The short answer: A wedding checklist for the bride covers her own to-dos: the dress, hair and makeup, the bridal party, vows, the bag for the day and the paperwork after. The venue, vendors and guest list usually live on the couple's shared wedding planning checklist. Keeping your personal list separate makes it easier to see what's yours and to hand the rest to your partner, family and friends.
Here's the bride's checklist by month, starting about a year out. If your date is sooner, start at the matching month and catch up on anything earlier. For the full wedding plan, our wedding planning checklist and budget tracker covers every task, and the Wedding Planner Checklist printable puts it on paper.
What's included in the Wedding Planner Checklist
- Wedding details
- Planning Checklist
- Budget Overview
- Vendor Contacts
- Vendor Comparison
- Guest List & RSVPs
- Seating Plan
- Wedding party
- Day-of Timeline
- Wedding Day Packing List
- Honeymoon Packing List
- Notes
Printable PDF, $5.99. Instant download; nothing is shipped. See every page on the product page.
Who it's for
- Brides who want their own list, separate from the venue-and-vendor planning.
- Couples splitting the planning, where each person owns a set of tasks.
- Maids of honor and moms helping the bride stay on track.
- Short engagements: work from the month that matches your date and combine the earlier steps.
How to use the bride's wedding checklist, step by step
- Find your starting month. Count the months to your wedding and start at that section. Do anything from earlier sections first.
- Split the list with your partner. Go through the full wedding checklist together and decide who owns what. Keep the personal items on this page as your own list.
- Put fittings and appointments on the calendar. As soon as you book a dress, hair or makeup trial, add each date to your shared calendar along with a reminder a week ahead.
- Give tasks to your helpers. Assign specific jobs to your maid of honor, bridesmaids or family, like collecting addresses or packing the emergency kit, and write their names next to them.
- Pack the bag a week ahead. Use the wedding day packing list to pack your bag and emergency kit early, then hand it to one person to bring.
- Hand off on the day. Give the day-of timeline to your coordinator or a trusted friend, so you can stop checking the list and enjoy the wedding.
12 or more months before
- Settle on the overall style and colors, so your dress fits the day
- Start a shared planning folder or a wedding binder
- Decide who you'd like in your bridal party
- Start any fitness, skincare or health plans early, if you want to
9 to 11 months before
- Ask your bridal party
- Start shopping for your dress, and order it once you've found it
- Start a wedding registry together
- Research hair and makeup artists
6 to 8 months before
- Choose bridesmaid dresses or a color palette for them
- Book hair and makeup
- Plan the honeymoon together
- Pick out shoes and a veil or hair accessories
4 to 5 months before
- Buy your accessories and undergarments
- Order or choose your partner's ring together
- Share bridal shower details with the host
- Schedule your hair and makeup trial (bring a curl type chart if you have curly hair)
2 to 3 months before
- Have your first dress fitting
- Write your vows
- Buy gifts for your bridal party
- Do your hair and makeup trial
- Break in your shoes at home
1 month before
- Get the marriage license (check your county's rules and waiting period)
- Have the final dress fitting
- Confirm the getting-ready location and timing
- Share the day-of timeline with your bridal party
- Enjoy the bachelorette party
The week of the wedding
- Pick up your dress and steam it, or plan for it to be steamed
- Pack your bag and the emergency kit
- Hand off final payments and tips to someone you trust
- Pack for the honeymoon
- Attend the rehearsal and rehearsal dinner
- Get some sleep
On the day and after
- Eat breakfast, drink water and stay on the timeline (our free sample wedding timeline starts with hair and makeup at 9:00 am for a 4:00 pm ceremony)
- Hand the bag to your maid of honor
- After the wedding: send thank-you notes, preserve the dress and bouquet and update your name on documents if you're changing it
If you've only just gotten engaged, start with our engagement checklist, and see the wedding decor checklist for the items you'll need to style the day. All of our templates are in one place.
Ready to use
A planner for everything else on the list
Printables
Wedding Planner Checklist
A 12-month checklist plus budget, vendors, guest list, seating, day-of timeline and packing lists.
Save 31%Bundles
Wedding Planning Bundle
The Wedding Budget Spreadsheet and the 13-page Wedding Planner Checklist together - for less than buying them separately.
Frequently asked questions
What should be on a bride's wedding checklist? Your personal to-dos: the dress and alterations, shoes and accessories, hair and makeup trials, choosing and asking the bridal party, vows, your own beauty and health plans, the bridal shower and bachelorette details, the bag for the day and any name change paperwork after. The venue, vendors and guest list usually go on the shared wedding planning checklist.
When should the bride start shopping for a wedding dress? Many bridal shops suggest starting about 9 to 12 months ahead, because made-to-order gowns can take several months to arrive and alterations take time too. If your date is sooner, ask about off-the-rack or sample dresses.
When should I book hair and makeup? Book hair and makeup about 4 to 6 months before the wedding, as many brides do, with a trial 1 to 3 months before the wedding. Bring photos of your dress and the look you want to the trial, and confirm the start time with the day-of timeline.
How many dress fittings will I need? Most brides need two or three dress fittings, starting about two to three months before the wedding, with the final fitting a week or two before. Bring the shoes and undergarments you'll wear on the day to every fitting.
What should be in the bride's emergency kit? A bride's emergency kit should hold a sewing kit and safety pins, stain remover, pain reliever, tissues and blotting papers, breath mints, bobby pins, deodorant, a phone charger, snacks and water. Our Wedding Day Packing List includes an emergency kit section so nothing gets forgotten.
What does the bride do the week of the wedding? Confirm vendor arrival times, pick up the dress, pack your bag and the emergency kit, give the final payments and tips to a trusted person, attend the rehearsal and get as much sleep as you can. Write your vows out on a card if you haven't already.
What should the bride do after the wedding? Send thank-you notes, preserve the dress and bouquet if you want to, return any rentals and, if you're changing your name, update your documents in the right order. Many couples start with the marriage certificate and Social Security card.
Is the bride supposed to plan the whole wedding? No, the bride isn't supposed to plan the whole wedding. A shared wedding planning checklist split between both partners works better, and helpers can take whole areas like decor or the welcome bags. This page is for the bride's personal list only.
Is there a printable version of this checklist? The Wedding Planner Checklist printable includes the full month-by-month planning checklist, a Wedding Day Packing List with an emergency kit, a day-of timeline and a honeymoon packing list. You can also print the free wedding day timeline on this page.
What's in the Wedding Planning Bundle? The Wedding Planning Bundle includes the Wedding Planner Checklist printable and the Wedding Budget Spreadsheet for $8.99, compared with $12.98 if you bought both on their own.
Free printable
Plan the big day step by step: get the free wedding timeline
A printable wedding planning timeline, from 12+ months out to the week of, plus a day-of schedule page. You'll also get our weekly HomeBase email with wedding and shower planning tips.
