Preparing for your wedding can be a joyous occasion and possibly the most stressful event to plan in the world! After all, you want it to go off without a hitch, personalize it to reflect your taste and personality, and make it an event that will be remembered for years to come. This is where a wedding planning checklist comes in handy.

If you do not have a wedding planning checklist, now’s the time to create one. It’s easy really and it will help keep you organized and scheduled. You will be able to keep track of your comings and goings, as related to the wedding, and be able to check off each item on the list as it gets finished.

A wedding checklist is what most brides follow to keep them on a working schedule that’s sensible, flexible and organized. There are many ways to create such a checklist and your checklist will be individualized just for you. For some the list will be quite extensive, and for others, it won’t. Depending on how much you’ve already done, your list will vary from the next bride.

Below is a sample wedding planning checklist. You can personalize it to fit your own life and wedding and plans. This is just something to give you an idea of what you might want to create for yourself.

Wedding planning checklist

Bridesmaids and grooms – Have you selected them yet? Wedding party – Do you have a singer lined up? What about an organist, pianist, ring bearer, flower girl, and any special readings during the service? Gowns/Tuxes – Have you picked out a wedding dress? What about bridesmaids’ dresses and tuxes? Photographer – Do you want photos taken before or after the wedding? Church or other facility – Have you reserved a place for the wedding to take place? What about the reception? Newspaper announcements – Photos and info should be sent to your local paper Rehearsal dinner – Who’s coming and where are you having it? Gifts for those in the wedding party – Do you want to buy tokens of appreciation? Wedding cake, punch, and other refreshments – Do you have a caterer? Who’s making the wedding cake? What sorts of refreshments do you want to serve? Decorations for the church and reception – Are you ordering flowers, decorations, ribbons, and etc? Who will help put decorations up? Equipment rental – Do you need to rent tables, chairs, microphones or any other type of equipment for the wedding or reception? Rings – Have you purchased the rings?

The wedding planning checklist is a great way to keep yourself on track. The above list is very general. It’s a good idea to assign tasks to your maid of honor, your mom and even your husband to be. Put everyone to work who is willing. After all, you don’t need to do it all yourself.

To make your wedding planning checklist complete, it’s good to also put a date next to the item that needs to be taken care of. In this way, you keep to a tight schedule and can feel confident that everything is coming along as planned.

Brian B. Carter, MS is author of two books and edits a Wedding site. Trish Williams has published numerous wedding planning articles.

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