Your Wedding Planning Checklist (And What You Shouldn’t Be Doing Yourself)

If you’re in the middle of planning your wedding, you already know there are a lot of moving parts. That’s exactly why I created this checklist for you. It’s designed to keep you organized, on track, and ahead of the game so you’re not scrambling the week of your wedding.

You can download the full checklist below and use it as your guide from start to finish.

But beyond the checklist, I want to give you the advice I repeat to my couples all the time:

Knock out as much as possible as early as possible and don’t try to do everything yourself. Delegate and communicate.

A lot of couples don’t delegate simply because they don’t know what can be handed off. So let’s fix that. If you’re trying to save money by DIY-ing certain elements (which I’m all for when it makes sense), here are some easy things you can assign to people you trust:

• Have a friend or family member pick up your alcohol the day before (Costco is a great option since you can return anything unopened).

• Same with sheet cakes or desserts delegate someone to pick them up and deliver them to the venue.

• If you’re doing your own florals, assign your crafty friend or family member to pick up bulk flowers (again, Costco is great for this) and put arrangements together.

• Ask your wedding party or family to handle decorating tables, placing centerpieces, and setting up personal items the day of.

• Assign someone to be in charge of cleanup at the end of the night. This is a big one that often gets overlooked.

• Decide ahead of time who is responsible for packing up décor and taking it home (or back to your house).

• If you’re tipping vendors, have a trusted person distribute envelopes so you’re not chasing people down at the end of the night.

• Assign someone to load your personal items into your getaway car before your exit.

• Have a bridesmaid or friend coordinate lunch for the wedding party (DoorDash is your best friend here).

• Let a creative friend design signage or small details on Canva.

• Get your wedding party involved in helping build out your dance floor music. They know your crowd too.

• Decide early who is giving toasts and give them clear expectations so they’re prepared and keep it concise.
  

And a few more that couples don’t always think about:

• Someone to manage your guest book or keepsake table

• Someone to keep track of gifts and cards throughout the night

• Someone to fluff your dress or fix your train before walking down the aisle

• Someone to hold your phone and personal items during photos

• Someone to remind you to grab the rings for your first look photos

• Someone to take pictures and videos on your phone throughout the day

• Someone to keep you hydrated and remind you to eat (yes, this is real and necessary!)

• Someone to gather your detail items (shoes, rings, invites, etc.) for your photographer in the morning Download the full checklist here:

Wedding Checklist.pdf

Download PDF • 373KB

The goal here is simple: You should not be the point person for all of this on your wedding day.

And if you’re reading this thinking… “this still feels like a lot to manage…”

That’s where a day-of coordinator comes in! (Hi! That's me! Save money by booking me as your day of coordinator and DJ all in one!) Your day of coordinator is the person who takes everything you’ve planned and actually runs the show. They manage the timeline, communicating with vendors, answering questions, and making sure everything flows the way it should. Without one, those responsibilities usually fall back on you or your family. And that gets stressful and overwhelming very quickly. Trust me. You deserve better than that.

You deserve to be fully present, enjoying your day, not solving problems behind the scenes.

Use the checklist. Stay ahead. Delegate what you can. Build a team you trust.

It makes all the difference in how your wedding day actually feels. You can thank me later! ◡̈