# Wedding Vendor Checklist

> A wedding vendor checklist: decide which services you need, book them in a sensible order, reconfirm details and send final numbers and timings on time.

Source: https://readytoweddy.com/wedding-checklist/vendors
Publisher: ReadyToWeddy (https://readytoweddy.com) · Last updated: 2026-09-17

You don’t need every wedding vendor, only the ones that support what matters to you. These tasks cover planners, rentals and remaining services, plus the confirmations that keep everyone in sync.

## Summary

A wedding vendor checklist should cover which services you need, booking them in a sensible order and keeping everyone in sync until the day. [Book the venue first](https://readytoweddy.com/guides/book-venue), then vendors who work one wedding per day, such as photographers, planners and entertainment, usually 9–12 months ahead. Send final numbers by each contract deadline, usually 1–3 weeks before, and [reconfirm every vendor](https://readytoweddy.com/wedding-checklist/2-weeks) about two weeks out.

## Checklist (14 tasks, in order)

### Decide whether you need a planner

- When: First steps (Getting Started)
- Category: Vendors
- Priority: Recommended
- Link: https://readytoweddy.com/guides/decide-on-planner

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.

**Why it matters:** Planners can source vendors, negotiate contracts, manage design and keep the day running, but not every wedding needs full support. Deciding early matters because a full-service planner is most useful from the start, while a coordinator can join later. Planners are especially helpful when you’re planning from another city or country, using several locations, hiring many independent vendors, or short on time.

**Steps:**
- [ ] Estimate how much time you can give to planning.
- [ ] List the parts you’d love help with.
- [ ] Compare full-service, partial and day-of support.
- [ ] Ask what your venue coordinator actually covers.
- [ ] Decide on a level of support and a rough budget for it.

**Helpful questions:**
- “Does the venue coordinator stay for the whole event or just the venue side?”
- “Which tasks are we dreading most?”

**Tips:**
- A venue coordinator usually looks after the venue, not your whole wedding, so ask what they cover.

**Optional:** Plenty of couples plan without a planner, especially for smaller or simpler weddings.

### Hire your planner or coordinator

- When: 12+ months before (12+ Months Before)
- Category: Vendors
- Priority: Recommended
- Link: https://readytoweddy.com/wedding-checklist/12-months#hire-planner

Hire your wedding planner or coordinator early, ideally before or alongside your venue for full-service support, after comparing their services, style and contract terms.

**Why it matters:** A full-service planner adds the most value before big decisions like the venue are made, since they can suggest options and negotiate terms. Partial planners and coordinators can join later, but good ones book up. Knowing exactly what your planner will handle, and until when, helps you avoid gaps on the day and in the months before.

**Steps:**
- [ ] Shortlist planners who work in your area and budget.
- [ ] Look at weddings they’ve planned that feel like yours.
- [ ] Meet two or three and compare how they work.
- [ ] Confirm services, meetings, on-the-day hours and staff.
- [ ] Ask how they pick vendors and about referral fees.
- [ ] Check payments and cancellation terms, then sign.
- [ ] Share your priorities, budget and planning documents.

**Helpful questions:**
- “How many weddings do you take on the same weekend?”
- “Who will be there on the day if you’re unwell?”
- “Do you receive commission from vendors you recommend?”

**Best done after:** Decide whether you need a planner

### Book rentals and equipment

- When: 5–12 months before (9–12 Months Before)
- Category: Vendors
- Priority: Recommended
- Link: https://readytoweddy.com/wedding-checklist/9-to-12-months#book-rentals

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.

**Why it matters:** What your venue includes varies a lot. A hotel may supply almost everything, while a field, barn or private garden may supply nothing at all. Tents, generators and portable restrooms are often limited in number and book up for peak dates. Sorting rentals now shows you the real cost of your venue and avoids discovering missing essentials close to the day.

**Steps:**
- [ ] List what your venue provides and what it doesn’t.
- [ ] Cover tables, chairs, linens, tent and restrooms.
- [ ] Plan power, heating or cooling, and path lighting.
- [ ] Add mics and speakers for the ceremony and speeches.
- [ ] Estimate quantities and get quotes from allowed firms.
- [ ] Match delivery and pickup times to venue access.
- [ ] Reserve items, noting damage and loss charges.
- [ ] Note the final-numbers deadline in your tracker.

