Most of planning a wedding is doing things in the right order. Book the venue before the caterer, the celebrant before the paperwork, and send invitations early enough to have final numbers when the caterer needs them.
Here’s a month-by-month checklist built around Australian weddings, legal steps included, and how to keep it on track together in Your Wedding HQ.
FreeEverything in this guide is free in Your Wedding HQ.
The checklist, month by month
These timings assume about a year to plan. With less time, start at the top anyway and work through the early items quickly: the venue, celebrant and photographer get booked out first.
12 months or more before
- Agree on the budget and who is contributing.
- Agree on the vibe, a rough guest count and your must-haves.
- Pick a date (and a back-up) and a season.
- Decide whether you want a wedding planner or an on-the-day coordinator.
- Visit venues, then book and get the booking in writing.
- Book your celebrant, then your photographer and videographer.
9 to 11 months before
- Choose your wedding party.
- Start the guest list, with addresses, and send save-the-dates.
- Book the caterer (if the venue doesn’t do it) and the band or DJ.
- Start shopping for wedding attire.
6 to 8 months before
- Book your florist and stylist, hair and makeup, transport and the cake.
- Set up a wedding website or online RSVP.
- Reserve a room block for guests travelling in.
- Order attire, allowing time for fittings, and the wedding party’s outfits.
- Plan the honeymoon and check your passports.
4 to 5 months before
- Design and order invitations and stationery.
- Do the menu and wine tasting.
- Choose and order your wedding rings.
- Sign and lodge your Notice of Intended Marriage (NOIM) with your celebrant.
- Plan the ceremony with your celebrant: readings, music and vows.
2 to 3 months before
- Send invitations.
- Have your hair and makeup trial and first attire fitting.
- Choose gifts for the wedding party and parents.
- Plan hens, bucks or other pre-wedding celebrations.
- Confirm the styling and floral designs.
The last month
- Chase anyone who hasn’t replied by your RSVP date.
- Choose two witnesses aged 18 or over.
- Do a final venue walkthrough and order signage, menus and place cards.
- Give final numbers and dietary needs to the caterer, and finish the seating plan.
- Write your vows and speeches.
- Two weeks out: confirm arrival times with every supplier, send them the run sheet, and pay final balances.
The final week and after
- Check the forecast and confirm the wet-weather plan.
- Pack an emergency kit, deliver décor to the venue and have the rehearsal.
- On the day, hand over to your coordinator or MC and enjoy it.
- Afterwards: return hired items, review your suppliers, order your official marriage certificate and send thank-you cards.
Don’t miss the legal steps
To marry in Australia you must give your celebrant a signed Notice of Intended Marriage at least one month before the wedding, and no more than 18 months before. The month counts from the day your celebrant receives it, not the day you sign it. Marrying sooner needs a “shortening of time”, which is only granted in special circumstances.
You’ll also need two witnesses aged 18 or over on the day. Your celebrant registers the marriage afterwards, and you can order the official certificate from your state or territory registry. Your celebrant is the best person to ask about the details for your situation.
Keep the checklist in Your Wedding HQ
A checklist only helps if you both trust it’s up to date. Your Wedding HQ starts you with the whole list above, so there’s nothing to type out.
- Add your wedding date in Settings. Every task gets a due date worked out from it. Change the date and they all move with it.
- Work through the list. Tasks are grouped by timeframe, from “12+ months before” to “After the wedding”. Anything due in the next two weeks is marked Due soon, and anything late is marked Overdue.
- Add your own tasks. Type a task, give it a due date if you like, and it joins the list.
- Tick things off. Use the To do, All and Done filters to see what’s left or how far you’ve come.
Starting late? Tasks that were already past due when you signed up are shown as ones to catch up on rather than a wall of red. Tick off the ones you’ve done another way, or remove the ones that don’t apply.
Invite your partner from Settings and you both work from the same list on your phones or laptops. Tick something off and it’s done for both of you straight away.
Plan it together in Your Wedding HQ
A shared checklist, budget tracker, guest list and run of the day, free forever. No credit card.