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Wedding checklist: 4-5 months before

Four to five months out, the details of the day start to firm up: what's served, what's worn, roughly when each part of the reception happens, and what the officiant will say. Invitations are ordered now so they can go out two months before.

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The 7 tasks for 4-5 months before

  1. Finalize wedding cake design

    Settle the flavors, size and look with the baker.

  2. Choose groom's attire

    Buy or order the groom's suit, leaving time for tailoring.

  3. Plan reception timeline

    Sketch the reception's order: entrances, meal, speeches, first dance, cake.

  4. Book hair/makeup trials

    Try the look out before the day, ideally near an event you're dressing up for.

  5. Confirm officiant & script

    Go through the ceremony wording with your officiant.

  6. Arrange childcare or pet care

    Book someone for the kids or pets for the wedding day and the trip.

  7. Order invitations & envelopes

    Order them now; printing and addressing take longer than expected.

These are the tasks in the “4-5 months before” group of the free wedding checklist. Put in your wedding date there and each one gets its own due date, with anything already late marked overdue.

What should already be done

This stage leans on these. If one is still open, do it first.

And the rest of the earlier groups: 12+ months before, 10-11 months before, 8-9 months before, 6-7 months before. Anything left over can still be caught up.

Questions

What should I do 4 to 5 months before the wedding?
The checklist has 7 tasks for this stage: finalize wedding cake design, choose groom's attire, plan reception timeline, book hair/makeup trials, confirm officiant & script, arrange childcare or pet care and order invitations & envelopes.
What should already be done by 4 months out?
The tasks this stage depends on: choose wedding date, book ceremony & venue, book entertainment, decide theme & style, finalize guest list, choose bakery & tasting, reserve hair & makeup, begin designing invitations and plan ceremony details. Anything else left from earlier groups can still be caught up.
When should wedding invitations be ordered?
Order them 4 to 5 months out. Printing, addressing and postage take longer than most couples expect, and invitations usually go in the mail 6 to 8 weeks before the wedding.