Seven Days Out: Confirm Everything
One week before your wedding, your primary task is confirmation. Contact every vendor — venue, caterer, photographer, videographer, DJ or band, florist, officiant, transportation, hair and makeup, baker, and rental company — with a brief email or call confirming: the date and arrival or setup time, the specific location (including which entrance, loading dock, or room), the primary contact person and their mobile number for the day, any outstanding balances and payment method for the day-of amount, and a reminder of any specific requests or changes since the contract was signed. Create a vendor contact sheet: a single document listing every vendor's name, company, mobile number, email, arrival time, and setup requirements. Distribute copies to your wedding planner, day-of coordinator, maid of honour, and best man. Confirm your final guest count with the caterer — this is typically the last day you can adjust the number. If any RSVPs are still outstanding, make the call now and count non-responders as absent. Confirm the rehearsal time and location with your officiant and wedding party.
Six Days Out: Finalise the Details
Finalise and distribute the day-of timeline. This document should include every timed activity from the moment hair and makeup begins until the last dance, with the name and contact number of the person responsible for each segment. Share the timeline with: every vendor, every member of the wedding party, your parents or family members with specific roles, and your day-of coordinator. Finalise the seating chart and submit it to your calligrapher, printer, or DIY station. Print place cards or seating assignment cards if you have not already. Double-check that every confirmed guest has an assigned seat and that dietary restrictions are noted for the caterer. Prepare cash envelopes for vendor tips: label each envelope with the vendor's name and the tip amount, seal them, and give the complete set to your best man, maid of honour, or planner with a list indicating who gives what to whom and when. Write personal notes to your partner, your parents, and your wedding party if you plan to exchange letters or cards on the morning of the wedding. Do this now while you are calm, not at midnight the night before.
Five to Four Days Out: Physical Preparations
Attend your final dress fitting or suit pickup. Try on the complete outfit with all accessories: shoes, jewellery, undergarments, veil or headpiece, belt, cufflinks — everything. Walk, sit, dance, and raise your arms to confirm comfort and fit. If anything needs a last-minute adjustment, most tailors can accommodate a one to two day turnaround for minor fixes. Break in your wedding shoes if you have not already: wear them around the house for one to two hours per day on carpet. If the soles are slippery, score them with sandpaper or apply sole protectors for traction on hard floors. Assemble your emergency kit (beauty touch-ups, health items, outfit repair supplies, phone charger, cash, timeline copies) and give it to your designated kit-carrier. Pack for the wedding night and honeymoon if applicable. Lay out everything you need for the wedding day in one place: outfit, accessories, getting-ready clothes, overnight bag, and any items you need to transport to the venue (guest book, card box, ceremony programs, favours, signage). Do not leave packing for the morning of the wedding — decision-making capacity on your wedding morning should be reserved for getting dressed and being present, not searching for a missing earring back.
Three to Two Days Out: Delegate and Rest
By this point, every major decision should be made and every task should be assigned to someone other than you. If you have a day-of coordinator or planner, this is when they take over execution. If you are self-coordinating, assign specific responsibilities to trusted friends and family: someone to manage vendor arrivals and setup at the venue, someone to transport items from your home to the venue, someone to manage the guest book and card box, someone to distribute tip envelopes at appropriate times, and someone to handle any last-minute guest questions on the day. Attend the rehearsal and rehearsal dinner. Use the rehearsal to walk through the processional at least twice, confirm the ceremony flow with your officiant, test the sound system and microphones, identify the exact ceremony positions for the wedding party, and confirm photography locations with your photographer. After the rehearsal dinner, resist the urge to stay up late reviewing details. Your body and mind need rest more than they need another review of the seating chart. Set a bedtime and honour it. Tomorrow and the day after are about being emotionally present, not operationally in control.
The Day Before: Self-Care and Presence
The day before your wedding should be as calm as possible. If your rehearsal and rehearsal dinner were the previous evening, today is for rest and gentle preparation. Morning: light exercise (a walk, yoga, or a swim — nothing intense that risks injury or exhaustion), a nourishing meal, and hydration. Avoid alcohol — you want to wake up on your wedding day feeling rested and clear-headed, not recovering. Afternoon: if you have beauty appointments (manicure, pedicure, facial — though facials are better done three to five days before to allow any redness to subside), schedule them for a relaxing midday window. Spend time with the people who calm you rather than the people who amplify your anxiety. Evening: eat a real dinner (not just snacks), drink water, and go to bed at a reasonable hour. Lay out your morning-of outfit and essentials. Set alarms (plural — on your phone and ask someone staying with you to set a backup). Do one final review of the morning timeline so you know exactly when hair and makeup begin, when the photographer arrives, and when you need to leave for the ceremony. Then put your phone down, breathe, and let yourself feel excited rather than stressed. Everything that can be done has been done. Tomorrow is for joy, not logistics.