry. 

8 Months Before The Wedding

Select the Bridesmaid Dresses and Schedule the Fittings

Source: House On The Clouds

After your outfits, it’s time to hunt for dresses for your bridesmaids. It’s always a good idea to have them around to take their opinion on the dresses, after all, they are the ones who are going to wear them! 

Also Read: The Ultimate Bridesmaid Duties Checklist Every BFF & Sister Needs

7 Months Before The Wedding

Book an Officiant

Source: Fourfold Pictures

If you aren’t getting married in a house of worship, then you will need to hire someone to officiate the marriage. You can also ask someone close to you to do the honors if you want to opt for a more intimate approach. 

6 Months Before The Wedding

Register for Gifts

Source: Epic Stories

This is a fun task for the couples to do together. Build your wedding registry together and decide together what you need as a newlywed couple to start your life!

5 Months Before The Wedding

Decide your Wedding songs

Source: Muaz Ali Qureshi

There are always some songs that are close to your heart, so make sure to make a list of the songs that you would want to be played at your wedding and pass on the list to the DJ. 

Also Read: 50+ Sangeet Songs For Your Note-worthy Dance Performance

4 Months Before The Wedding

Hair and Makeup Trial

Source: Joana JM Ronquillo

Hair and makeup are other significant element of any wedding. Shortlist makeup and hair artists, get trials done, get their quotes, and book the one that meets your requirements right away!

Also Read: HD Makeup vs Airbrush Makeup - Ultimate Guide

3 Months Before The Wedding

Order the Invitations

Source: Affine Weddings

When ordering invitations make sure to order enough to account for any mistakes made. Also, ensure they arrive on time and have the details right!

Food Tasting Before The Wedding

Source: D'Amico Catering

Choose your caterer and have a food-tasting session. This will allow you to know if you enjoyed the dishes of the particular caterer and give you an idea of what you would like to serve your guests. Make sure to line up a few caterers so you have options. 

Also Read: 5 Tips To Get The Perfect Menu With Indian Wedding Catering In NYC

Plan the Menu

Source: Jardin Royalmount

Once you have had a successful food-tasting session and have finalized a caterer, it is time to plan your wedding menu that fits your taste and budget, and put your approval stamp on it! 

Pick a Choreographer

Source: Pavilion at Carriage Farm

Now that the wedding is nearing and the preps are underway, it is time to shake a leg! Find a choreographer that matches your vibe, and get your dance practice going for the wedding performances! 

Also Read: 25 Best First Dance Songs For Your Wedding

2 Months Before The Wedding

1. Send the Wedding Invites

Source: Grey Loft Studio

2 months before the wedding is the ideal time to send out the wedding invites. Make sure to check the invites, and maybe hire a calligrapher to get the names written on the invites. 

2. First Dress Fitting

Source: SUFFUSE ; Anayah Jewellery

Schedule your first dress fitting to ensure the designer is going on the right track. Also, if any alterations need to be done then now is the right time. 

Also Read: How To Choose A Bridal Outfit Based On Your Skin Tone

1 Month Before The Wedding

1. Get used to the Wedding shoes

Source: Badgley Mischka Bride

It’s no joke new shoes can give nasty bites, and that is the last thing you want on your wedding day. So start walking around in the shoes to make them more fitted to your feet size. Also, it will give you an idea of how comfortable you are in them, and if you will be able to pull off the whole day in them. 

Also Read: The Essential Wedding Day Emergency Kit Checklist

2. Run Through all the Wedding Preps with the Wedding Planner

Source: The Sutherland-Wake Forest NC

This is your last chance to ensure with your wedding planner that everything is in order, and make any changes required. 

Also Read: Top 9 Women South Asian Wedding Planners in USA

3. Visit the Venue

Source: Lin & Jirsa Photography

Take a final trip to your venue before D-day. Envision your wedding which will also help you calm your nerves. 

4. Follow Up With The Guests

Now is the time to follow up with your guests and get that RSVP in, so you know how many guests are you expecting and ensure that all preparations are done accordingly. 

5. Give the Final Headcount to the Caterer

Once your guests have RSVP’d, pass on the information to the caterer so they can make the right amount of preps and also avoid any wastage! It is also a smart idea to add extra plates! 

Final Week Of The Wedding

1. Refresh your Hair Color.

2. Get all your beauty services like manicures, pedicures, facials, and massages.

3. Get your final dress fitting done.

4. Pack Your Bags!

Featured Image Source: Rohan Shrestha ; Anamika Khanna

Edited & Photo Sourced: Neha Garg Ahuja