Written by Tarnia Riggs
Founder, All Eyes on Me
Published October 2026
Your free printable wedding planning checklist
Download the four-page PDF, tick off tasks and add your own deadlines. Includes Australian and US terms, outfit and accessory reminders, seasonal checks and pre-wedding party planning.
A wedding can involve a venue booked more than a year ahead and a garter, veil or pair of shoes remembered only days before the celebration. A useful timeline brings both into the same plan.
This guide offers a starting point for a 12–18 month engagement, with a shorter-planning approach below. You can adapt it for a small ceremony, a large reception, a destination wedding or a celebration organised in a few months. Suggested windows are planning tools; your suppliers’ actual availability, production times and contractual deadlines take priority.
Australian and US terms appear throughout: celebrant/officiant, supplier/vendor, suit hire/tuxedo rental, hens night/bachelorette party and bucks night/bachelor party. A maid or matron of honour (honor), best person, wedding party member or trusted friend can help share the work.
If a particular venue or vendor matters greatly to you, enquire as soon as you have a workable date and budget. An early enquiry is useful; it does not mean every couple needs to book everything 18 months ahead.
Start dress, suit or other wedding outfit appointments. Ask each retailer about production, shipping, fitting and alterations. A made-to-order dress, bespoke suit and off-the-rack outfit can have very different lead times.
As one supplier example, Pronovias recommends ordering a dress 8–10 months ahead in its FAQs, while some individual product pages recommend 9–12 months. Check the guidance for your actual garment rather than assuming one figure applies to all outfits.
Use this stage to make decisions that affect later purchases. The venue, season, neckline, sleeves and hairstyle can all influence the accessories that work best.
Make one accessory list: veil or crown, hair detail, jewellery/jewelry, gloves, garter, wrist garters and anything used in the ceremony. Choose only what suits your celebration. Check sizes, quantities and stock, and allow extra time for handmade, personalised or overseas orders.
A useful order-by calculation is: event date minus production time, delivery time and a sensible buffer. Ask the supplier before promising matching pieces to a whole group.
Keep the budget and calendar together: each booking needs a named owner, a due date and a payment reminder.
Follow up RSVPs when appropriate, update dietary and accessibility information, and draft your seating plan and run sheet/day-of schedule. Confirm who holds rings, documents and key contact details.
Keep hens/bachelorette and bucks/bachelor plans far enough from the wedding to allow the couple to rest and manage final preparations. There is no requirement to celebrate the night before.
Check the forecast and official warnings, reconfirm arrangements, and hand over practical tasks. Pack documents, rings, medication and personal essentials. Build buffers into dressing and travel so the schedule has room for ordinary delays.
For ideas on sharing the work, setting kind boundaries and making room to enjoy the process, read Zen Bride: A Calm Approach to Wedding Planning.
Afterwards, return hired/rented items on time, settle agreed balances, thank people who helped and arrange the official marriage record or certificate as needed.
Australia: the Attorney-General’s Department states that a Notice of Intended Marriage must be given to an authorised celebrant at least one month and no more than 18 months before the wedding, unless a prescribed authority approves a shortened notice period. Speak with your celebrant early about documents and other requirements.
United States: contact the authority responsible for marriage records or applications where the ceremony will take place. Application arrangements, waiting periods, validity periods and filing requirements differ. A generic planning timeline cannot replace the local authority’s instructions.
The Australian and US seasons fall at different times of year. Conventional Australian summer is December–February; conventional US summer is June–August. Autumn is also called fall in the US.
Local climate matters more than the label. Northern Australia has wet and dry seasons, while US destinations can have very different storm, heat and snow conditions. Check daylight, weather, travel and venue contingencies before fixing outdoor plans.
Use the linked summer, autumn/fall, winter and spring guides below for practical questions to ask.
Start with the essentials together: legal timing, a workable budget, venue and celebrant/officiant availability, guest numbers and outfit options. Look at available off-the-rack clothing, simpler decor and flexible dates where these suit you.
Ask every provider what they can deliver within your actual time frame. Book the necessary appointments immediately, reduce optional tasks and delegate named jobs. A shorter engagement can work well when the plan reflects the time and resources available.
Your pre-wedding celebration needs its own checklist. Agree preferences and spending before bookings, assign an organiser/organizer, and give accessories an order-by date.
An optional hens/bachelorette kit might include a veil or crown, wrist garters, a garter, forget-me-nots and game supplies. Choose pieces that the guest of honour/honor enjoys, and ask what guests already have before buying extras.
Browse available garters, wrist garters and the shop. Individual products can help you assemble your own kit; check current availability and delivery arrangements.
Planning windows and styling suggestions are from All Eyes on Me. Confirm current lead times, contract dates and legal requirements with the relevant provider or authority.