# DIY wedding checklist > A DIY wedding checklist for couples planning without a planner: organize vendors and rentals, build setup and cleanup crews, and run the day with backup plans. Source: https://readytoweddy.com/wedding-checklist/diy-wedding Publisher: ReadyToWeddy (https://readytoweddy.com) · Last updated: 2026-09-17 A DIY wedding means more than crafts: it means the two of you are the planners, from booking vendors to making sure the chairs go back on time. This checklist highlights the organizing tasks that matter most and adds notes on delegation, rentals, setup and backups. ## How do you plan a wedding without a planner? Plan a wedding without a planner by keeping [one shared planning system](https://readytoweddy.com/wedding-checklist/getting-started#set-up-planning-system), tracking every vendor and rental in one place, and choosing a venue whose setup and cleanup rules you understand. Build [a detailed timeline](https://readytoweddy.com/guides/create-wedding-day-timeline) with named helpers for setup, the day and cleanup, choose a day-of contact who isn’t either of you, and prepare backups for weather, power and missing items. ## What’s different about a diy wedding - **You are the planner:** A single shared planning system and vendor tracker do the job a planner would. - **Rentals need managing:** Deliveries, counts, rinsing and returns all need a named owner. - **Setup and cleanup crews:** Helpers need written roles, start times and finish times, just like vendors. - **Venue rules matter more:** Access windows, décor restrictions and cleaning duties shape what you can make and when. - **A day-of stand-in:** Someone who isn’t either of you runs the day so you can be present. - **Backups for everything:** Weather, power, missing items and helpers who can’t make it all need a plan B. ## Getting Started Just engaged? Enjoy it first. The planning can start slowly. - [ ] **Agree on your top wedding priorities** (Essential) — Agree on three to five shared wedding priorities before you book anything, so every later decision about budget, venue and vendors has a clear tiebreaker. - [ ] **Set your working budget** (Essential) — Set a working wedding budget before you contact venues or vendors: agree on a total, decide who contributes, keep a contingency, and split the rest by your priorities. *For a diy wedding:* DIY costs creep in quietly: supplies, test runs, tools, delivery fees, cleaning and replacements. Give them their own budget line and a larger contingency than you would with a planner. - [ ] **Talk about family contributions** (Recommended) — Talk openly with family about any financial contributions early in planning, including how much, when it arrives, and whether it comes with expectations about guests or decisions. - [ ] **Estimate your guest count** (Essential) — Estimate your guest count before shortlisting venues, because the number of people you invite drives venue capacity, catering costs and most of your budget. - [ ] **Draft your guest list in three tiers** (Essential) — Draft your guest list in three tiers, must invite, would like to invite and invite if space allows, so you can adjust numbers calmly once your venue and budget are set. - [ ] **Choose a season or date range** (Essential) — Choose a season or a range of possible dates early in planning, rather than one fixed day, so you have flexibility when checking venue and vendor availability. - [ ] **Decide where you want to get married** (Essential) — Decide the general area for your wedding early, whether close to home, near family or a destination abroad, since location shapes your budget, guest list and legal steps. - [ ] **Decide what kind of ceremony you want** (Essential) — Decide early whether you want a civil, religious or symbolic ceremony, and whether the legal marriage will happen separately, since this shapes your venue, officiant and paperwork. - [ ] **Decide whether you need a planner** (Recommended) — Decide early whether you want a full-service planner, a partial planner or a wedding-day coordinator, based on your time, budget and how complex your wedding will be. *For a diy wedding:* Planning it yourselves is very doable, but the wedding day itself is harder to run alone. Consider at least a day-of coordinator, or a very organized friend who agrees to take the role seriously. - [ ] **Set up a shared planning system** (Recommended) — Set up one shared place for your wedding budget, guest list, vendor contacts, contracts and tasks at the start of planning, so both of you can see what’s happening. *For a diy wedding:* Without a planner, your shared system is the planner. Keep one master document with tasks, owners, deadlines, vendor payments, rental items, delivery windows and return dates, and share it with key helpers later. - [ ] **Insure your engagement ring** (Optional) — Consider insuring your engagement ring soon after the engagement, either through a specialist policy or your existing home or contents insurance, so loss or damage is covered. - [ ] **Share your news the way you want to** (Optional) — Share your engagement news in whatever way feels right, ideally telling close family and friends personally before posting