Your Free Wedding Checklist, Personalized to Your Big Day
Tell us your wedding date, or that you haven't picked one yet, and get a month-by-month to-do list with timing for every task. Check things off, skip what doesn't apply, add your own, and download it as a PDF.
Create My Free Checklist- 100% free
- No sign-up or email
- Stays in your browser
How the wedding checklist generator works
- Step 1:
Answer a few quick questions
Do you have a date yet? Either answer works. Names and extra events like a bridal shower are optional.
- Step 2:
Get your personalized plan
Every task gets a suggested deadline counted back from your date, in date order. No date yet? Your tasks are grouped as 12, 9, 6, 3 and 1 months before the wedding instead.
- Step 3:
Make it yours
Check off, skip, edit or add tasks. Your progress is saved in this browser, and you can print or save a PDF any time.
What's in your checklist
Around 75 starter tasks across 11 categories, from setting the budget to sending thank-you notes. Add events such as a bridal shower or rehearsal dinner and their tasks join the plan too.
Budget and initial planning
7 tasks
- Set your overall wedding budget
- Draft a rough guest count
Venue and major vendors
4 tasks
- Research and book your ceremony and reception venue
- Book your officiant
Guest list and invitations
8 tasks
- Finalize your guest list
- Send your save-the-dates
Wedding attire and beauty
9 tasks
- Choose and order your wedding dress
- Final dress fitting
Ceremony and wedding events
6 tasks
- Check your state's marriage license requirements and application window
- Apply for your marriage license within your state's window
Photography and entertainment
7 tasks
- Book your photographer
- Book your DJ or band
Catering, decorations and flowers
10 tasks
- Book your caterer or confirm the venue's catering
- Send the final menu and dietary needs to the caterer
Transportation and lodging
6 tasks
- Reserve a hotel room block for out-of-town guests
- Book your honeymoon
Final confirmations
5 tasks
- Reconfirm every vendor: times, addresses and deposits
- Give your final guest count to the venue and caterer
Wedding-day essentials
7 tasks
- Give helpers their jobs for the day
- Pack a wedding-day emergency kit
After the wedding
6 tasks
- Return rentals and arrange dress cleaning and preservation
- Order certified copies of your marriage certificate
A wedding planning timeline, step by step
Twelve months is a common planning window, but plenty of couples plan in six, or in three. These stages are a guide, not a rulebook. Your checklist uses them to set suggested deadlines, and you can change any of them.
12 months or more before
Set a budget, sketch a guest count and decide what matters most to you both. These choices drive every later decision. If you want a popular venue or a peak-season date, start looking now.
9 to 12 months before
Book your venue and, soon after, your photographer. Both tend to be the first to fill up. Decide whether you want a planner or a day-of coordinator, and ask your wedding party.
6 to 9 months before
Book the rest of your major vendors: caterer, music, florist, officiant, hair and makeup. Order your dress now, as made-to-order gowns can take months. Send save-the-dates, particularly if guests will travel.
3 to 6 months before
Order invitations, rings and outfits for your partner and wedding party. Book your honeymoon, a hotel room block for guests and wedding-day transportation, and plan the ceremony itself.
1 to 3 months before
Send invitations with an RSVP date of about three to four weeks before the wedding. Hold your menu tasting, check your marriage license requirements and write your vows.
The final month
Chase RSVPs, plan the seating, have your final fitting, and give the venue and caterer a final guest count. Reconfirm every vendor and share the day's timeline.
The final week
Pack your emergency kit and bags, collect your outfits, brief your helpers and hand the rings and documents to someone you trust. Then rest.
Getting married sooner than that? Enter your date anyway. Tasks whose usual timing has already passed are moved into your next four weeks, key tasks first, so you start with what matters most. You can edit or skip any of them.
Wedding checklist questions
Do I need a wedding date to use it?
No. Choose “Not yet” and your tasks are grouped by how long before the wedding they're usually done, starting at 12 months before. When you pick a date, add it from the checklist and every task gets a deadline, plus a countdown and a calendar. Your progress is kept.
How far ahead should I start planning a wedding?
Many couples start 9 to 12 months ahead, especially for popular venues and dates. Shorter timelines are completely workable: book the venue and key vendors first, then work through the rest in date order.
Is this wedding checklist really free?
Yes. It is free to use, with no account, email address or payment. You don't even need to give us your name.
Where is my checklist saved?
In your current browser, on this device only. We don't send it to a server. That also means clearing your browser data, using private browsing or switching devices can lose it, so download a PDF if you want a copy.
Can I download or print my checklist?
Yes. Choose “Download PDF / Print”, then pick “Save as PDF” as the destination to save it, or choose your printer. The printed version leaves out the website and keeps your checkmarks, skips and edits.
What if my wedding is less than six months away?
You'll still get the full list. Tasks whose usual timing has already passed, like booking a venue 9 months out, are moved into your next four weeks, with the key tasks first, and each one shows when it is normally done. Nothing is marked as overdue, and you can check off, skip, edit or re-date any task.
Which wedding events does it cover?
Choose any of the optional events when you create your checklist, such as an engagement party, bridal shower, bachelor or bachelorette party, welcome party, rehearsal dinner or day-after brunch, and their tasks are added to your plan. You can add your own tasks for anything else.
Does it include the marriage license?
Yes, with two tasks: first check your state's requirements and application window with your county clerk, then apply inside that window. Rules vary by state and county, so the checklist doesn't guess; edit the application date once you know yours.
Does the checklist sync with the Wedding Countdown app?
Not at the moment. The web checklist and the app are separate, so progress doesn't transfer between them.