Couples seek help with their Wedding Checklist

With the average 2025 wedding costing £20,822, it's understandable that couples are feeling the pressure to ensure their special day runs smoothly. Wedding costs have more than doubled since the pandemic and with higher budgets often comes increased planning and the need for checklists.

Last year "wedding checklist" received 6,600 average monthly searches online as UK couples turned to Google for guidance, to make sure nothing was missed. As your 2025 wedding day approaches and the big elements are secured, from venue and dress to guest list, there will still be a number of important details to manage in those final weeks.

This last-minute wedding checklist guide, from wedding umbrellas provider: Fulton Umbrellas, will help you stay calm, confident and ready to enjoy your celebration, come rain or shine.

Weather-Proof Your Wedding Day

Our British weather is unpredictable so even summer weddings can’t escape the rain. Last year across the UK, online searches for "rainy wedding day" peaked during the summer months with July receiving 1,050 searches and August gathering up 1,030 for the month. And whilst you can't control the weather, you can prepare to embrace it and make sure it doesn’t spoil your day.

In the lead up to your ceremony, keep an eye on the forecast but always have a backup plan for a wet or showery day. For example, you could discuss a weather-proof updo with your stylist so that you have another option, if wet weather shows up. It could also be worthwhile investing in several large, matching umbrellas for the wedding party, meaning everyone can move between cars, church and venue, staying dry and glamorous.

When it comes to wedding photos, rainy day photography can be surprisingly magical. Your photographer is likely to be experienced at taking pictures in the rain so have a chat in advance, about capturing romantic shots under an umbrella or making the most of a rainbow, if you're lucky enough to see one.

Prepare Thoughtful Gifts

Take time to seek out and wrap gifts for your bridal party, well before the day of your wedding. Online searches indicate that last year’s most sought-after bridal party gift ideas were for bridesmaids and mothers of the bride. A monthly average of 18,100 online queries were made for “bridesmaid gifts” and 8,100 for “mothers of the bride gifts”.

Choosing meaningful gifts is something you want to take some time to consider. For your bridesmaids, personalised jewellery they can wear on the day could make a lovely lasting memento and token of your appreciation. For the mother of the bride, the likes a carefully selected picture frame could make a perfect gift, ideal for a wedding picture once they’re printed and something to be treasured forever.

Share Your Timeline with Your Wedding Party

With "wedding day timeline" receiving 880 average monthly searches online over the last year, UK couples have been seeking help to create one, to keep their wedding day on track.

By creating and distributing a clear schedule with your bridal party and venue coordinator, you can ensure everyone is on the same page, helping the day’s festivities run as smoothly and timely as possible.

Making and sharing a contact list of phone numbers for everyone in the wedding party is a small task worth doing. Encouraging easy communication throughout the day can help minimise stress and solve issues quickly.

Brief Your Wedding Party

You will need plenty of help on the day so it’s important to gather a strong team together, to delegate your wedding day duties. Communicating all the duties clearly will help everything run as seamlessly as possible. For example, you could ask bridesmaids to organise name tags for the wedding favours, ushers to direct guests at the church or the mother of the bride to coordinate with suppliers whilst setting up at the venue.

It’s a really good idea to schedule a final briefing session the day before the wedding, where you can walk through the day's timeline and answer any questions. This will help prevent confusion, ensuring nothing is forgotten, allowing your closest friends and family members to help you enjoy your day.

Finalise Your Finances

As your special day draws closer, the last thing you want is suppliers chasing for payments. Minimise your stress levels by making all final payments to caterers, venues and other suppliers at least a week before the big day. Completing all financial obligations will help you feel accomplished and more relaxed as you approach your wedding day.

Whilst it might be challenging, aim to stick to your budget, right through to the very end. Even in those final days, when emotions are running high, be wary of agreeing to additional costs that could push you over budget.

Get Honeymoon-Ready

If you're jetting off immediately after your wedding, double-check all honeymoon logistics. Make the effort to call your airline and hotel to confirm bookings and expected arrival times.

You’ll want to save time and stress after the celebration so take time to pack your honeymoon bags well in advance, including your passport. Also do things like checking-in online for flights and print out boarding passes, for extra peace of mind.

One thing to remember when heading off to their airport, post wedding celebrations, is that there are some items that aren’t suitable to bring in your hand luggage. If you want to bring a corkscrew, for enjoying a bottle of your wedding wine while your away, this will need to be packed in your hold luggage along with any bottles of wine. Also, any larger ‘golf-style’ umbrellas should be added into your hold luggage too, mostly because of space constraints and the potential for accidents.

Prepare Your Wedding Day Emergency Kit

Don’t forget to pack yourself an overnight bag and emergency kit, containing everything you might need for touch-ups and potential mishaps. This might include items such as makeup essentials, fabric tape, stain removal pen, hairspray, deodorant, tissues, plasters, snacks, and a comfortable set of clothes to change into.

New wedding shoes? If so, don't forget to practice wearing your shoes beforehand to help avoid discomfort on the day. Consider adding sole grip pads or heel protectors. After all, nobody wants blisters when there's dancing to be done!

Plan Your Post-Wedding Clean-Up

Whilst it might be the last thing on your mind, once your wedding day is over there will be clearing up to do. Think ahead and put a plan in place for how decorations and gifts will be removed from the venue. There’s no need to try to do it all yourself. Why not nominate a reliable friend or family member to take on this task, especially if you're heading off on honeymoon straightaway?

By carefully planning and ticking off these final tasks ahead of your wedding day, you can allow yourself to relax more and focus on celebrating with family and friends.