Wedding Week Checklist

Outfits often arrive creased from transport or storage. Preparing them a few days ahead leaves time to fix a loose button or find a missing accessory. Keeping everything together, and knowing who’s responsible for getting it to the venue, removes one of the most common morning-of worries.

• Ask the venue or a professional if you’re unsure about steaming delicate fabrics.
• Hang outfits away from direct sunlight and pets.

A rehearsal turns the ceremony plan into something people have actually done. It settles nerves, shows the pace of the processional, and makes sure readers, musicians and anyone handing over rings know their cue. Even 30–45 minutes can make the real ceremony feel calm and familiar.

• Walk slower than feels natural; nerves make everyone speed up.

• “Can we rehearse at the venue, and at what time?
• “Will you lead the rehearsal, or should our coordinator?

Getting ready can take several hours, and many couples realize late in the afternoon that they haven’t eaten. Low energy makes nerves worse and can leave you lightheaded during the ceremony. Planning easy, non-messy food and plenty of water keeps everyone comfortable and in good spirits.

• Often forgottenThe hair and makeup team and the photographer are often there for hours without a meal.
• Straws help you drink without disturbing lipstick.
• Avoid foods that stain or crumble near your outfits.

Bringing décor ahead means one less thing to carry on the wedding morning, and gives the venue team time to set it up as you’d like. Labeled boxes with a photo of the intended setup make it easy for someone else to follow. A collection plan ensures your items come home rather than being left behind.

• Often forgottenThe empty boxes are needed again at the end of the night, so ask the venue to keep them.
• Mark boxes that must come home, such as family keepsakes, clearly.

• “Where will our décor be stored until the wedding?
• “Who from your team will set it up?

Transport is one of the few things that can delay the whole day. Reconfirming a few days ahead catches changed drivers, wrong addresses or road works you didn’t know about. It also ensures the driver has the right contact number if they’re running late.

• Add a little buffer time to every journey.

• “Who will be driving, and how can we reach them on the day?
• “What happens if you’re delayed?

Without the correct paperwork, your officiant may not be able to complete the legal part of the marriage. Requirements vary by location, and some licenses are only valid for a limited time. Gathering everything a week ahead leaves time to fix a spelling error or a missing document with the official authority where your legal ceremony takes place.

You’ll need to have applied for your marriage license, or confirmed your legal paperwork, first.

• Often forgottenCouples sometimes forget to check who returns the signed paperwork after the wedding, and by when.
• If anything is unclear, check with the official authority where your legal ceremony takes place.

• “What exactly do we need to bring on the day?
• “Do our witnesses need identification?
• “Who submits the signed paperwork afterwards, and by when?

Rings can arrive late, be resized incorrectly or have an engraving typo. Checking a week ahead leaves a little time to fix a problem or plan a stand-in. Deciding who holds them, and where they’re kept before the ceremony, prevents the familiar last-minute search.

• Fingers can swell in heat, so try them on in the afternoon too.

Venues with weak signal, flat phones or a locked screen can all make contact details hard to reach at the moment they’re needed. A printed sheet, plus an offline copy on a couple of phones, means anyone helping can call the florist, the transport company or the caterer without looking for you.

• Often forgottenThe transport company’s number is often missing from the list, yet it’s one of the most likely to be needed.
• Add a copy to the emergency kit too.

In the last days, your phone should be for family, friends and each other. Once vendors know to contact your coordinator or day-of contact, small questions get answered without interrupting you. It also means one person holds the full picture of arrivals, changes and payments on the day.

You’ll need to choose your day-of contact before handing anything over.

• Often forgottenClose family are the people most likely to come straight to you, so tell them who to ask instead.
• On the day, a simple line helps when someone asks you: “Our coordinator has all the details.”

• “Is there anything you need from us before you take over?

Every late change has to reach vendors, helpers and the timeline, and that’s where mistakes creep in. Pausing big decisions protects the plan you’ve built and gives you space to rest and enjoy the lead-up. Most details that feel urgent this week won’t be noticed by guests at all.

• Keep a list called ‘nice to have’ and let it go if nothing gets done from it.

Small mishaps are normal on a wedding day: a popped button, a blister, a spill, a dead phone. A well-stocked kit turns each of these into a two-minute fix rather than a stressful search. Packing it in the final week, and handing it to someone who stays nearby, means help is always close at hand.

• Often forgottenThe kit is often packed but left in a car or getting-ready room, far from where it’s needed.
• Make a second, smaller kit if getting ready happens in two places.
• Tape the contents list inside the lid so helpers can find things fast.

Your phone is how you’ll reach helpers and vendors, and it may hold your vows, playlist or timeline. Power banks and cameras can quietly lose charge in a drawer. Charging everything a couple of days ahead, then topping up the night before, means nothing runs flat halfway through the day.

• Download vows, playlists and timelines so they work offline.