online, and without committing to wedding details yet. ## 12+ Months Before Plenty of time. Start with the foundations. - [ ] **Research and shortlist venues** (Essential) — Research and shortlist three to five wedding venues about 12–18 months before the wedding, filtering by guest capacity, budget, location and your preferred dates. *For a diy wedding:* Compare full-service and blank-canvas venues honestly. A blank canvas can look cheaper but adds rentals, setup crews, restrooms, power and cleanup to your list. - [ ] **Visit your shortlisted venues** (Essential) — Visit your shortlisted venues in person, ideally at the same time of day as your wedding, with a list of questions about capacity, rules, costs and backup plans. - [ ] **Book your venue** (Essential) — Book your wedding venue 12–18 months before the wedding, and earlier for popular dates, once you’ve compared quotes, read the contract carefully and confirmed your date. *For a diy wedding:* Ask when you can access the venue for setup, whether the day before is included, what must be cleared by when, and who handles trash, recycling and cleaning. - [ ] **Secure your ceremony location** (Essential) — If your ceremony will be somewhere other than your reception, such as a place of worship or registry office, secure that location around the same time as your venue. - [ ] **Confirm your date and tell key people** (Essential) — Confirm your wedding date once the venue contract is signed and ceremony arrangements are secure, then share it with close family, your wedding party and priority vendors. - [ ] **Book your wedding photographer** (Recommended) — Book your photographer 9–12 months before the wedding, after your venue and date are confirmed, or up to 18 months ahead for popular peak-season dates. - [ ] **Decide on a videographer** (Optional) — Decide whether you want a wedding videographer around the time you book your photographer, and if so, book one whose style and deliverables fit your budget. - [ ] **Book your caterer** (Essential) — Book your caterer 9–12 months before the wedding, after your venue and date are confirmed, comparing complete quotes that include staff, equipment and service charges. *For a diy wedding:* Ask whether the caterer is full-service or drop-off. Drop-off catering means someone else must set out food, keep it at safe temperatures, clear plates and pack up. - [ ] **Book your officiant** (Essential) — Book your officiant 9–12 months before the wedding, making sure they’re able to perform the kind of ceremony you want and, if needed, the legal part of your marriage. - [ ] **Book your band or DJ** (Recommended) — Book your wedding DJ or band 9–12 months before the wedding, after checking your venue’s noise and power rules, and compare set times, equipment and contract terms. - [ ] **Know what to check in every vendor contract** (Essential) — Before you sign any vendor contract, check what’s included, the payment schedule, cancellation and postponement terms, substitutions and, for photos and video, usage rights. - [ ] **Consider wedding insurance** (Recommended) — Consider wedding insurance soon after booking your venue, checking what’s covered and excluded, and whether your venue requires liability coverage for you or your vendors. - [ ] **Start researching wedding outfits** (Recommended) — Start researching your wedding outfits 12 months or more before the wedding, setting a budget, checking production lead times and booking first appointments if needed. - [ ] **Choose your wedding party** (Optional) — Choose your wedding party, if you want one, about a year before the wedding, and ask each person personally with a clear idea of the time and costs involved. ## 9–12 Months Before Your big pieces are in place. Now for the people and the plans around them. - [ ] **Book your florist** (Recommended) — Book your florist 9–12 months before the wedding, once your venue and color ideas are settled, so you can secure their date and plan around seasonal flowers. - [ ] **Book hair and makeup** (Optional) — Book hair and makeup artists 9–12 months before the wedding if you plan to use them, since good artists take limited bookings on busy weekends. - [ ] **Book rentals and equipment** (Recommended) — Book rentals such as furniture, linens, tents, generators and restrooms 9–12 months before the wedding, especially for outdoor or blank-canvas venues where little is provided. *For a diy wedding:* Confirm delivery and pickup times, who counts items on arrival, whether dishes need rinsing, and damage or loss fees. Book extra chairs and linens to cover late changes. - [ ] **Check permits for a private or outdoor venue** (Recommended) — If you’re marrying at a home, park, beach or farm, ask the local authority and landowner 9–10 months ahead which permits, insurance and rules apply to your event. *For a diy wedding:* Homes, fields and parks rarely come with permissions in place. Ask the local authority early about event, noise, alcohol and parking rules, and whether you need liability insurance. - [ ] **Create your wedding website** (Recommended) — Create your wedding website 9–12 months before the wedding, before save-the-dates go out, with the