**Helpful questions:**
- “When can we change quantities, and is there a minimum order?”
- “Do you deliver, set up and collect, or is that extra?”
- “What happens if something is damaged or goes missing?”
- “Do you need a site visit before quoting a tent?”
- “Can the venue’s power supply handle lighting, sound and catering at once?”

**Tips:**
- Often forgotten: Rentals usually need to be counted and returned in a specific state, so someone needs to own the pack-down after the celebration ends.
- For tents and outdoor evenings, plan lighting early; it shapes the mood and your photos once the sun sets.
- Ask your venue about power capacity and rigging rules before booking lighting or a generator; a site visit often saves surprises.

**Best done after:** Book your venue

### Book the remaining vendors

- When: 4–10 months before (6–9 Months Before)
- Category: Vendors
- Priority: Recommended
- Link: https://readytoweddy.com/wedding-checklist/6-to-9-months#book-remaining-vendors

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.

**Why it matters:** By now the big bookings are usually done, and what’s left tends to be smaller services: a photo booth, stationery designer, childcare, a late-night food truck. It’s easy to keep adding extras. Checking each one against your shared priorities keeps the budget steady and the planning manageable, and booking now still leaves good availability.

**Steps:**
- [ ] List vendors you still need or are considering.
- [ ] Check each against your priorities and budget.
- [ ] Drop anything that doesn’t clearly add to the day.
- [ ] Confirm the venue allows each vendor.
- [ ] Request quotes for the rest.
- [ ] Review cancellation and payment terms first.
- [ ] Add each vendor to your tracker.

**Helpful questions:**
- “Would we actually miss this if we didn’t have it?”
- “Does the venue need proof of insurance from this vendor?”

**Tips:**
- Check your running budget total before each new booking.

**Optional:** If you already have everything you need, there’s no need to book anything more.

**Best done after:** Agree on your top wedding priorities

### Check venue rules for vendors and décor

- When: 3–11 months before (6–9 Months Before)
- Category: Venue & Date
- Priority: Recommended
- Link: https://readytoweddy.com/wedding-checklist/6-to-9-months#check-venue-rules

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.

**Why it matters:** Venues often have rules that affect your plans in quiet ways: no open flames, no loose confetti, a strict music curfew, a preferred supplier list, or a requirement for vendors to hold liability insurance. Finding these now, before you finalize décor and book more vendors, avoids buying things you can’t use or booking someone the venue won’t allow.

**Steps:**
- [ ] Reread your venue contract and any policy documents.
- [ ] Get supplier rules and fees in writing.
- [ ] Check curfews and rules on candles and confetti.
- [ ] Ask what can be attached to walls or ceilings.
- [ ] Confirm setup and cleanup times.
- [ ] Note required suppliers and insurance rules.
- [ ] Share relevant rules with each vendor.
- [ ] Adjust décor plans to fit the restrictions.

**Helpful questions:**
- “Is there a list of suppliers we must use or avoid?”
- “What proof of insurance do vendors need to provide?”
- “What time must music stop and guests leave?”
- “Are there any fees if décor isn’t cleared on time?”

**Tips:**
- Often forgotten: Couples often forget to ask whether confetti or petals are allowed, and what type.

**Best done after:** Book your venue

### Arrange vendor meals

- When: 1–3 months before (1–3 Months Before)
- Category: Food & Drink
- Priority: Recommended
- Link: https://readytoweddy.com/wedding-checklist/1-to-3-months#arrange-vendor-meals

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.

**Why it matters:** Photographers, musicians and coordinators often work long days with little chance to eat. Planning their meals keeps them energized and focused. Some contracts require a meal, so arranging this now avoids surprises and makes sure the caterer includes them in counts and timings.

**Steps:**
- [ ] List every vendor working through a meal.
- [ ] Check each contract for meal requirements.
- [ ] Ask your caterer about vendor meals and dietary needs.
- [ ] Add vendor meals to your final numbers.
- [ ] Agree where and when vendors will eat.

**Helpful questions:**
- “Do any of our vendors need dietary alternatives?”
- “Can vendors eat at the same time as guests?”

**Tips:**
- Often forgotten: Some vendor contracts require a meal, and it is easy to miss until the day.
- Serve photographers when guests start eating, so they’re ready for speeches.

### Send final numbers to vendors

- When: 1–3 weeks before (1 Month Before)
- Category: Vendors
- Priority: Essential · fixed deadline
- Link: https://readytoweddy.com/wedding-checklist/1-month#send-final-numbers

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.

