Wedding Day Checklist: 10 things NOT to Forget on Your Wedding Day

No matter how organized you are, wedding days are always a little bit bananas. There’s so much excitement when you wake up on your wedding day. It’s easy for things to get forgotten in the shuffle of getting ready and getting out the door! In order to make your life a little easier, we suggest getting these 10 things packed up ahead of time. You can also hand off any of these items to a loved one to bring to the venue for you! The fewer things for you to worry about, the better. But before you and your crew depart for the wedding, ask one of them to run through this wedding day checklist just to be extra sure nothing important is forgotten.

1. The marriage license

This is a big one. You day won’t be legal without a signed marriage license! Make sure you’ve got it safely packed up in a backpack or sealed bin where it won’t get lost or damaged.

2. A bag with your wedding day essentials

This can include things such as medications, a back-up pair of shoes, and your favorite personal care items like chapstick, lotion, deodorant, and fragrance. While we always have our own emergency kit on hand for any surprise snafoos, you’ll be grateful to have some of your own personal must-haves at hand.

3. Wedding day accessories

This can include shoes, veils or other headpieces, jewelry, ties, etc. You probably spent time choosing special pieces to accompany your wedding day attire and you won’t want to forget them!

4. Your vows

If you’re writing your own vows, make sure to pack up the notebook, vow book, or printed paper they’re on. It’s also a good idea to email a copy or share a photo of them with your officiant for backup.

5. Gratuities and final payments

If you have any cash gratuities or final payments to distribute to your vendor team, get these packed up into envelopes ahead of time. You can then hand them off to your planner who’ll make sure to hand them out at the end of the night!

6. Your wedding attire

Yes, this one seems pretty obvious. But if you’re changing into your wedding attire at the venue you definitely don’t want to leave the house without it! Triple check to make sure all the pieces are there. It’s also a good idea to steam or iron anything ahead of time (you can also have a loved one help with this.)

7. Undergarments

If you’re changing into your wedding attire at the venue, don’t forget to make sure you’ve got all the necessary components to wear underneath – socks, bras, Spanx, etc. You probably won’t want to go commando on your wedding day.

8. Wedding day details

This means any special pieces you’d like your photographer to capture in detail photos. Some examples are a copy of your wedding stationery, a special ring dish or box, or a sentimental item from a loved one.

9. A change of clothes

If the weather is going to be hot (and you’re worried about getting sweaty,) you might be glad that you’ve got a fresh outfit to change into towards the end of the night. Or, if you know that parts of your wedding attire might get uncomfortable it’s a great idea to plan ahead. You definitely do not want to be spending the whole night in pain or discomfort!

10. The rings!!

I once heard a story about a couple who forgot to bring the rings to the wedding and ended up using a ring pop from the gas station for the ceremony. Although it’s probably a good story now, I’m guessing it was a little stressful at the time!

This isn’t an all-inclusive wedding day checklist but covers some of the most important wedding day items. I love to work with couples on creating an organized plan for the wedding day to help make sure the day is stress-free and nothing is forgotten. All my couples get access to an assortment of planning tools, resources, and checklists to help them stay organized. If you’re looking for some help on your own wedding day, learn more about ways we can work together.