What can a good wedding checklist do for you? Far more than you think! It can help you gather your thoughts. Remind you of things you’ve forgotten. Show you things you didn’t think of. And track your progress – the more ticks appear on those pages, the more you’ll know you’re getting done! High five!
And remember – the best part of any wedding checklist is sharing some of it with other people! Delegating is key to success – not just in business, but in weddings too. So, without further ado, let’s get started.
First, of course, is our Complete Wedding Checklist that’s superior to all others. We’ve literally put everything on there, so you can not only tick, but also delete as appropriate! It’s built on a 12 month planning schedule, but of course you can move things around easily if your planning time is actually different.
Are you having a church ceremony? This also requires a degree of planning, because it’s not as simple as just showing up. That’s why we’re prepared our 12-Month Catholic Mass Checklist – a thing worth devoting some time to, as this is the most important part of the wedding day… the vows and becoming partners for life (we’ll be updating it with a Humanist and Civil Ceremont Checklist very soon too FYI)!
Many of our brides have told us hiring a wedding planner was the best money they ever spent. So is getting one a good idea for your own big day? You bet. The more details you have to arrange, the more you’ll be wishing someone could simply take it all off your hands. A wedding planner makes it possible to have exactly the wedding you want, without taking on all the stress yourself. And before you hire one, here are all the Questions to Ask Your Wedding Planner – a free and downloadable wedding checklist!
The venue – the most important decision of all… probably at par with the dress! It’s where the bulk of your budget will likely go, and where the day will unfold. Worried about making a wrong decision? Not a chance with our Ultimate Checklist of Questions to Ask a Wedding Venue. It’s divided into helpful sections like food, style and money, and it’s also downloadable/printable, so you can take it along with you to any viewings.
Photo from Roseanne and Emmet’s real wedding by David Maury Photography
A band or DJ who are willing to play all your favourite tunes are exactly what you want… but an amazing setlist isn’t everything! Before you book them, download, print and read our Essential Checklist of What to Ask Your Band or DJ. Important things we’ve included are questions about extra charges, insurance, cancellation – in other words, things worth considering as much as the setlist.
Keep your big day memories forever with photos or video – or both! We’ve got lots of brilliant photography and videography suppliers in our supplier directory, all you have to do is find the style you love. While you look for something to fall in love with, we’ve taken care of the questions you have to ask before you make that booking – here’s an essential list of What to Ask Your Wedding Photographer and Videographer.
And while on the subject of photos… as real weddings are one of weddingsonline‘s most looked at pages, you’ll want to have the same luscious photos from your big day – and that’s without forgetting a picture of your grandma, your favourite cousin and your other half’s dad. Your photographer will likely ask you if there are any shots you absolutely must have – so here’s our Wedding Photo Checklist to make sure everyone and everything that’s important to you is included.
To look your gorgeous self, you need some hair and makeup magic – courtesy of the right person, of course! This is a biggie, because the person you choose could be doing not just your look, but also your entire bridal party, and maybe even the mams too. To help you choose, we’ve compiled a downloadable list of What to Ask Your Wedding Hair Stylist and Makeup Artist.
Cake? Don’t mind if we do! In fact, we love cake so much, there’s a whole section in our blog devoted to nothing but gorgeous cakes. So when you find and fall in love with a cake (or two – we won’t judge!), the next step is having it made by the right person. That’s easy peasy – here are all the Questions to Ask Your Wedding Cake Maker.
Buying a bathroom basket for the guests? We love that idea – it’s very thoughtful and solves many on-the-day emergencies, like headaches and blisters. And we’re not just talking the women, the guys will hugely benefit too, so we’ve just gone and done you two lists under one link. This will be one of the quickest shopping trips you’ll make for your wedding, we promise! Here’s our Wedding Bathroom Basket Checklist.
Photo from Lisa & John’s real wedding by Kathy Silke Photography
Make sure you pack a few essentials too, and give them to a designated bridesmaid. It’s going to be a hectic day for sure, and you don’t want anything to get in the way of your enjoyment, or slow you down! Or, like one of our brides memorably said, ‘by the end of the night, I would have paid anyone €100 for a safety pin to hold up my train’. Here’s everything you need to put in Your Ultimate Wedding Emergency Kit.
Now that you’ve got the adults sorted, how about the little ones? If you’re having children at your wedding and planning their entertainment, just check out our Wedding Goodie Bags for Kids Checklist right here. We’ve gathered all the best ideas our brides have shared over the years, and none of these things are expensive. You can even find Lego and Barbie at great prices on eBay.
Looking good is high on your priority list, and here’s the good news! Three months before the wedding is plenty of time to make a serious commitment to a beauty regime. By then, you’ll have most of the big things taken care of, so you can relax and turn some of the attention to yourself. We’ve created our Bridal Beauty Countdown and Checklist to help you get in the groove. And don’t worry if it looks long – chances are, you’re already doing many of these things on a daily basis! Find what works for you and you’ll feel glorious on your wedding day.
Now, our packing checklist for bridesmaids. When we first published it, there was much merriment among the ladies in our audience, because it seemed like we’re telling them to pack their whole house for the wedding. Yeah, it sort of looks that way, doesn’t it! However, this wedding checklist is for all bridesmaids – those staying at home the night before the wedding, staying at the bride’s, or going to a hotel/venue – and that’s where they have to think about every eventuality. So, we’ve included everything! We’ve even got magazines in there, for some light reading *wink wink*. Get your Packing Checklist for Bridesmaids right here.
It seems you got engaged just five minutes ago… and it’s just a week left to the wedding! Is everything on track? Have you forgotten something important? Are you drinking enough water? This list will tell you – and it’s also downloadable! Click here for the One Week Before the Wedding Checklist.
And now… you’re officially newlyweds. Congratulations! Stay with us a little longer while we tell you about a few things you should take care of after the wedding. Things like an official name change, insurance, wills and taxes. You’ll like our What To Do After the Wedding Legal Checklist – it’s short, but as important as every other wedding checklist that came before it.
And… you did it!
Photo from Miranda & Matthew’s real wedding by Daniel, DKPHOTO
Main photo from Oriel & Niall’s real wedding by Emma Russell Photography
