Planning: The Essential Wedding Ceremony Checklist

Your wedding ceremony is probably the shortest, and least expensive, element of your day. So while it might be really important to you, for many couples, it ends up falling down the list of priorities after things like food, style or entertainment. We want to make it easier for you to give your ceremony the thought and attention it deserves! We’ve already put together a step-by-step guide to making a ceremony structure, and today, we’ve compiled an essential wedding ceremony checklist to make sure your vows are beautiful, memorable, and go off without a hitch!

Essential Wedding Ceremony Checklist

As with all of our wedding planning checklists, what you need for your wedding ceremony will differ depending on the kind of vows you have. A Catholic wedding, will differ from a humanist outdoor ceremony, and registry office ‘I dos’ may require a lot less detail than a self-plan ceremony. Your celebrant, ceremony style and setting will help you work out what applies to you!

The Logistics

• A ceremony venue
• A celebrant
• A marriage license (and a pen!)
• A ceremony structure
• An entrance order for the wedding party (don’t leave this to chance!)
• Ushers to help seat guests
• Vows
• Wedding rings (and box, cushion or tray)
• Any cards or payments for celebrant and musicians
• Transport for the wedding party
• An exit plan (are you doing a receiving line, where will you have a confetti toss, etc)
• A Plan B if having an outdoor ceremony

The Venue

• Parking
• Chairs for guests
• Chairs for the bride and groom
• A table (or altar) for the celebrant
• Space for an aisle (wide enough to fit two or three people, and a big dress, if required)
• Electricity sources and WiFi if streaming
• Heating/fans/umbrellas as required
• Water if it’s warm and outside

The Readings

• Ceremony readings (normally two) printed
• Church readings and prayers (a religious celebrant will be able to go over this with you)
• People to read
• A step for any child readers
• A podium and/or microphone

The Music

• Musicians
• Microphones/amps/a PA system
• Someone to play any pre-recorded music
• A processional song for the wedding party (if required)
• A processional song for the bride (if required)
• A recessional song for the couple
• Music for signing the registry
• Additional music choices

The Decor & Details

• Ceremony programs (and someone to distribute them)
• Flowers – entrance flowers, altar flowers, pew ends
• Ceremony backdrop
• Welcome sign
• Baskets, petals, or signs for flower girls and page boys
• Tissues
• Confetti (and someone to coordinate the toss)
• Candles (including a unity candle, if required, and matches/a lighter)
• Ceremony ritual symbols (hand-fasting ribbon, sand, tree planting, gifts for a church ceremony etc)
• Any drinks or snacks for post-ceremony celebrations!

Get more handy wedding planning checklists! 

Listen to our podcast episode about how to make your ceremony unique

Feature image: This Modern Love via One Fab Day