**Why it matters:** Caterers order food, venues arrange staffing and rental companies prepare stock based on these numbers. Missing a deadline can mean you’re charged for an earlier estimate or that a supplier can’t accommodate changes. Sending clear, written numbers to everyone at once keeps the kitchen, the floor staff and the rental team aligned, and gives you a record if anything is questioned later.

**Steps:**
- [ ] List each supplier that needs numbers, with deadlines.
- [ ] Send the count in writing: adults, children, vendors.
- [ ] Add meal choices and allergies by name or table.
- [ ] Match bar and cake or dessert portions to the count.
- [ ] Confirm venue staffing and rental quantities.
- [ ] Ask each to confirm receipt and update the invoice.
- [ ] Save the confirmations with your contracts.

**Helpful questions:**
- “Is this number final, or can we adjust it later?”
- “How will allergies be labeled or served on the day?”
- “Does this change the final balance we owe?”

**Tips:**
- Often forgotten: Cake and dessert suppliers often need the final number too, not only the main caterer.
- Use one message template so every supplier gets the same information.
- Mark severe allergies clearly and separately from preferences.

**Best done after:** Confirm your final guest count

### Send the final timeline to vendors

- When: 1–3 weeks before (2 Weeks Before)
- Category: Timeline & Logistics
- Priority: Essential
- Link: https://readytoweddy.com/wedding-checklist/2-weeks#send-final-timeline

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.

**Why it matters:** Each vendor sees only their part of the day. A shared timeline shows the photographer when speeches happen, tells the caterer when the ceremony ends and lets the DJ know when to announce dinner. Sending it two weeks out gives vendors time to raise conflicts, and it becomes the single version everyone works from.

**Steps:**
- [ ] Add confirmed vendor arrival and pack-down times.
- [ ] Check ceremony, photo and meal service times.
- [ ] Include speeches, first dance, last song and exit.
- [ ] Add the venue address, parking and your day-of contact.
- [ ] Send it to every vendor and ask them to confirm.
- [ ] Share it with your wedding party and officiant.
- [ ] Fix any clashes vendors point out and resend once.

**Helpful questions:**
- “Does this timing work for you, or is anything too tight?”
- “Is there anything you need from us before the day?”

**Tips:**
- Label the file as final with the date, so older versions don’t get used.
- Send later changes only to the day-of contact, who can pass them on.

**Best done after:** Create your wedding-day timeline

### Reconfirm every vendor

- When: 1–3 weeks before (2 Weeks Before)
- Category: Vendors
- Priority: Essential
- Link: https://readytoweddy.com/wedding-checklist/2-weeks#reconfirm-vendors

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.

**Why it matters:** Details shift over months of planning: a vendor changes staff, a venue entrance changes, or an email gets missed. A short reconfirmation catches those problems while there’s still time to solve them. It also reassures you that everyone is expecting the same date, the same place and the same services.

**Steps:**
- [ ] List every vendor with their contract.
- [ ] Confirm each one’s date, arrival time and address.
- [ ] Check what’s included matches your contract.
- [ ] Ask for the name and number of their on-site lead.
- [ ] Note any final balance due or outstanding paperwork.
- [ ] Collect insurance certificates if the venue asks.

**Helpful questions:**
- “Who from your team will be there on the day?”
- “Is there anything outstanding you need from us?”
- “What happens if your lead person is unwell?”

**Tips:**
- Often forgotten: Some venues need certificates of insurance from vendors before they can set up, and these are easy to overlook.

### Confirm rental and décor deliveries

- When: 1–3 weeks before (2 Weeks Before)
- Category: Flowers & Décor
- Priority: Recommended
- Link: https://readytoweddy.com/wedding-checklist/2-weeks#confirm-deliveries

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.

**Why it matters:** Rentals and décor often arrive from several suppliers on the same morning. Confirming each delivery now avoids missing chairs, wrong linen colors or a collection time that clashes with the venue’s curfew. It also tells your day-of contact what to expect and who to call if something doesn’t arrive.

**Steps:**
- [ ] List each delivery: rentals, flowers and lighting.
- [ ] Check quantities, colors and sizes against the order.
- [ ] Confirm delivery and collection times with the venue.
- [ ] Check damage terms and any packing before pickup.
- [ ] Share the drop-off point and access details.
- [ ] Tell your day-of contact what to check on arrival.

**Helpful questions:**
- “What time will you deliver and collect?”
- “Do items need to be rinsed or packed before collection?”
- “Who should sign for the delivery?”

