Wedding planning has a lot of small parts, but they come in a fairly predictable order. This checklist walks you through it month by month, with the New Zealand details (like the marriage licence) in the right place.
The timings assume about a year of planning. If you have more time, spread things out. If you have less, start at the top and move a little faster. Nothing here is a rule, and you can skip anything that doesn’t fit your day.
12 months or more before
- Talk about the kind of day you both want: big or small, formal or relaxed, close to home or away.
- Set your total budget and agree who’s contributing. Our wedding budget guide walks through it.
- Write a first guest list so you know roughly how many people you’re planning for.
- Choose a season and a few possible dates. Summer weekends book out first, and it’s worth checking long weekends, school holidays and big local events.
- Visit and book your venue.
- Find and book your celebrant.
9 to 12 months before
- Book the vendors who only do one wedding a day: photographer, videographer, caterer, band or DJ.
- Send save-the-dates, especially if guests are coming from overseas or another island.
- Start thinking about what you’ll wear.
- Choose your wedding party, if you’re having one.
- Look into accommodation near the venue for guests, particularly in rural spots.
6 to 9 months before
- Book florist, hair and makeup, cake and transport.
- Order or start fittings for outfits.
- Plan the ceremony with your celebrant: readings, vows, music, and anything you’d like to include from your cultures and families.
- Make a wet-weather plan. Aotearoa weather can change quickly, even in summer.
- Set up a wedding website with the details guests will ask about: time, place, travel and where to stay.
3 to 6 months before
- Prepare your invitations, and set your RSVP deadline from the date your venue needs final numbers.
- Choose rings.
- Book a hair and makeup trial.
- Sort hire items: furniture, marquee, lighting, linen.
- Start a rough order of the day.
1 to 3 months before
- Send invitations about 8 to 12 weeks before the day, or earlier for guests who need to travel. Our guest list and RSVP guide covers timing and deadlines.
- Apply for your marriage licence (see below).
- Chase any missing RSVPs, kindly, and confirm final numbers with your venue and caterer.
- Collect dietary needs and pass them on to your caterer.
- Write your vows and any speeches.
- Finish your wedding run sheet and talk it through with your MC and wedding party.
- Have final fittings.
The NZ marriage licence, simply
You apply for a marriage licence through Births, Deaths and Marriages (BDM), part of Te Tari Taiwhenua, the Department of Internal Affairs.
- Apply at least 3 working days before your wedding.
- The licence is valid for 3 months from when it’s issued.
- You’ll need two witnesses at the ceremony to sign alongside you.
So the sweet spot is to apply within the three months before your date, well ahead of that three-working-day minimum. Public holidays don’t count as working days, so allow extra time around Christmas, Easter or a long weekend. Fees and steps can change, so check the BDM website when you apply, and give the licence to your celebrant.
The final month
- Confirm arrival times, set-up needs and contacts with every vendor.
- Share your run sheet with vendors, your MC and anyone helping on the day.
- Pay any remaining balances, or note exactly when they’re due.
- Break in your shoes.
- Ask someone you trust to be the go-to person on the day, so questions don’t come to you.
The week of the wedding
- Check the weather forecast and decide on your wet-weather plan if you need it.
- Pack an emergency kit: safety pins, plasters, sunscreen, insect repellent, tissues, snacks, phone charger.
- Put rings, licence, vows and any envelopes for vendors in one bag.
- Drop off anything the venue or stylist needs.
- Get some sleep, drink water and spend a quiet evening together.
After the wedding
- Return hire items and anything borrowed.
- Send thank-you notes.
- Order your marriage certificate from BDM if you’d like one, and update your name if you’re changing it.
- Leave reviews for the vendors you loved. It means a lot to small NZ businesses.
Planning in six months or less?
It’s very doable. Lock in the date, venue and celebrant in the first couple of weeks, then book photography and catering. Send invitations by email to save time, keep styling simple, and put the marriage licence in your calendar as soon as your date is within three months. Everything else on this list is optional.
Common questions
How far in advance should we start planning a wedding in NZ?
Twelve to eighteen months gives you the widest choice of venues and vendors, especially for a summer Saturday. But plenty of couples plan a lovely wedding in six months or less. Start with the date, the venue and the celebrant, and the rest follows.
When do we need to apply for a marriage licence in New Zealand?
You apply through Births, Deaths and Marriages (part of Te Tari Taiwhenua, the Department of Internal Affairs). Apply at least 3 working days before your wedding. The licence is valid for 3 months once it’s issued, so apply within the three months before your date and leave yourself a comfortable margin. Check the BDM website for current fees and steps.
What should we do in the week before the wedding?
Confirm final details and arrival times with each vendor, share your run sheet, pay any remaining balances, pack an emergency kit, and hand day-of questions to someone you trust. Then rest. The planning is done.
Is there a free wedding checklist app for New Zealand couples?
wed.kiwi is a free wedding-planning web app made in Aotearoa. You can keep your checklist there with timeframes and categories, tick things off as you go and see your progress, alongside your guest list, budget and schedule.
More planning guides
- Planning a wedding budget in New Zealand What NZ couples really spend, how to pick your number, a category-by-category budget template, and how to keep deposits and due dates under control.
- Your wedding guest list and RSVPs, sorted A guest list template, how to handle plus-ones and kids, when to set your RSVP deadline, and collecting replies online for free.
- How to write a wedding run sheet What goes in a run sheet, an example wedding day timeline you can adapt, and what your vendors and MC need from you.
How wed.kiwi helps
wed.kiwi is a free wedding-planning web app made in Aotearoa. Your checklist lives alongside everything it touches, so ticking off “book the photographer” and seeing their cost in your budget happen in the same place.
- Add tasks with a timeframe and category, tick them off, and watch your progress build.
- Your overview shows this week’s list and what’s next up.
- A Sunday round-up email brings your days to go, RSVPs, budget and next task together.
- Your schedule has a “Leading up” view for the months before and a “Day of” view for the wedding itself.
- Invite your partner or whānau with a link, so the list isn’t one person’s job.
The essentials are free. Start your checklist in wed.kiwi or browse the other planning guides.