Wedding checklists on the internet tend to fall into two camps: 200 items that collapse on themselves, or 10 items that leave gaps the size of a marquee. What follows is the sequence that actually matters, grouped into nine phases, with the budget action at each step — because “send save-the-dates” without “lock the venue that the date depends on” is a trap.
You don’t need a PDF. Open this page on your phone, check what’s next, close the page. If you want the budget side auto-applied to your real wedding, start a Linden budget.
Set the foundation
Before a single vendor is booked. This phase is about alignment — between you as a couple, with parents if they’re contributing, and with the budget reality your market imposes.
- Pick a rough date window (not a specific date yet).
- Discuss guest-count target (this moves your budget more than any other decision).
- Build your first Linden budget from 7 questions.
- Decide who pays for what — couple, parents, contributors.
- Research venues by vibe, capacity, and starting price — do not book yet.
Lock venue + primary vendors
Venue availability drives date availability. Photographers, caterers, and planners book 10–12 months out in peak markets. Deposits are typically 25–50% of each contract.
- Visit + book venue (date becomes locked here).
- Book photographer (second-biggest date-driven vendor).
- Book caterer if venue is dry-hire.
- Book wedding planner / day-of coordinator if using one.
- Start wedding-party conversations (not the proposal — just thinking).
Lock music + florist + video
Date is now set. Time to fill out the next tier of vendors — music, florals, videography. Sample contracts are typical here.
- Book DJ or band.
- Book florist.
- Book videographer if you want one.
- Start dress / suit shopping (4–6 month lead time on alterations alone).
- Build your guest list — actual names, not estimates.
- Send save-the-dates (especially for destination / international guests).
Details + logistics
The midpoint. Invitations, attire, transportation, accommodation blocks, rings — the list of small but non-negotiable decisions.
- Buy or commission the dress + order alterations.
- Buy rings.
- Book officiant (civil or religious).
- Reserve hotel block for out-of-town guests.
- Design + order invitations.
- Book transportation (couple + guest shuttles if needed).
- Plan honeymoon (flights + hotels before summer pricing kicks in).
Menu + rehearsal + cake
Taste-testing season. Also a good point to review your budget against reality — most couples are 10–15% over their initial target here, and this is when re-allocation is still painless.
- Catering tasting → finalize menu + beverage package.
- Order the cake.
- Book hair + makeup trials.
- Book rehearsal-dinner venue (destination weddings: earlier).
- Send invitations (~8 weeks before the wedding for domestic, ~12 weeks for international).
- Order wedding-party gifts and parent gifts.
- Apply for marriage license (timelines vary by state/country — check local rules).
Final vendor details
You’re inside the execution window. Every vendor now wants specifics: timeline, shot list, dietary restrictions, floor plan.
- Finalize guest list + seating chart (after RSVP deadline).
- Send final counts to caterer.
- Confirm timeline with photographer + planner.
- Write ceremony script / vows.
- Confirm wedding-party attire + fittings.
- Pay remaining vendor balances per contract schedule.
- Break down contingency: ~50% is typically spent by this phase.
Confirmations + rehearsal
Everything should be booked. This month is about confirming, reconfirming, and making sure nothing you booked 10 months ago has silently changed.
- Confirm every vendor in writing — timeline, load-in, end-of-night.
- Pick up marriage license.
- Final dress / suit fitting.
- Break in wedding shoes.
- Assemble welcome bags.
- Rehearsal dinner + ceremony rehearsal (typically day before).
Execute
By this week every decision is made. Your job is rest, logistics, and handing off anything you still own to a coordinator or trusted family member.
- Pay any final day-of cash / gratuity envelopes.
- Hand timeline + contact list to day-of coordinator.
- Pack emergency kit (Tide pen, safety pins, bobby pins, snacks).
- Delegate point-of-contact duty to someone who is not you.
- Sleep.
Wrap-up
You’re married. Small admin tasks remain.
- File marriage license (most jurisdictions require it within 30 days).
- Change names on legal documents if applicable.
- Send thank-you notes (~3 months window).
- Publish a final spend-vs-budget recap for your own records.
Using this alongside your budget
The phases above map 1:1 to the spending pattern of a typical wedding. The big deposits (venue + photographer + catering) land in months 10–12; the middle tier (music, flowers, video) in 8–10; and final balances across months 2–0. If you’re tracking cashflow — which you should, if you’re financing the wedding yourselves — sync the milestones above against a per-month outflow view. The Linden payment-tracking feature does this automatically.
Every linked cost guide above covers what drives the number and how to trim it without gutting the experience. If you’re new to the numbers, start with the 22-category budget breakdown. If you want to know what’s missing from your current budget, read 40+ hidden wedding costs.