The week before your wedding is both the most exciting and the most overwhelming stretch of the entire engagement. You’ve been planning for months — possibly over a year — and suddenly everything is about to happen. The to-do list feels endless. The emotions are high. And the temptation to keep adding tasks is real.
This checklist covers the things that genuinely matter in the final 7 days, organized by when to do them. Print it, put it in your Notes app, or send it to your maid of honor. Just don’t try to do all of it on the same day.
7 Days Out
✅ Do a full dress run-through
Put on the entire outfit — dress, shoes, undergarments, veil, jewelry — and walk around in it for at least 20 minutes. This is your last chance to catch anything that needs adjustment before the wedding day. If the shoes pinch, you still have time to break them in or buy backups. If the bustle isn’t sitting right, your seamstress can fix it. If the veil keeps slipping, your stylist can plan a solution. Don’t discover these things while guests are arriving.
✅ Confirm all vendors
Email or call every vendor: photographer, florist, caterer, DJ or band, hair and makeup, transportation, cake, officiant. Confirm arrival time, location, and any outstanding questions. If you have a day-of coordinator, this is their job — hand it off. If you don’t, block 2 hours on Tuesday to work through the list. You don’t want to discover a miscommunication on Thursday.
✅ Finalize your guest count with the venue and caterer
Most caterers require a final headcount 5–7 days before the wedding. If you have late RSVPs or no-shows, give the most accurate number you have. Your caterer and venue will make the final adjustments on their end. Let them know about any dietary restrictions or allergy needs if you haven’t already.
✅ Prepare payments and gratuities
Most vendors are paid in full before or on the wedding day. Review your contracts, confirm what’s owed, and prepare any final payments. Cash gratuities should be in labeled envelopes, given to your coordinator or a trusted person to distribute. Typical gratuity ranges: photographer $100–$200, coordinator $50–$150, catering staff 15–20% if not included, DJ/band $50–$150, hair/makeup 15–20%.
5 Days Out
✅ Pack your bags
Pack your honeymoon luggage, your getting-ready bag, and your overnight bag if you’re staying somewhere the night before the wedding — all separately. Doing this early means you discover missing items while stores are still convenient. Do not pack the night before your wedding.
Getting-ready bag essentials: touch-up makeup, lip color, hairspray, pain reliever, antacids, clear nail polish (for runs or chips), phone charger, and your wedding day emergency kit (see below).
✅ Build your wedding day emergency kit
A small bag or pouch with: safety pins, bobby pins, fashion tape, Tide-to-Go pen, clear lip gloss, pain reliever, antacids, bandages, blister cushions, breath mints, dental floss, a needle and white thread, deodorant, and extra earring backs. Add anything specific to your situation. Give this bag to your maid of honor — not your mother, who will be busy with other things.
✅ Give your shot list and family formal list to your photographer
If you have specific must-have photos or a family formal grouping list, your photographer needs this no later than 5 days before. Last-minute additions on the wedding day create chaos. See our guide to family formal photos for what a solid list looks like.
3 Days Out
✅ Pick up your marriage license
If you applied for your South Carolina marriage license earlier this week (remember the 24-hour waiting period), pick it up now. Give it to your officiant or coordinator — not someone who might forget it at home. For full details on the SC license process, see our complete SC marriage license guide.
✅ Break in your shoes
Wear your wedding shoes around the house for 30–60 minutes each day this week. If they need cushioning, add it now. If they’re causing issues, get backup flats or sandals for the reception. Do not wear brand-new, un-broken-in shoes for 8+ hours.
✅ Get your ring cleaned
Your photographer will take close-up detail shots of your engagement ring — soak it in warm water with a drop of dish soap, gently scrub with a soft toothbrush, and let it dry. Takes 5 minutes and makes a real difference in photos.
✅ Delegate your day-of logistics
Assign specific people to specific jobs: who distributes vendor envelopes, who holds the marriage license, who collects bridesmaid bouquets for repurposing at reception, who cues the DJ for the grand entrance. Write these down and share them. Don’t keep any of these tasks for yourself.
1–2 Days Out
✅ Attend your rehearsal (and actually pay attention)
Your rehearsal exists so the wedding party knows where to stand, how fast to walk, what the cue is, and where to exit. Be present for it. Make sure everyone knows the processional order and pace, where they’ll stand during the ceremony, and what happens immediately after the recessional.
✅ Eat a real meal at the rehearsal dinner
Your last full, relaxed meal before the wedding. Don’t skip it. Tomorrow you’ll be too excited to eat much, and the day after that you’ll be surviving on adrenaline and wedding cake.
✅ Set out everything you need for the next morning
Dress in its garment bag. Shoes. Accessories. Getting-ready bag. Phone charger. Whatever you’re wearing to travel to the venue. Do this the night before so your morning is calm, not frantic.
✅ Get to bed at a reasonable hour
You won’t sleep perfectly the night before your wedding — almost no one does. But attempting to sleep at 11pm is better than staying up until 2am convinced there’s something else to do. There isn’t. Everything is handled. Rest.
Morning Of
✅ Eat breakfast
Not optional. Low blood sugar plus high adrenaline plus hours on your feet equals a very bad combination by portrait time. Eat something with protein. Make sure your partner does too.
✅ Stay off social media until after the ceremony
There’s nothing on your phone that needs your attention before you walk down the aisle. Be present with the people in the room.
✅ Have someone else handle anything that goes wrong
Something will be slightly off on your wedding day. That is guaranteed. It is also completely fine. Your coordinator handles it. Your maid of honor handles it. Your mom handles it. You do not handle it. You get ready, you get married, you celebrate. That’s your job today.
Wedding Week Mindset
The goal of this week isn’t to finish everything — it’s to hand everything off so you have nothing left to manage on the day itself. By the time you wake up on your wedding morning, every decision should already be made, every vendor confirmed, every payment handled. All that’s left is to show up and get married.
For more on building a day-of timeline that protects your experience, see our wedding reception planning guide and our post on choosing the right ceremony time for photos.
Related: 10 Common Wedding Regrets to Avoid | Tips for Reducing Wedding Day Stress | Planner vs. Coordinator: Which Do You Need?
We photograph weddings across South Carolina and love helping couples feel calm and prepared on their big day. See our SC wedding photography services.