**Tips:**
- Often forgotten: Rental agreements sometimes require items to be rinsed, stacked or packed before pickup.

### 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

### Check in with your coordinator

- When: 1–2 days before (The Day Before)
- Category: Timeline & Logistics
- Priority: Recommended
- Link: https://readytoweddy.com/wedding-checklist/day-before#check-in-with-coordinator

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.

**Why it matters:** A short call the day before catches the small things that slipped: a delivery time that moved, a vendor who hasn’t confirmed, a room that opens later than expected. It also lets you hand over the last loose ends so you can stop thinking about them. Your coordinator walks into the day knowing exactly what you want, and you walk into it knowing someone else has it covered.

**Steps:**
- [ ] Book a 15–20 minute call or quick meeting.
- [ ] Walk through the final timeline from setup to cleanup.
- [ ] Confirm vendor arrivals, pickups and phone numbers.
- [ ] Share any last changes to guests, seating or schedule.
- [ ] Confirm who holds payments and handles cleanup.
- [ ] Confirm the weather call time and who makes it.
- [ ] Agree which questions still need you, and which don’t.

**Helpful questions:**
- “Is there anything you’re still waiting on from a vendor?”
- “What do you need from us tomorrow, if anything?”
- “Who should guests go to if they have a question?”

**Tips:**
- Often forgotten: Confirming who will pack up and remove your belongings at the end of the night.
- Send your coordinator the latest timeline again, even if nothing changed.
- If you don’t have a coordinator, have this conversation with your day-of contact.

**Best done after:** Choose your wedding-day point of contact

### Return rentals and borrowed items

- When: Up to 2 days after (First 48 Hours After)
- Category: Post-Wedding Wrap-Up
- Priority: Essential · fixed deadline
- Link: https://readytoweddy.com/wedding-checklist/48-hours-after#return-rentals

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.

**Why it matters:** Rental agreements often have firm return dates, and late or damaged returns can mean extra charges or a lost deposit. Items also have a habit of scattering between cars, homes and the venue after a wedding. A clear return plan, ideally assigned to someone other than the two of you, means everything goes back on time and in good condition.

**Steps:**
- [ ] List every rental and its return date.
- [ ] Assign one person to handle each return.
- [ ] Check items for damage and missing pieces.
- [ ] Pack items in their original bags or boxes.
- [ ] Return them and keep the receipt or confirmation.
- [ ] Return borrowed items to loved ones with a thank-you.

**Tips:**
- Often forgotten: Items borrowed from friends or family, which rarely have a formal return date and are easy to forget.
- Keep the rental contracts in one folder with the return dates highlighted.

**Best done after:** Assign wedding-day responsibilities

### Leave reviews for your vendors

- When: Up to 3 months after (First Month After)
- Category: Post-Wedding Wrap-Up
- Priority: Optional
- Link: https://readytoweddy.com/wedding-checklist/after-wedding#review-vendors

In the weeks after the wedding, leave honest reviews for the vendors who helped, mentioning specific details that will be useful to future couples.

**Why it matters:** Most couples chose their vendors partly because of other people’s reviews, and many vendors are small businesses that rely on word of mouth. A specific, honest review helps future couples decide, and it’s a meaningful thank-you for the people who made your day work. If something went wrong, calm and factual feedback is more useful than a rushed rating.

**Steps:**
- [ ] List the vendors you’d like to review.
- [ ] Note one or two specific things each did well.
- [ ] Post reviews on the platforms they use most.
- [ ] Share concerns privately first, where appropriate.
- [ ] Offer a photo if the vendor would like one.

**Tips:**
- Mention details future couples look for, like communication, punctuality and flexibility.
- Credit the photographer if you share their images alongside your review.

**Optional:** If reviewing feels like one task too many, a short thank-you message to your favorite vendors is plenty.


## FAQ

### What vendors do you need for a wedding?

It depends on your plans. Most weddings need a venue, an officiant and food. Many couples also book a photographer, music, flowers, attire, hair and makeup, and transport. Skip anything that doesn’t matter to the two of you.

### In what order should you book wedding vendors?

Book your venue first, then vendors who can only serve one wedding per date, such as photographers, videographers, planners and bands. Florists, rentals, cake and beauty often follow, with smaller suppliers booked later.

### Do you need a wedding planner?

Not always. A [full planner](https://readytoweddy.com/guides/decide-on-planner) helps if you’re short on time or planning from afar. Partial planning or a day-of coordinator can suit couples who enjoy planning but want someone else running the day.