date, location, travel and accommodation details guests need to plan. - [ ] **Collect guest addresses and contact details** (Essential) — Collect mailing addresses, emails and phone numbers for every household on your guest list 8–11 months ahead, in one shared spreadsheet, before save-the-dates or invitations go out. - [ ] **Reserve accommodation for guests** (Recommended) — Reserve guest accommodation, such as a hotel room block, 9–12 months before the wedding so traveling guests have convenient options at a known rate before rooms sell out. - [ ] **Book your getting-ready space and wedding-night stay** (Recommended) — Book your getting-ready space and wedding-night room about 9 months ahead, choosing somewhere near the venue with good light and room for hair, makeup and photos. - [ ] **Plan how guests will get around** (Recommended) — Plan guest transport around 9–12 months before the wedding, covering the trip to the ceremony, travel between venues, and how everyone gets home at the end of the night. - [ ] **Set up your registry** (Optional) — Set up a registry around 9–12 months before the wedding if you want one, so guests invited to early celebrations have options. Include items, experiences or funds that suit you. - [ ] **Book an engagement photo session** (Optional) — Book an engagement photo session 9–12 months before the wedding if you’d like one, ideally with your wedding photographer, so the images are ready for save-the-dates. - [ ] **Order your wedding outfits** (Essential) — Order your wedding outfits 9–12 months before the wedding, since made-to-order pieces can take several months to arrive and alterations need time afterward. - [ ] **Book your cake or dessert supplier** (Optional) — Book a cake or dessert supplier about 9 months before the wedding if you want one, after confirming what your venue or caterer already includes and allows. - [ ] **Research marriage license requirements** (Essential) — Research marriage license requirements around 9 months before the wedding with the official authority where your legal ceremony takes place, so you know when to apply and what to bring. ## 6–9 Months Before You’re building the details now. - [ ] **Send save-the-dates** (Recommended) — Send save-the-dates 6–8 months before the wedding, or 8–12 months ahead for destination or holiday weddings, with your names, date, location and website. - [ ] **Book the remaining vendors** (Recommended) — Book any remaining vendors around 6 months before the wedding, choosing only the services that support the priorities the two of you agreed on at the start. - [ ] **Review your budget against real quotes** (Recommended) — Once your main vendors are booked, compare your original estimates with real quotes and deposits paid, add hidden extras, and decide where to trim before the final months. *For a diy wedding:* Compare real quotes with your estimates, and add DIY extras such as supplies, delivery fees and cleaning. This is the moment to drop projects that cost more than they’re worth. - [ ] **Plan the ceremony structure** (Essential) — Plan your ceremony structure around 6 months before the wedding with your officiant, including the order, readings, music, processional and roughly how long it will last. - [ ] **Plan your honeymoon** (Optional) — Plan your honeymoon around 6 months before the wedding if you’re taking one soon after, so you can book flights and stays and check passport and entry requirements in time. - [ ] **Request time off work** (Recommended) — Request time off work about 6–7 months ahead, covering the final days of preparation, the wedding, a day or two to recover and any honeymoon travel. - [ ] **Review accessibility and guest needs** (Recommended) — Review accessibility and guest needs around 6 months before the wedding, checking step-free access, seating, hearing support and a quiet space, so every guest can take part comfortably. - [ ] **Choose wedding party outfits** (Optional) — Choose wedding party outfits around 6 months before the wedding, leaving time for ordering and alterations, and agree early on who pays for what. - [ ] **Plan a rehearsal or welcome dinner** (Optional) — Plan a rehearsal or welcome dinner around 6 months before the wedding if you want one, deciding who’s invited, who’s hosting and where it will be held. - [ ] **Book transport for the two of you** (Recommended) — Book transport for the two of you around 6 months before the wedding, covering getting to the ceremony, moving between venues and leaving at the end of the night. - [ ] **Decide on plus-ones and children** (Recommended) — Agree on a clear plus-one policy and whether children are invited before save-the-dates or invitations go out, then show it through how you address each invitation. - [ ] **Decide your dress code** (Recommended) — Decide your dress code about 6–7 months ahead, choosing a clear term that fits your venue and season, and share it on your website and invitations with a short, friendly explanation. - [ ] **Sketch the reception flow** (Recommended) — Sketch your reception flow around 6 months before the wedding, deciding roughly when the entrance, meal, speeches, first dance and dancing will happen. - [ ] **Check