It’s the final countdown! You’re in the final stretch and it’s the week before your wedding. It doesn’t matter how big or small your wedding is, or how organised you’ve been up until this point. There will be lots of things you need to do the week before your wedding. We’ve created a handy checklist for you so you can keep track of everything!
Suppliers and Venue
- Final headcount: Confirm exactly when your venue and caterer need a final headcount and submit it by then.
- Day of timeline: Finalise the timeline for the day and distribute to your venue, suppliers and wedding party. Print extra copies for anybody who needs one on the day.
- Dates, times and locations: Confirm where everybody needs to be, when they need to be there, and what for (When is your driver arriving? Does your florist know where to set up and when? Where will the DJ set up?)
- Final payments: Figure out all your final payments before the Big Day.
- Contact details: Put all venue and suppliers contact details onto a spreadsheet and share with your wedding planner, venue coordinator and anybody who’s a point of contact on the day.
- Supplier meals: When confirming your headcount with your caterer, let them know how many supplier meals you will need (don’t forget to ask these suppliers about allergies and dietary requirements).
- Reception tables: Finalise where everybody is sitting (including a table plan or seating chart if you are having one).
- Weather: Check the weather report and confirm Plan B with your venue, if needed.
- Pack up all items: Put your wedding favours, decor, printed items and anything else (cake knife, ring pillow, unity candle etc) and hand over to your planner or coordinator, along with instructions.
The Fennells Photography & Film
Wedding Party
- Wedding day duties: Make sure your wedding party, ushers and other VIP guests know what their duties are for the day.
- Family photos: Put someone in charge of coordinating family photos (tips here on how to do that well).
- Gifts, cards and items: Ask a trusted guest to pack up your gifts and envelopes (and other accessories like your guest book etc). Add the top tier of your wedding cake to this list if you want to save it.
- Rented items: Assign someone to return all rented items after the wedding.
- Speeches: Have a check-in with anybody who is making a speech at your wedding.
- Snacks and drinks: Prepare (or delegate this to someone else) snacks, water and drinks for getting ready on the morning of your wedding.
- Gifts: If you plan to give gifts to your Other Half, family or wedding party, get them ready now. Wrap them and add any handwritten notes you want to give.
Jenny McCarthy
Beauty and Attire
- Outfits: Pick up your wedding day outfits and accessories.
- Shoes: Take some time to break in your wedding shoes.
- Emergency kit: Create a wedding day emergency kit and put someone in charge of knowing where it is (Here’s what to put in your emergency kit).
- Beauty appointments: Go for your final beauty appointments (massage, nails, tan, waxes etc).
- Ring: Get your ring cleaned so it’s sparkly for the Big Day.
David McNeill Photography
Honeymoon
- Pack: Make packing a priority if you are heading off on honeymoon right after the wedding.
- Flights and hotel: Confirm all flight details and hotel bookings, as well as arrival times.
- Documents: Pack your travel documents (passports, visas, vaccination passes, etc).
- Electronics: If plug convertors are required, make sure you have the right ones.
Jenny McCarthy
Important items
- Rings and paperwork: Gather any legal paperwork required for this to be legal!
- Vows: Print your vows and practice them.
- Out of office: Tie up all loose ends for your time away if you are taking time off work (set up an Out of Office email message, wrap up projects, find cover for your shifts, etc).
