# Wedding Week Checklist > Your wedding week checklist: gather marriage documents, check the rings, hold the rehearsal, pack an emergency kit and hand vendor contact to someone else. Source: https://readytoweddy.com/wedding-checklist/1-week Publisher: ReadyToWeddy (https://readytoweddy.com) · Last updated: 2026-09-17 The week of the wedding is about essentials and handoffs, not new ideas. Gather what you need, pass the questions to [your point of contact](https://readytoweddy.com/wedding-checklist/1-month#choose-day-of-contact), and give yourself permission to stop changing things. ## What should you do the week of your wedding? In your wedding week, gather your marriage documents and ID, check that the rings are ready and fit, and hold your ceremony rehearsal. Prepare your outfits, pack a [wedding-day emergency kit](https://readytoweddy.com/guides/pack-emergency-kit), charge devices, save vendor contacts offline and reconfirm transport. Drop off décor, plan food for getting ready, then hand vendor communication to your point of contact and stop making big changes. ## Checklist (12 tasks) ### Gather your marriage documents - When: 2–10 days before (Wedding Week) - Category: Legal & Documents - Priority: Essential · fixed deadline - Link: https://readytoweddy.com/wedding-checklist/1-week#gather-legal-documents Gather your marriage license and required identification about a week before the wedding, check the details and validity dates, and decide who will bring them to the ceremony. **Why it matters:** 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. **Steps:** - [ ] Find your marriage license or equivalent paperwork. - [ ] Check names, dates and places for errors. - [ ] Confirm the document is valid on your wedding date. - [ ] Gather the ID and papers your officiant needs. - [ ] Confirm witnesses and what they need to bring. - [ ] Put it all in a waterproof folder with one carrier. **Helpful questions:** - “What exactly do we need to bring on the day?” - “Do our witnesses need identification?” - “Who submits the signed paperwork afterwards, and by when?” **Tips:** - Often forgotten: Couples 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. **Note:** Rules vary by location — confirm with the official authority where you marry. **Best done after:** Apply for your marriage license ### Check the rings are ready - When: Up to 2 weeks before (Wedding Week) - Category: Rings - Priority: Essential - Link: https://readytoweddy.com/wedding-checklist/1-week#check-rings-ready Check your wedding rings about a week before the wedding: try them on, confirm the engraving is correct, and decide who will hold them until the ceremony. **Why it matters:** 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. **Steps:** - [ ] Collect the rings if they’re still with the jeweler. - [ ] Try them on at different times of day to check the fit. - [ ] Check the engraving letter by letter. - [ ] Confirm insurance covers them if you’ve arranged it. - [ ] Store them together in a ring box. - [ ] Agree who holds them on the day. **Tips:** - Fingers can swell in heat, so try them on in the afternoon too. ### Hold your ceremony rehearsal - When: 1–7 days before (Wedding Week) - Category: Ceremony - Priority: Recommended - Link: https://readytoweddy.com/wedding-checklist/1-week#hold-rehearsal Hold a short ceremony rehearsal in the final days before the wedding, usually 1–2 days ahead, so everyone knows where to stand, when to walk and what to do. **Why it matters:** 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. **Steps:** - [ ] Confirm time and place with the officiant and venue. - [ ] Invite everyone with a role in the ceremony. - [ ] Walk through the processional and standing spots. - [ ] Practice cues for music, readings and the rings. - [ ] Have readers try the microphone if there is one. - [ ] Rehearse the recessional and where everyone goes next. - [ ] Share any changes with the musicians and coordinator. **Helpful questions:** - “Can we rehearse at the venue, and at what time?” - “Will you lead the rehearsal, or should our coordinator?” **Tips:** - Walk slower than feels natural; nerves make everyone speed up. **Optional:** If the ceremony is simple or the venue isn’t available, a quick walk-through on the day works too. ### Steam and prepare your outfits - When: 1–7 days before (Wedding Week) - Category: Attire - Priority: Recommended - Link: https://readytoweddy.com/wedding-checklist/1-week#prepare-outfits Steam or press your wedding outfits a few days before the wedding, then hang them with shoes, accessories and undergarments so everything is ready in one place. **Why it matters:** 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. **Steps:** - [ ] Check outfits for marks, threads and loose fastenings. - [ ] Steam or press out creases per the care label. - [ ] Hang them on sturdy hangers in breathable garment bags. - [ ] Group shoes and accessories with each outfit. - [ ] Decide who transports the outfits and when. **Tips:** - Ask the venue or a professional if you’re unsure about steaming delicate fabrics. - Hang outfits away from direct sunlight and pets. ### Pack a wedding-day emergency kit - When: Up to 2 weeks before (Wedding Week) - Category: Backup Plans - Priority: Recommended - Link: https://readytoweddy.com/guides/pack-emergency-kit Pack a wedding-day emergency kit in the final week with sewing supplies, stain remover, pain relief you already use, bandages, chargers and snacks, and give it to a trusted helper. **Why it matters:** 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. **Steps:** - [ ] Choose a bag or box that’s easy to carry. - [ ] Pack a sewing kit, safety pins and stain remover. - [ ] Add bandages, blister pads, tissues and medication. - [ ] Include chargers, snacks, water and an umbrella. - [ ] Label the bag and list its contents. - [ ] Give it to a helper who’ll stay near you. **Tips:** - Often forgotten: The 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. ### Charge devices and power banks - When: 1–5 days before (Wedding Week) - Category: Backup Plans - Priority: Recommended - Link: https://readytoweddy.com/wedding-checklist/1-week#charge-devices Charge phones, power banks, speakers, cameras and any other devices in the last few days before the wedding, and pack the chargers and cables you’ll need on the day. **Why it matters:** 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. **Steps:** - [ ] List every device