venue rules for vendors and décor** (Recommended) — Check your venue’s rules for vendors and décor around 6 months before the wedding, including noise curfews, candles, confetti, preferred suppliers and insurance requirements. *For a diy wedding:* DIY décor runs into venue rules most often: candles, tape and nails on walls, confetti, open flames and cleaning fees. Check before you make or buy anything. ## 3–6 Months Before Things are coming together. - [ ] **Design and order your invitations** (Essential) — Design and order your wedding invitations about 3–4 months before the wedding, agreeing the wording and RSVP method, so there’s time to proof, print and send them 6–8 weeks before the day. - [ ] **Finalize your menu and tasting** (Essential) — Finalize your wedding menu about three months before the wedding, ideally after a tasting, including dietary alternatives, children’s meals and any late-night food. - [ ] **Plan the bar and drinks** (Recommended) — Plan your wedding bar about three months ahead: choose a drinks package or supplier, add good alcohol-free options, and confirm licensing and service rules with your venue. *For a diy wedding:* If you’re supplying drinks, check licensing and service rules with your venue, and decide who serves, who buys ice and who stops service at the right time. - [ ] **Finalize flowers and décor** (Recommended) — Finalize your wedding flowers and décor about three months before the wedding, confirming quantities, setup, cleanup and whether any arrangements will move between spaces. *For a diy wedding:* DIY flowers need to be prepared in the last few days, which is also your busiest time. Do a small test run, book cool storage and plenty of buckets, and assign helpers. - [ ] **Confirm transportation details** (Recommended) — Confirm wedding transportation details about three months ahead, giving the company every address, pickup time, passenger estimate and a wedding-day contact who isn’t you. - [ ] **Buy your wedding rings** (Essential) — Start shopping for your wedding rings about 3–4 months before the wedding to leave time for sizing, engraving and insurance. Allow 4–6 months for custom designs or engraving-heavy orders. - [ ] **Plan signage and on-the-day stationery** (Optional) — Plan wedding signage and on-the-day stationery about three months ahead, deciding which signs guests actually need, such as a welcome sign, directions, menus and table numbers. - [ ] **Decide how guests will share photos** (Recommended) — Decide how guests will share wedding photos about three months before the wedding, choosing one simple method, such as a shared album or QR-code upload, so candid shots end up in one place. - [ ] **Decide on an unplugged ceremony** (Optional) — Decide whether you want an unplugged ceremony, where guests put phones away, about three months ahead so you can tell guests kindly and plan where photos will come from. - [ ] **Choose your key music moments** (Recommended) — Choose the music for your key wedding moments about three months ahead, including the processional, recessional, first dance and last song, so musicians have time to prepare. - [ ] **Schedule hair and makeup trials** (Optional) — Schedule hair and makeup trials about 2–3 months before the wedding, ideally after choosing your outfits, so you can test the look and adjust it in good time. - [ ] **Choose a guest book or keepsake** (Optional) — If you’d like a keepsake of guests’ messages, choose a guest book or alternative about 3 months ahead and decide who looks after it on the day. - [ ] **Write your vows** (Optional) — Start writing your wedding vows about 2–3 months before the wedding, after checking what your officiant allows, so you have time to draft, rest and revise without pressure. - [ ] **Decide who will give speeches** (Optional) — Decide who will give wedding speeches about three months ahead, and let each speaker know their slot, order and a suggested length of a few minutes. - [ ] **Buy shoes and accessories** (Recommended) — Buy wedding shoes and accessories about three months before the wedding, so you can bring them to your first fitting and your outfit is altered to the right length. - [ ] **Plan bachelor and bachelorette parties** (Optional) — Plan bachelor and bachelorette parties about 2–3 months ahead, scheduled at least a few weeks before the wedding so everyone has time to rest and recover. - [ ] **Agree on a wet-weather plan** (Essential) — Agree on a wet-weather plan about three months ahead, confirming an indoor or covered backup, any tent or heating costs, and how guests will stay comfortable in rain, wind or heat. *For a diy wedding:* For outdoor DIY weddings, price and hold a tent, heaters or fans early, and decide who will move furniture and décor if the plan changes. ## 1–3 Months Before RSVPs are arriving. The plan is getting real, one reply at a time. - [ ] **Send your wedding invitations** (Essential) — Send wedding invitations about 6–8 weeks before the wedding, or 8–12 weeks ahead for destination weddings or when many guests travel, with an RSVP deadline about 3–4 weeks before the day. - [ ] **Track RSVPs as they arrive** (Essential) — Track wedding RSVPs in one list as they