# Wedding checklist: what to do and when > A wedding checklist from 12 months out to the thank-you notes. Enter your wedding date to see your deadlines, then print the free PDF. No sign-up. Source: https://seatingsolver.com/wedding-checklist/ · As of: 2026-11-02 · Seating Solver This wedding checklist puts everything in time order, from booking the venue about 12 months out to the thank-you notes afterwards. Enter your wedding date and each section shows the date it should be done by. There is also a short track for planning in three months, a section on the marriage license, and a free PDF to print. ## Key points - For a large wedding, about 12 months of lead time is a sensible rule of thumb: the date, the venue, the photographer and the music book up first. Small weddings can be planned in far less. - Marriage license and notice rules depend on the state or country where you marry, so look them up at the start. Some licenses expire after as little as 30 days, and in England and Wales notice must be given at least 29 days ahead. - Invitations usually go out several months ahead with an RSVP deadline about four to six weeks before the wedding (rules of thumb, not requirements). - The seating chart comes right after the RSVP deadline. Venues usually want the final headcount five to ten days before the wedding. - This page works out your deadlines in your browser. The PDF is free and needs no email address. ## Your checklist with your dates Enter your wedding date and each section below shows when it should be done by. The lead times are rules of thumb that many couples use. Your date is neither saved nor sent anywhere: the calculation runs in your browser. If you have only three to six months left, the short-notice section further down helps. ## 12 or more months before Start with the date, the budget and everything that books up early: venue, photographer, music. The more popular your date, the earlier you need to ask. - Choose a wedding date, with a backup date in mind (Couple) - Agree on a budget and a rough guest count (Couple) - Request quotes and book the venue (book early) (Couple) - Find out the marriage license or notice of marriage rules where you will marry (they vary by state and country) (book early) (Couple) - Ask a photographer (and videographer) (book early) - Ask a band or DJ (book early) - Ask your officiant or celebrant (book early) - Ask your wedding party (Couple) - Start a first guest list (Couple) - Pencil in hotel rooms for guests coming from far away (Family) ## 9 to 6 months before Now the plan turns into a frame: warn your guests, find your outfits, sketch the schedule and the menu. - Send save-the-dates (Couple) - Complete the guest list and collect addresses (Couple) - Choose and order the dress or suit (delivery can take 3 to 6 months) (book early) - Order any documents you need from abroad (book early) - Choose your rings - Talk through catering and the menu with the venue - Plan and book the honeymoon - Sketch the schedule of the ceremony and the reception (Couple) - Agree on tasks with your wedding party and family (Wedding party) ## 6 to 3 months before The paperwork starts around now, within whatever window your local office allows. Invitations go out with an RSVP deadline about four to six weeks before the wedding (a rule of thumb). - Apply for your marriage license or give notice of marriage, within the window your local office allows (book early) (Couple) - Book fittings - Settle [table shapes and seat counts](https://seatingsolver.com/wedding-seating-chart/) with the venue (Couple) - Design and print the invitations (Couple) - Double-check date and place on the invitations - Send the invitations and name an RSVP deadline (Couple) - Order the rings (engraving takes time) - Plan flowers and decor - Meet your officiant and confirm what they need from you (book early) - Choose the menu and the cake ## 3 to 1 months before The invitations are out. Now styling, the program and travel come next. Check how long your license is valid, so the ceremony falls inside that window. - Check how long your marriage license is valid, and that the ceremony falls inside that window (book early) (Couple) - Book hair and makeup - Order the wedding cake - Collect song requests and program items (Wedding party) - Agree on speeches and games with your wedding party and family (Wedding party) - Sort out travel, parking and rides for guests (Family) - Decide whether and how you will change your name (Couple) - Plan the bachelor or bachelorette party, if you want one (Wedding party) - Final fitting: dress or suit fits ## 4 to 2 weeks before The RSVP deadline has passed, so you know who is coming. This is the moment for the seating chart. - Collect the RSVPs and follow up with anyone still open (Couple) - [Create your seating chart](https://seatingsolver.com/app/): tables, groups, head table (Couple) - Give the venue an approximate headcount (Couple) - Write the day-of schedule with times and buffers (Couple) - Pass allergies and meal choices to the caterer - Print [place cards](https://seatingsolver.com/place-cards/), [table numbers](https://seatingsolver.com/wedding-table-numbers/) and the seating chart poster (Couple) - Pick up the rings - Print programs or menu cards - Give the photographer a list of the group photos you want - Confirm times and contact people with every vendor ## The last week Now it is about making sure every number and time is right. Venues usually want the final headcount five to ten days ahead. - Give the venue the final headcount (5 to 10 days before) (Couple) - Hand the seating list to the venue and the caterer (Couple) - Send the timeline to every vendor - Pack an emergency kit (sewing kit, bandages, hairspray) (Wedding party) - Put IDs, the license (if you need to bring it) and the rings where you can find them (Couple) - Pick up the dress or suit and break in your shoes - Prepare envelopes for tips and final payments (Wedding party) - Watch the weather and settle a plan B for outdoor parts - Bring decor, place cards and gifts to the venue (Family) - Beauty appointments, then an early night (Couple) ## On the wedding day There is nothing left to organize, you only need to show up. Plan more buffer than you think you need. - Eat breakfast and drink enough water (Couple) - Pack IDs, rings and the emergency kit (Wedding party) - Name one contact person for the vendors (Family) - Set up decor and place cards at the tables (Family) - Keep buffers between the program items - Have someone collect gifts and cards (Wedding party) - Set out a late-night snack - Have someone pack up the dress, suit and decor at the end (Family) ## After the wedding After the party come paperwork, names and thank-you notes. There is usually no fixed deadline for these, but do them in the first weeks so nothing piles up. - Order extra copies of the marriage certificate, if you need them (Couple) - If you change your name: update ID, passport and driver license (Couple) - Update employer, bank, insurance and health insurance details (Couple) - Check what changes for taxes and benefits where you live (Couple) - Write and send thank-you notes (Couple) - Sort the photos and send favorites to your guests (Couple) - Check final payments and review your vendors - Have the dress cleaned ## How do you plan a wedding in three months? A short timeline works if you do the things with long lead times first and keep the rest simple. The order below is a suggestion, not a rule. 1. **Marriage license first.** Find out today what your local office needs and how long the process takes. Papers from abroad usually take the longest. 2. **Venue and date.** Once the date is realistic, book the venue. Ask about weekdays and weekend mornings or afternoons, which are more likely to be free. 3. **Dress or suit.** Made-to-order outfits can take months to arrive. Ask about in-stock styles or rush delivery. 4. **Rings.** Ask the jeweler how long sizing and engraving take. 5. **Photographer and music.** Popular vendors book up early. Ask several and take whoever is free. 6. **Catering, hair, cake, flowers.** Ask the venue what it offers itself, then fill the gaps. 7. **Invitations right away.** Send them digitally or call, with a short RSVP deadline. Guests need time to arrange travel and time off. 8. **Seating chart after the replies.** Even on a short timeline it comes once you know who is coming. An evening is usually enough. ## Marriage license or notice of marriage: what to check The rules for getting legally married depend on where you marry, and they change from place to place. We do not list them by state or country. Ask your local office early and write down three things: what you need to bring, how far ahead you can apply, and how long the document stays valid. - **United States:** the state that issues the license sets the rules. [USAGov](https://www.usa.gov/marriage-certificate) says most marriage licenses expire anywhere from 30 days to a year after they are issued, depending on the state, and that you apply again if yours expires before the wedding. - **England and Wales:** [GOV.UK](https://www.gov.uk/marriages-civil-partnerships/give-notice) says you must give notice at least 29 days before the ceremony and hold the ceremony within 12 months of giving notice. That page covers England and Wales only; other parts of the UK and other countries have their own rules. - **Anywhere else, or marrying abroad:** ask the local registry or the embassy, and allow extra time for documents from other countries. Sources read on November 2, 2026. Offices, fees and deadlines change, so check the current rules before you plan around them. ## The seating chart: when and how In practice the seating chart comes after the RSVPs, roughly three to four weeks before the wedding. What you can settle early is the room: how many tables, which shape, how many seats. These timings are rules of thumb, and planning guides do not agree on them. 1. **Settle the room and table shapes with the venue.