12 months before the big day
- Announce your engagement to your wider circle of friends and family
- Optional: have an engagement party
- Think about the size of of wedding you'd like and draft a guest list
- Start looking at venues
- Think about wedding styles and colours
- Select your bridal party and groomsmen
- Send out save the date cards or emails to guests
10 months before the big day
- Choose your venue
- Book your registrar or cleric
- Book your chosen venue(s) and pay deposits
- Purchase wedding insurance
- Consider hiring a wedding planner
- Set up a Personal Website to keep your friends up to date about your wedding
- Book photographer (and videographer)
- 8 months before the big day
- Order your wedding dress and accessories
- Book a wedding caterer, florist, transport, cakemaker and honeymoon
- Contact rental companies if you need them to hire furniture or linen
6 months before the big day
- Book accommodation for your wedding night and any rooms needed for out of town guests
- Buy wedding favours
- Set up a gift list
- Order stationery, groom's clothing and rings
- Give notice of marriage/or arrange for your banns to be read in church and pay any necessary fees
- Renew or get passports, if you're going on a honeymoon
4 months before the big day
- Buy going away outfits if you're having any
- Buy gifts for each other, your parents and anyone else in the wedding party you'd like to treat
- Purchase or make your decorations
3 months before the big day
- Arrange for your initial wedding dress fitting
- Create a 'shot list' of the must-take photographs and discuss with your photographer
- Plan the wedding menu with your caterer
- Post your wedding invitations
- Select hymns and decide on order of service or choose suitable wedding music and/or readings
2 months before the big day
- Write your wedding vows (if you are writing your own)
1 month before the big day
- Arrange for someone to take care or your plants, pets or children while on honeymoon
- Have your final gown fitting and arrange to pick up your wedding dress
- Check with your suppliers that they know what they're delivering, where they're delivering it to and when it should arrive
- Write and print an order of service
- Write thank you cards as your receive wedding gifts
- Buy a guest book and decide where it will go or look at these alternative ideas
- Finalise seating plan and write place cards
- Confirm head count with caterer
- Wear your wedding shoes on carpets round the house
- Give your DJ or wedding musician your song list
2 days before
- Check everyone in the wedding party knows what responsibilities they have (e.g. greeting and seating guests, checking suppliers)
- Confirm wedding day transport
- Indulge in a manicure and pedicure
- Make sure all wedding day items are packed or laid out
On the day
- Allow plenty of time to get ready
- Enjoy yourself and relax
After the wedding/honeymoon
- Send thank you cards
- Have your wedding dress cleaned and preserved
- Keep in touch with your photographer and/or videographer as they work on your photographs, album and/or DVD
- Arrange to change the surname on your driving licence, with your bank and so on, if necessary.