arrive, recording attendance, meal choices, dietary needs and access requirements, so final numbers are ready when vendors need them. - [ ] **Follow up on missing RSVPs** (Essential) — Follow up kindly with guests who haven’t replied soon after your RSVP deadline, usually about 3–4 weeks before the wedding, so you can confirm final numbers and finish the seating plan on time. - [ ] **Create your seating plan** (Recommended) — Create your wedding seating plan once most RSVPs are in, usually 3–5 weeks before the wedding, grouping guests thoughtfully and allowing for access needs and family dynamics. - [ ] **Apply for your marriage license** (Essential) — When to apply for your marriage license depends on where you marry. Check the official authority for the application window, any waiting period and the expiry date, then apply within that window. - [ ] **Confirm your officiant can legally marry you** (Essential) — About 2–3 months before the wedding, check with the official authority where you’re marrying that your officiant is authorized there, and what they must sign and submit afterward. - [ ] **Attend your outfit fittings** (Essential) — Attend your wedding outfit fittings starting about 2–3 months before the wedding, bringing your shoes, undergarments and accessories so alterations match exactly what you’ll wear. - [ ] **Finalize ceremony details** (Essential) — Finalize your ceremony details about 6–8 weeks before the wedding with your officiant: readings, participants, music cues, processional order, microphones and any legally required wording. - [ ] **Create your wedding-day timeline** (Essential) — Create your wedding-day timeline about 6–8 weeks before the wedding, building it around fixed moments like the ceremony, meal service and venue close, then adding buffer time. *For a diy wedding:* Include setup and teardown blocks with named people, delivery windows and when each helper must stop working to get ready. Add buffer time to every setup task. - [ ] **Set up guest photo sharing** (Recommended) — Set up your guest photo-sharing method about 6–8 weeks before the wedding, test it on several phones, and add the link or QR code to your website and signs. - [ ] **List every final payment** (Essential) — List every final wedding payment about two months ahead, including vendor, amount, due date, payment method, who pays and whether gratuity is already included. - [ ] **Share a must-have photo list** (Recommended) — Share a short must-have photo list with your photographer about 4–8 weeks before the wedding, focusing on family groupings and key people they might not recognize. - [ ] **Arrange vendor meals** (Recommended) — Arrange meals for vendors working through the wedding about 4–8 weeks ahead, checking contracts for meal requirements and including them in your caterer’s final numbers. *For a diy wedding:* Include your volunteers as well as vendors. Setup and cleanup crews work long hours and deserve a proper meal and plenty of water. - [ ] **Buy gifts for your wedding party and parents** (Optional) — Buy thank-you gifts for your wedding party, parents and key helpers about 4–8 weeks ahead, leaving time for personalization and deciding when you’ll give them. - [ ] **Set the exact weather decision point** (Recommended) — Agree who will make the final weather call and by when, often the day before or morning of the wedding, so vendors know when your backup plan becomes the plan. ## 1 Month Before Time to turn plans into confirmations. - [ ] **Confirm your final guest count** (Essential) — Confirm your final guest count about 3 weeks before the wedding, once your RSVP deadline has passed, so your caterer, venue and rental suppliers can plan accurately. - [ ] **Send final numbers to vendors** (Essential) — Send your final guest numbers, meal choices and dietary needs to your caterer, venue and rental suppliers by their contract deadlines, usually 1–3 weeks before the wedding. - [ ] **Do a final venue walkthrough** (Essential) — Do a final walkthrough of your venue with your coordinator about a month before the wedding to check layout, power, access, storage and timings. - [ ] **Confirm vendor arrival and access times** (Essential) — Confirm when each vendor can access the venue, where they load in and park, and the setup and cleanup windows, about a month before the wedding. *For a diy wedding:* With several small suppliers, stagger arrivals so they aren’t all unloading at once, and make sure someone is there to let each one in. - [ ] **Finalize the ceremony and reception layout** (Recommended) — Finalize your ceremony and reception floor plans about 2–4 weeks before the wedding, after your seating plan is drafted, so the venue and rental suppliers can set up correctly. *For a diy wedding:* Draw a measured floor plan and a photo or sketch of each table setting. Clear references let helpers set up without asking you every few minutes. - [ ] **Approve signs and printed materials** (Recommended) — Approve the final proofs for signs, menus, programs and table numbers about 3–4 weeks before the wedding, checking every name, date and time carefully. - [ ] **Test your printed QR codes** (Recommended) — Test every printed QR