** About 6 to 3 months out. How many seats fit, round or long tables, where do the head table, dance floor and buffet go? More in [how to make a wedding seating chart](https://seatingsolver.com/wedding-seating-chart/). 2. **Set an RSVP deadline.** About 4 to 6 weeks before the wedding. Call anyone who has not answered. 3. **Make the chart in an evening or two.** Paste in the guest list, set who sits together and who sits apart (divorced parents, for example), add the tables and let the app seat everyone. 4. **Send the final count to the venue.** Usually 5 to 10 days before, with the seating list for the caterer. 5. **Print place cards, table numbers and the poster.** About 1 to 2 weeks ahead, so there is time to fix changes and reprint. Seating Solver seats your guests by your rules and prints the chart, [place cards](https://seatingsolver.com/place-cards/) and [table numbers](https://seatingsolver.com/wedding-table-numbers/) from the same plan. The planner is free to use and runs in your browser. [Create your seating chart](https://seatingsolver.com/app/) ## What people forget These items are easy to miss until the week of the wedding. - Buffer time between the ceremony, photos, dinner and program - An emergency kit: sewing kit, bandages, hairspray, tissues - A late-night snack for the guests who stay to the end - Rides to and from the venue for older guests - Asking about allergies and dietary needs on the RSVP - Shade, blankets or a plan B if the weather turns - The venue’s noise rules and end time - A kids' corner or childcare - Insurance for the rings - Proofreading date, place and time on the invitations twice - Envelopes with tips and final payments for vendors - If you travel right after the wedding and change your name: check when the new documents can be issued ## Courthouse wedding or small celebration: what do you really need? If you marry at a courthouse or celebrate with a few people, a lot drops away. This is what is left: - The marriage license (see the section above) and an appointment, if one is needed - Whether witnesses are required where you marry - Rings, outfits and a small bouquet - A restaurant or room for the meal afterwards, with fixed seats if you have more than one table - Photos: a photographer for an hour or two, or a friend with a good camera - Ask whether the venue allows rice, confetti or petals - Afterwards: names, IDs, employer, bank and insurance ## Wedding checklist as a PDF to print - **Wedding checklist (PDF)**: Every section from 12 months out to after the wedding, with boxes to tick and lines for your dates. Free, no email address and no account. Pick US Letter or A4. Download: https://seatingsolver.com/downloads/wedding-checklist-letter.pdf ## Wedding checklist questions ### When should you start planning a wedding? About 12 months ahead is a good rule of thumb for a large wedding, because venues, photographers and bands book up first. Small weddings can be planned in three to six months. See the short-notice section above. ### How far ahead do you need to book a wedding venue? As early as you can once you have a date, ideally 12 months or more for a popular date or venue. Ask the venue how far ahead its calendar is booked. ### How do you plan a wedding in 3 months? Start with the marriage license and the venue, then the outfits and the vendors with long lead times. Send invitations right away with a short RSVP deadline, and make the seating chart once the replies are in. ### When do you send wedding invitations? Several months ahead is common, with an RSVP deadline about four to six weeks before the wedding. These are rules of thumb. Allow more time if guests need to travel or book time off. ### What is the RSVP deadline for a wedding? Four to six weeks before the wedding is a common rule of thumb. The venue usually wants the final headcount five to ten days before, so leave time to chase late replies. ### When should you make the wedding seating chart? Right after the RSVP deadline, usually three to four weeks before the wedding. Settle the room and table shapes with the venue months earlier, and print place cards one to two weeks ahead. ### How long is a marriage license valid? It depends on where it was issued. USAGov says most marriage licenses in the US expire after anywhere from 30 days to a year, depending on the state. In England and Wales you hold the ceremony within 12 months of giving notice. Ask your local office. ### Is there a printable wedding checklist? Yes. The download section above has a free PDF in US Letter and A4, with boxes to tick and lines for your dates. If you enter your wedding date first, the PDF is filled in with your deadlines. It needs no email address and no account. ## Keep reading - [How to make a wedding seating chart](https://seatingsolver.com/wedding-seating-chart/) - [Free seating chart template](https://seatingsolver.com/seating-chart-template/) - [Printable place cards](https://seatingsolver.com/place-cards/) - [Wedding table numbers](https://seatingsolver.com/wedding-table-numbers/) - [Wedding table names](https://seatingsolver.com/wedding-table-names/)