Wedding planning guide
The complete wedding planning checklist, month by month
Wedding planning unfolds across roughly twelve to eighteen months. AisleSheet's planning checklist breaks the entire arc into clear time buckets — 12+ months out, 9 months, 6 months, 3 months, 1 month, 2 weeks, wedding week, wedding day, and after — and pre-loads more than two dozen tasks every wedding actually needs.
12+ months out — set the foundation
The first big decisions are date, budget, and guest list. They are the constraints every other decision flows from: the date determines venue availability, the budget determines what's possible, and the guest list determines the venue size. During this phase you'll tour and book a venue, draft your guest list (don't worry about exact addresses yet), and have the harder conversations about who is paying for what. Aim to have these settled before you start booking other vendors.
9 months out — book the big-ticket vendors
Photographer, caterer, and dress (or suit) typically book six to twelve months in advance for popular dates. Get these locked in before you spend energy on smaller decisions. A good order: photographer first (their style sets the mood), caterer second (the food is what guests remember), then attire (because alterations take longer than you think).
6 months out — stationery, florals, music
Send save-the-dates so guests can book travel. Book the florist and DJ or band. Start a hair and makeup trial. Order rings. This is also the right time to confirm hotel room blocks for out-of-town guests and to start a shared address spreadsheet for invitations.
3 months out — invitations, menu tasting, license
Formal invitations go out roughly twelve weeks before the wedding. Finalize the menu with the caterer. Apply for the marriage license well in advance — many states require a waiting period between application and ceremony. RSVPs typically come back over a six-week window. AisleSheet's RSVP tracker gives you a live count, so you'll know when to start chasing the holdouts.
1 month out — fittings, timelines, final balances
Final dress and suit fittings happen in the last few weeks. Confirm timelines with every vendor — who arrives when, what they need, where to park. Pay any remaining deposits. This is also when day-of details come together: order of ceremony, processional music, reception flow, speeches, and special dances.
2 weeks out — final headcount, seating chart, rehearsal
Give the final headcount to the caterer. Finalize the seating chart. Confirm the rehearsal dinner. Pack a wedding-day emergency kit (safety pins, stain remover, Tide pen, painkillers, deodorant, snacks).
Wedding week — pay balances, pack, breathe
Pay all remaining vendor balances. Pack honeymoon bags. Get a manicure. Eat actual meals. Sleep. The most important thing this week is to not introduce new decisions. Trust the plan.
Wedding day — eat breakfast, marry the love of your life
Eat a real breakfast. Drink water. Hand the printed timeline and vendor contact sheet to your coordinator or most reliable friend. Then enjoy it — every single moment.
After the wedding — thank you cards and keepsakes
Send thank-you cards within three months. Preserve the dress and the bouquet. Order an album from your photographer. AisleSheet's checklist includes these tasks so they don't slip into next year.
Use the checklist free
AisleSheet's planning checklist is free with every account. Mark tasks complete as you go, add your own, and print a clean version at any stage. Combined with the budget, guest, and vendor trackers, it gives you the full wedding in one beautifully organized place.