code on several different phones about 2–3 weeks before the wedding, so guests can open your photo-sharing page or website without trouble. - [ ] **Assign wedding-day responsibilities** (Essential) — Assign wedding-day responsibilities about a month before the wedding, naming one trusted person for the rings, documents, gifts, vendor questions, rentals and end-of-night tasks. *For a diy wedding:* Name a setup crew and a separate cleanup crew, and give each person a short written role card. Avoid giving close family jobs during the ceremony, speeches or photos. - [ ] **Decide who looks after gifts and cards** (Recommended) — Decide who will look after gifts and cards at your wedding about a month ahead, and plan a lockable box, a supervised spot and a safe way to take them home. - [ ] **Prepare your own thank-you words** (Optional) — Prepare a short thank-you, usually 2–4 minutes, a few weeks before the wedding if the two of you plan to speak, covering guests, family and anyone who helped. - [ ] **Confirm guest accommodation details** (Recommended) — Confirm guest accommodation about a month before the wedding by checking room-block bookings, release dates and any shuttle or check-in arrangements with the hotel. - [ ] **Choose your wedding-day point of contact** (Essential) — Choose one wedding-day point of contact, a planner, coordinator or trusted friend who isn’t either of you, about a month before the wedding, and share their details with every vendor. *For a diy wedding:* Your day-of contact is the person vendors and helpers go to instead of you. Choose someone calm and organized, walk them through the plan, and consider thanking them with a paid role or gift. - [ ] **Check mobile signal and Wi-Fi at the venue** (Recommended) — Check mobile signal and Wi-Fi in every part of your venue about a month before the wedding, since weak coverage affects vendor payments, guest photo uploads and coordination. ## 2 Weeks Before Final checks now. The hard work is already behind you. - [ ] **Send the final timeline to vendors** (Essential) — Send your final wedding-day timeline to every vendor and key helper about two weeks before the wedding, with arrival times, addresses and your day-of contact’s details. - [ ] **Reconfirm every vendor** (Essential) — Reconfirm every vendor about two weeks before the wedding, checking the date, arrival time, address, services included and who their on-site contact will be. - [ ] **Prepare final payments and tips** (Essential) — Prepare final vendor payments and any tips about two weeks before the wedding, paying balances that are due and putting day-of amounts in clearly labeled envelopes. - [ ] **Start packing for the wedding and honeymoon** (Recommended) — Start packing for the wedding and honeymoon about two weeks ahead, separating wedding-day items, overnight bags and travel essentials, and finish the honeymoon bag in the final week. - [ ] **Review your backup plans** (Recommended) — Review your backup plans about two weeks before the wedding, covering weather, power, transport and illness, and make sure your day-of contact knows each one. *For a diy wedding:* Pack spares that DIY setups need: extension cords, tape, zip ties, scissors, a basic toolkit, extra batteries and lighters. List who to call if a rental is missing. - [ ] **Attend your final fitting** (Essential) — Attend your final outfit fitting about 1–2 weeks before the wedding, wearing your wedding shoes and undergarments, and arrange when and how you’ll collect the outfit. - [ ] **Book pre-wedding grooming** (Optional) — Book haircuts, nails and other grooming for the week before the wedding, sticking to treatments you’ve had before so there are no surprise reactions. - [ ] **Confirm rental and décor deliveries** (Recommended) — Confirm rental, flower and décor deliveries about two weeks before the wedding, checking quantities, delivery times, the drop-off point and when items will be collected. - [ ] **Send music requests and a do-not-play list** (Recommended) — Send your DJ or band your key songs, a short request list and a do-not-play list about two weeks before the wedding, including timings for each music moment. - [ ] **Send guests the final details** (Recommended) — Send guests the final details about 1–2 weeks before the wedding: timings, addresses, parking, dress code, weather advice, transport and your photo-sharing link. ## Wedding Week Most decisions are done. Focus on handoffs and essentials. - [ ] **Gather your marriage documents** (Essential) — 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. - [ ] **Check the rings are ready** (Essential) — 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. - [ ] **Hold your ceremony rehearsal** (Recommended) — 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. - [ ] **Steam and prepare your outfits** (Recommended) — 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. - [ ] **Pack a wedding-day emergency kit** (Recommended) — 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. - [ ] **Charge devices and power banks** (Recommended) — 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. - [ ] **Save vendor contacts offline** (Recommended) — 