Wedding Ceremony 
Checklist

Your Wedding Ceremony Checklist

Steal our free wedding planning checklist and take the guesswork out of preparing your ceremony.

Book a Suitable Wedding Ceremony Venue

The only way to start planning a wedding ceremony, is by finding a venue. As with your reception space, the location of your vows will dictate so much about your ceremony, and the guest experience. With this in mind, don’t delay in finding the perfect spot.

If your reception and ceremony are taking place within the same location, then there’s less need to worry about logistics or how ceremonies function within the space. 9/10 the venue managers have got things down to a fine art, and you probably picked that venue because you could see how professional they were.

However, if you’re not marrying at your reception venue, and actually, you’re exchanging vows within a more religious setting, or just somewhere else. You will have to consider the capacity of the venue, how your guests will get to and from it, while also ensuring that all the vendors you require for your ceremony can operate there.

Once you’ve found the perfect spot, don’t be afraid to go with your gut and put down a deposit. The best and most popular ceremony venues get snapped up months, even years in advance. Therefore, don’t delay in ticking off this part of your wedding ceremony checklist.

Look into Rentals

Remember when Ross and Emily married in that ruin of a church in London? Is that reference ancient history now!? Anyway, if you can or cannot picture the scene, the couple turned up to their dream venue to find there was nothing there, not even a roof! What they essentially had was a blank canvas ceremony venue. A space that could be molded to suit any style of celebration.

Your ceremony space may have, for example, chairs, an aisle, and a ceremony arch already present. Meaning, all you need to do is add your personal touches. Or it could just be four blank walls.

Every ceremony venue is different, but there are some must-have checklist items everyone will need.

• Seating
• Tables for flowers, signs, and parts of the ceremony
• Columns or ceremony arch
• Candelabra or candles
• Wire stands for flowers
• Restrooms
• Sound equipment
• Heaters or fans – depending on the season

There will, of course, be religion-specific items that you’ll need on the day, such as a Chuppah or a Mandap, which your venue should certainly be able to help with.

Book An Officiant

For nonreligious ceremonies, having an officiant that understands your personalities, and can create a ceremony vibe that reflects your style is essential. Even if you just want a simple, no-fuss exchange of vows, it’s important to find someone who really gets what you want. And won’t spring any surprises!

If you do want an officiant who can create a more personal wedding ceremony. One that’s infused with real stories and anecdotes, then it can be challenging to find someone who gels with your personalities. Which is why it’s a good idea to meet officiants in person, and more than once if you like their vibe. That way, you can really get a feel for them, in a way that a computer screen cannot replicate.

Consider the Elements of Your Marriage Service

Do a little research into readings, vows, and traditions before progressing too far into the wedding ceremony checklist. Google famous declarations of love, get some guidance on forming vows from your officiant, and maybe seek ideas from creatively minded loved ones. You may find that one of them would actually like to perform a reading during your ceremony.

Prepare Ceremony Details

At this point in the wedding ceremony timeline, you should have mapped out where people are sitting, where you’ll be standing and all the major elements of your ceremony. Now’s the time to fill in the gaps! To find those little details that make a ceremony feel unique, and personal.

Alongside any physical things available to make or purchase for the ceremony, it’s also essential to think about the ambiance. The music, the lighting, and even the smells present during your ceremony. All of these elements will create the guest experience for your loved ones. Much more than any floral decoration, or fancy aisle runner ever could. Therefore, it’s important to get them right.

Speak with your venue in advance, request a run-through of how the lighting will be, and consider potentially hiring live musicians to perform if you don’t like the sound system in place.