you’ll use, starting with phones. - [ ] Charge power banks fully and test them. - [ ] Charge your own cameras, speakers and microphones. - [ ] Pack cables and plugs in a labeled pouch. - [ ] Top everything up the night before. **Tips:** - Download vows, playlists and timelines so they work offline. ### Save vendor contacts offline - When: 1–7 days before (Wedding Week) - Category: Timeline & Logistics - Priority: Recommended - Link: https://readytoweddy.com/wedding-checklist/1-week#save-contacts-offline Save every vendor’s name, on-site contact and phone number offline in the final week, and give a printed contact sheet to your coordinator or day-of contact. **Why it matters:** 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. **Steps:** - [ ] List each vendor’s on-site lead and phone number. - [ ] Add the venue, officiant, transport and key helpers. - [ ] Include arrival times and the venue address. - [ ] Print copies for your coordinator and key helpers. - [ ] Save an offline copy on at least two phones. **Tips:** - Often forgotten: The 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. ### Reconfirm pickup times and routes - When: 1–7 days before (Wedding Week) - Category: Transportation - Priority: Essential - Link: https://readytoweddy.com/wedding-checklist/1-week#reconfirm-transport Reconfirm transport pickup times, addresses and routes in the final week for the two of you and any guest shuttles, allowing for traffic, road closures and parking. **Why it matters:** 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. **Steps:** - [ ] Confirm each pickup time, address and passenger list. - [ ] Check the route, parking and any road closures. - [ ] Swap numbers with the driver and your day-of contact. - [ ] Confirm return trips and final pickup times. - [ ] Confirm accessible vehicles for anyone who needs them. - [ ] Tell guests any updated shuttle times. **Helpful questions:** - “Who will be driving, and how can we reach them on the day?” - “What happens if you’re delayed?” **Tips:** - Add a little buffer time to every journey. ### Drop off décor at the venue - When: 1–5 days before (Wedding Week) - Category: Flowers & Décor - Priority: Recommended - Link: https://readytoweddy.com/wedding-checklist/1-week#drop-off-decor Drop off your own décor at the venue in the final days, where the venue allows, in labeled boxes with setup notes and a plan for collection afterwards. **Why it matters:** 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. **Steps:** - [ ] Ask the venue when to drop off and where it’s stored. - [ ] Pack items in boxes labeled by space and table. - [ ] Add a photo or sketch of how each item is set up. - [ ] Make an inventory of everything you’re leaving. - [ ] Agree who collects the boxes after the wedding. **Helpful questions:** - “Where will our décor be stored until the wedding?” - “Who from your team will set it up?” **Tips:** - Often forgotten: The 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. ### Plan food and water for getting ready - When: 1–7 days before (Wedding Week) - Category: Food & Drink - Priority: Recommended - Link: https://readytoweddy.com/wedding-checklist/1-week#plan-getting-ready-food Plan simple food and water for the getting-ready hours in the final week, so you and your helpers eat properly before a long day with little time to stop. **Why it matters:** 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. **Steps:** - [ ] Count who’s getting ready with you and dietary needs. - [ ] Choose an easy brunch and non-messy snacks. - [ ] Arrange delivery or ask someone to bring it. - [ ] Add water, straws, napkins and plates. - [ ] Include food for the photographer and beauty team. **Tips:** - Often forgotten: The 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. ### Hand over vendor communication - When: 1–7 days before (Wedding Week) - Category: Timeline & Logistics - Priority: Essential - Link: https://readytoweddy.com/wedding-checklist/1-week#hand-over-vendor-contact Hand over vendor communication to your coordinator or day-of contact in the final week, and tell vendors to contact that person, not the two of you, from now on. **Why it matters:** 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. **Steps:** - [ ] Give your day-of contact contracts and the timeline. - [ ] Walk them through any open questions. - [ ] Email vendors introducing your day-of contact. - [ ] Tell family and the wedding party who to ask. - [ ] Explain the plan for day-of payment envelopes. - [ ] Agree what still comes to you, like emergencies. **Helpful questions:** - “Is there anything you need from us before you take over?” **Tips:** - Often forgotten: Close 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.” **Best done after:** Choose your wedding-day point of contact ### Stop making big changes - When: 1–7 days before (Wedding Week) - Category: Timeline & Logistics - Priority: Recommended - Link: https://readytoweddy.com/wedding-checklist/1-week#freeze-the-plan In the final week, stop making big changes to the plan and only adjust what genuinely needs fixing. What you have now is ready. **Why it matters:** 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. **Steps:** - [ ] Agree together that the plan is now set. - [ ] Write new ideas down for later instead of acting. - [ ] Only change things that fix a real problem. - [ ] Send any essential changes through your day-of contact. - [ ] Make time for rest and the people you love. **Tips:** - Keep a list called ‘nice to have’ and let it go if nothing gets done from it. **Optional:** It’s okay to stop here. The plan is good, and the wedding will be lovely without one more tweak. ## FAQ ### What should you do the week of your wedding? Gather documents, check rings, rehearse the ceremony, prepare outfits, pack an emergency kit, reconfirm transport, drop off décor and hand over vendor communication. Then try to rest, eat well and step back from the planning. ### What should be in a wedding day emergency kit? Common items include safety pins, a small sewing kit, stain remover, pain relief, bandages, tissues, deodorant, phone chargers, snacks, water and any personal medication. Give the kit to someone who will stay close to you all day. ### Is it too late to change things the week of the wedding? Small fixes are fine, but big changes this late tend to add stress for you and your vendors. If it isn’t essential, let it go. The plan you already have is a good one.