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. - [ ] **Reconfirm pickup times and routes** (Essential) — 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. - [ ] **Drop off décor at the venue** (Recommended) — 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. *For a diy wedding:* Label boxes by area, such as ceremony, tables and bar, and put a setup photo in each. Keep a list of what belongs to whom so it all goes home afterward. - [ ] **Plan food and water for getting ready** (Recommended) — 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. - [ ] **Hand over vendor communication** (Essential) — 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. *For a diy wedding:* Send every vendor and helper a message naming your day-of contact, and share the master document, floor plan and timeline with that person. - [ ] **Stop making big changes** (Recommended) — In the final week, stop making big changes to the plan and only adjust what genuinely needs fixing. What you have now is ready. *For a diy wedding:* Stop crafting in the final week. Anything unfinished can be simplified or left out, and your energy is better spent resting and briefing helpers. ## The Day Before You’ve planned this. Let your people take it from here. - [ ] **Check in with your coordinator** (Recommended) — Check in with your coordinator or day-of contact the day before the wedding to run through the timeline, deliveries, open questions and who handles what tomorrow. - [ ] **Put rings, documents and outfits in one place** (Essential) — The day before the wedding, gather your rings, marriage documents, ID and complete outfits in one place, so nothing important has to be found on the morning itself. - [ ] **Hand over payment envelopes** (Recommended) — Give labeled final payments and any tips to your coordinator or a trusted person the day before the wedding, so vendors are paid on time without you handling money. - [ ] **Eat properly, drink water and rest** (Recommended) — The day before the wedding, eat regular meals, drink plenty of water and plan an early, quiet evening so you start the wedding day rested and steady. - [ ] **Set alarms and confirm the morning plan** (Recommended) — The night before the wedding, set two alarms and confirm the morning plan: wake-up time, hair and makeup order, breakfast, transport pickups and who arrives when. - [ ] **Write a note for your partner** (Optional) — If you’d like to, write a short note or letter for your partner the day before the wedding and ask someone to deliver it on the morning. ## Wedding Day Nothing else to plan. Go get married. ♡ - [ ] **Keep your essentials with one trusted person** (Essential) — On the wedding day, give one trusted person your rings, marriage documents, vows, ID, phone, medication and room key, so the important things are always accounted for. - [ ] **Sign your marriage documents** (Essential) — Sign your marriage documents on the wedding day with your officiant and any required witnesses, and confirm who will return or register them afterward. - [ ] **Make sure you eat your meal** (Recommended) — On the wedding day, sit down and eat your meal before greeting guests, and ask your caterer to set aside a plate of anything you miss. - [ ] **Take a quiet moment together** (Optional) — On the wedding day, plan five to ten minutes alone together, often right after the ceremony, to take in the moment before rejoining your guests. - [ ] **Enjoy the wedding** (Recommended) — On the wedding day, let the plan work: the preparation is done, the people you trust have it handled, and the only task left is to enjoy it. Nothing else to plan. Go get married. ♡ ## First 48 Hours After Rest first. Then a few small things before they slip away. - [ ] **Collect and secure gifts and cards** (Essential) — Within a day of the wedding, collect all gifts and cards from the venue or your trusted person and store them somewhere secure until you can open them. - [ ] **Return rentals and borrowed items** (Essential) — Return rented outfits, décor and equipment by the date in each contract, usually within a day or two of the wedding, to avoid late fees and keep your deposits. *For a diy wedding:* Assign one person to count rentals before pickup, keep the delivery paperwork and photograph anything damaged. Book a vehicle in advance if you’re returning items yourselves. - [ ] **Collect décor and personal belongings** (Recommended) — Collect your own décor, signs, guest book and personal belongings from the venue within the agreed pickup window, usually the night of or the day after the wedding. *For a diy wedding:* Plan who takes home décor, leftover drinks and borrowed items, and bring boxes, bags and a vehicle with enough space. - [ ] **Check getting-ready and hotel rooms** (Recommended) — Before checking out after the wedding, check the getting-ready rooms and hotel rooms carefully for chargers, jewelry, outfit pieces, documents and gifts. - [ ] **Store your wedding outfits safely** (Recommended) — Within a day or two of the wedding, hang or lay your wedding outfits somewhere clean and dry, and note any stains before arranging cleaning or preservation. - [ ] **Download guest photos and videos** (Recommended) — Within