Wedding Planning Checklist for Canadian Couples

The planning timeline, in order

• 10-12+ months out: set the budget, draft the guest list, and book the venue — the venue booking is what actually locks your date
• 9-12 months out: book photographer/videographer, catering, DJ or band, and start dress/suit shopping
• 6-9 months out: send save-the-dates, register for gifts, book hair/makeup trials, finalize the ceremony structure with your officiant
• 3-6 months out: order and send formal invitations (6-8 weeks before, with an RSVP deadline 3-4 weeks before the wedding), finalize the menu, buy wedding bands
• 1-3 months out: apply for the marriage licence, finalize headcount and seating with the venue and caterer, confirm final vendor payments in writing
• Final 2 weeks: confirm arrival times with every vendor, delegate day-of tasks, pack for the honeymoon, prepare an emergency kit

Marriage licence by province

• Ontario: apply through a municipal clerk; no waiting period; licence valid 90 days from issue
• British Columbia: apply online through Vital Statistics or in person; no waiting period; licence valid 3 months
• Alberta: apply through a licensed marriage commissioner or issuer; no waiting period; licence valid 3 months
• Quebec: no standard marriage licence — instead a notarized marriage contract or a declaration of marriage filed with a registered officiant, a longer process that should start earlier than the rest of this timeline suggests
• Every province requires a licensed officiant or marriage commissioner to perform the ceremony — a licence alone doesn't make a marriage legal without one
• For the full legal checklist (name change, common-law vs. married, updating documents after), see our dedicated marriage checklist — this page is the planning timeline, not the legal one

Budget & guest count

• Guest count is the single biggest lever on total cost — cutting the list saves more than negotiating any individual vendor
• Build a contingency line of 10-15% of the total budget — almost every wedding runs over somewhere, usually in a category nobody budgeted for
• Agree on who's contributing to the budget and how much before booking anything, not after a deposit is already down
• A destination or off-season wedding can meaningfully cut venue and vendor costs, but adds travel-coordination work for guests

Vendor booking order

• Venue first — it locks your date and everything else books around it
• Photographer/videographer next — the best ones in most Canadian cities book 12+ months out
• Catering, DJ/band, and florist follow, generally in that order of how far ahead they typically book
• Hair/makeup and rentals (linens, chairs, tableware if the venue doesn't supply them) can wait until 6-9 months out
• Confirm every vendor's final payment schedule and cancellation policy in writing before the deposit, not after

Final 2 weeks & day-of

• Confirm arrival times and setup windows with every vendor individually — don't assume they've coordinated with each other
• Delegate day-of tasks (rings, music cues, vendor payments) to someone other than you or your partner
• Prepare an emergency kit: stain remover, safety pins, pain reliever, extra bobby pins, tape
• Break in your wedding shoes before the day — not for the first time on the day itself
• Order extra certified copies of the marriage certificate after the ceremony if you're changing your name — most offices (passport, licence, bank) each want their own copy

Practical tips

• Book the venue before anything else — it's the one decision that locks your actual date, and every other vendor books around it.
• Apply for the marriage licence 1-3 months out, not earlier — most provincial licences expire before the ceremony if you apply too early.
• This is the planning timeline. For the legal side — the licence process in detail, common-law vs. married, and what to update after — see our marriage checklist.

Frequently asked questions