What to Do the Week Before Your Wedding: Day-by-Day Checklist
The week before your wedding is unlike any other week of planning. The big decisions are behind you, but the final details can feel overwhelming without a clear structure. Forgotten vendor confirmations, missing marriage licenses, and last-minute guest emergencies are the reality of this final stretch.
This day-by-day checklist transforms the most chaotic week of wedding planning into a manageable sequence of tasks. Each day has a clear focus so you know exactly what needs your attention and what can wait. The goal is to arrive at your wedding day rested, present, and confident that nothing has been overlooked.
Print this checklist, share it with your partner, and check off each item as you go. By your rehearsal dinner, you will have handled everything and can finally enjoy the celebration you have spent months planning.
Step-by-Step Guide
- 1
Seven Days Out: Final Vendor Confirmations
Contact every vendor to confirm arrival times, setup details, and final logistics. This includes your venue coordinator, caterer, photographer, videographer, DJ or band, florist, cake baker, officiant, hair and makeup artist, and transportation company. Send a single email to each with your event timeline, their expected arrival time, their setup location, and your day-of contact person. Confirm that all final payments are scheduled and prepare tip envelopes for vendors you plan to tip on the wedding day.
- 2
Six Days Out: Guest Logistics and Seating
Finalize your seating chart and send the final guest count to your caterer and venue. Contact any guests who have not RSVPed for a final answer. Print your seating chart, place cards, and any signage you need. Confirm hotel room blocks and transportation schedules. Prepare a welcome bag assembly station if you are distributing them to out-of-town guests. Send a schedule to your wedding party with arrival times for the rehearsal and wedding day.
- 3
Five Days Out: Attire and Personal Prep
Pick up your dress or suit from final alterations and try it on one last time with all accessories including shoes, jewelry, veil, and undergarments. Confirm that your wedding party has their attire ready and knows the dress code for the rehearsal dinner. Break in your wedding shoes at home if you have not already. Schedule any last grooming appointments: haircut, facial, manicure, or other personal care. Gather all accessories and personal items into one bag that will travel with you on the wedding day.
- 4
Four Days Out: Ceremony Details and Documents
Confirm your marriage license is obtained and bring it to the rehearsal or designate someone to bring it to the ceremony. Finalize ceremony readings, vow drafts, and any unity ceremony elements. Confirm the processional order and send it to your DJ or musician and officiant. Print copies of your vows if you are reading them. Prepare any ceremony programs for distribution. Charge all cameras, phones, and portable batteries you will use during the wedding weekend.
- 5
Three Days Out: Pack and Organize
Pack your day-of emergency kit with pain relievers, stain remover, safety pins, sewing kit, breath mints, tissues, phone charger, and blister bandages. Organize all vendor payments, tips, and contracts into clearly labeled envelopes. Pack an overnight bag for your wedding night. Prepare a box of personal items that need to go to the venue: card box, guest book, cake topper, photo displays, and any DIY decor. Delegate the delivery of these items to a trusted person if you will not be going to the venue before the ceremony.
- 6
Two Days Out: Rehearsal and Delegation
Attend your rehearsal and walk through the full ceremony including processional, readings, vows, ring exchange, and recessional. Introduce your wedding party to the venue coordinator and point out key locations: bathrooms, getting-ready rooms, ceremony and reception spaces. Distribute day-of timeline cards to the wedding party and immediate family. Hand off vendor tip envelopes and final payments to your best man, maid of honor, or coordinator. Enjoy your rehearsal dinner and try to go to bed at a reasonable hour.
- 7
One Day Out: Rest and Self-Care
This is your rest day. Do not schedule any major tasks or errands. Eat well, hydrate, and go for a walk or do light stretching. Lay out everything you need for the morning: getting-ready outfit, wedding attire, accessories, vow cards, phone charger, and personal items. Write a short note to your partner to exchange before the ceremony if that is something you want to do. Set two alarms for the morning. Text your photographer and coordinator to confirm the next day's start time. Go to bed early.
- 8
Wedding Morning: Execute the Plan
Wake up, eat a real breakfast, and hydrate. Arrive at your getting-ready location on time. Follow your timeline and trust your vendors and wedding party to handle their responsibilities. Keep your phone on silent and designate someone else to handle any calls or texts from vendors and guests. Focus on being present. Everything that needed to be done has been done. This is the day you have been planning for.
Pro Tips
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Assign a point person who is not the bride or groom to handle all day-of vendor communications so you can actually enjoy your wedding morning.
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Write your vows by five days out at the latest. Last-minute vow writing under pressure produces generic results and unnecessary stress.
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Eat real meals every day this week. Wedding week stress suppresses appetite, but you need energy and skipping meals leads to headaches, irritability, and fainting at the altar.
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Prepare a group text or email with your complete day-of timeline and send it to every vendor and every member of the wedding party three days before the wedding.
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Put your phone on Do Not Disturb for the final 24 hours and have someone else monitor it for urgent messages.
Frequently Asked Questions
What if a vendor cancels the week of the wedding?
Contact your venue coordinator or wedding planner immediately since they likely have backup vendor relationships. Post in local wedding Facebook groups or call other vendors you interviewed during the planning process. For photographers and DJs, check with your existing vendors since many have colleagues who can step in on short notice. Document everything in writing for potential insurance claims.
How do I handle a guest who RSVPs yes at the last minute?
Contact your caterer and venue coordinator immediately to add a place setting and meal. Most caterers can accommodate one or two additions up to 48 hours before the event. If the seating chart is already printed, handwrite an addition or seat them at a table with available space. Do not stress about perfection at this stage.
Should I write a speech for the reception?
A brief thank-you from the couple is a lovely touch but not required. If you want to speak, keep it under two minutes: thank your guests for being there, thank both families, and share one genuine sentiment about your partner. Write it out even if you plan to speak from the heart so you have a safety net if emotions take over.
What should I do if I feel overwhelmed during wedding week?
Delegate. You have a partner, a wedding party, and likely a coordinator for a reason. Make a list of every remaining task, assign each one to someone specific, and let go. Your only job the day before and the day of is to show up and be present. Everything else can be handled by your team.
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