a couple of days of the wedding, download the photos and videos guests shared, and send a gentle reminder to anyone who still has pictures to upload. - [ ] **Back up your photos and videos** (Recommended) — Back up your wedding photos and videos soon after the wedding by keeping at least two copies in different places, such as cloud storage and an external drive. - [ ] **Confirm who has the marriage documents** (Essential) — Within a day or two of the wedding, confirm who holds the signed marriage documents and whether they have been returned or registered with the official authority. ## First Month After A few final things, then you’re officially done. - [ ] **Send thank-you notes** (Recommended) — Send wedding thank-you notes within a few weeks of the wedding if you can, aiming to finish within about three months, naming each gift or kindness and adding a personal line for every guest. - [ ] **Leave reviews for your vendors** (Optional) — In the weeks after the wedding, leave honest reviews for the vendors who helped, mentioning specific details that will be useful to future couples. - [ ] **Follow up on photos, video and other deliverables** (Recommended) — After the wedding, track the delivery dates in your contracts for photos, video, albums and other items, and follow up kindly if anything is running late. - [ ] **Clean or preserve your outfits** (Optional) — In the weeks after the wedding, take your wedding outfits to a specialist cleaner, then decide whether to preserve, alter, sell, donate or simply store them. - [ ] **Update your name, if you’re changing it** (Optional) — If either of you is changing your name, start once you have your official marriage certificate, updating core identity documents first and then accounts, following the official authority’s guidance. - [ ] **Order certified copies of your marriage certificate** (Recommended) — Once your marriage is registered, order several certified copies of your marriage certificate from the official authority, and check every detail for errors as soon as they arrive. - [ ] **Update finances, insurance and beneficiaries** (Optional) — In the months after the wedding, review your accounts, insurance, beneficiaries and emergency contacts together, and ask a qualified professional about anything that affects your taxes or legal situation. - [ ] **Settle final charges and deposits** (Essential) — In the weeks after the wedding, pay any approved final charges, check invoices against your contracts and make sure damage or security deposits are returned. - [ ] **Organize gifts and close your registry** (Optional) — In the weeks after the wedding, organize your gifts, handle any returns or exchanges, use remaining registry perks and close or update your registry. - [ ] **Share photos with your guests** (Optional) — Once you’ve collected guest and professional photos, share a selection with your guests through a gallery link, album or message, respecting your photographer’s usage terms. - [ ] **Choose photos for prints or an album** (Optional) — Once your full gallery arrives, shortlist favorite photos for prints, frames or an album, and check any album selection deadline in your photographer’s contract. - [ ] **Update or close your wedding website** (Optional) — After the wedding, update your wedding website with a thank-you message and photos, or close it once you no longer need it. ## What you can probably skip - Hire your planner or coordinator - Decide on wedding favors - Prepare welcome bags or notes - Print place cards and the seating chart ## FAQ ### Is it realistic to plan a wedding yourself? Yes, many couples do. It works best with a clear planning system, realistic time estimates for DIY projects and reliable helpers. The wedding day is the hardest part to self-manage, so plan who will run it in your place. ### Does a DIY wedding save money? It can, but savings depend on the venue and projects. Blank-canvas venues and handmade décor add supplies, rentals, delivery and cleanup costs. Compare total costs, including your time, before choosing DIY for each element. ### Who should set up and clean up at a DIY wedding? Choose a small setup crew and a separate cleanup crew, ideally people who aren’t in key roles during the day. Give each person [a written role card](https://readytoweddy.com/guides/assign-responsibilities), a start time and a clear finish time. ### What should you not DIY for a wedding? Many couples leave photography, catering for larger groups, electrics and anything involving safety to professionals. It’s also wise to avoid projects that must be done in the final days, when time is shortest. ### Do you need a day-of coordinator for a DIY wedding? It helps a lot. A [paid day-of coordinator](https://readytoweddy.com/guides/decide-on-planner) or a trusted, organized friend can manage vendors, helpers and timings so you don’t have to. Brief them fully at least a few weeks before the wedding. ### How far ahead should you start DIY wedding projects? Start several months ahead and do a test run of each project early. Finish anything that can be made in advance well before the final month, leaving only fresh items like flowers for the last few days.