Wow. This is a huge topic. I keep telling myself I need to do a touring FAQ but it is a humbling prospect. There is so much to cover. Then again, if you keep it simple you'll be alright and have a good time. All the obsessive-compulsive stuff is there to get the last 20% of comfort and fun out of the experience.
So here are some random thoughts. Feel free to use what makes sense to you.
Firstly, spend time planning the trip, buy good maps or get Microsoft Streets & Trips. If time is short just get the maps since S&T has a steepish learning curve to use well.
Secondly, don't be afraid to throw all your plans out the window if they either aren't working, or something more interesting presents itself. A lot of the fun of touring is dealing with the unexpected pleasant surprises you get when you try something a little different.
Now you say you have a wedding to go to, so this means a hard arrival time. This can be both good and bad: you'll be tempted to 'plan' some hellacious days getting to the event and this will negate the advice above. You could probably do 719 miles in a couple of days but it would be a grind and you'd probably be stuck on a freeway the whole time. If you stretch that to 3 or 4 days then you leave yourself time to explore interesting side roads, linger in funky cafes and really soak up the experience instead of eating at a Subway in the gas station next to the freeway.
As far as equipment goes, pretty much most decent soft sided saddlebags will work well if you make sure they don't touch the exhaust (and melt) and are securely fastened to the frame. I use the RKA xPandable bags and the are fine. A tank bag is also quite useful for carrying your camera, shield wipe (wee willie!) and other miscellaneous crap you'll want to have handy. You can add a tailbag or duffel if you need more space, but that's probably overkill. (Or use a tailbag and no tankbag if the tankbag bothers you.)
The importance of good gear can't be over-stressed. If you're cold, wet, or chafed you're more likely to hate the experience and in the worst case get hypothermia and stack. Dress like it is 20 degrees colder than you think and you should be OK.
Here is my personal packing list. It is by no means comprehensive and doesn't cover camping. You can find lots of alternatives by typing "motorcycle touring packing list" into Google.
Clothes------------------------------
boot socks
underwear
jeans (2)
dress pants
jacket
t-shirts - synthetic
Polarfleece shirts
Travel shirt
Windbloc vest
Windbloc jacket
Windbloc pants
Kit bag / medications
Sneakers
Shorts/Swimsuit
Misc.---------------------------------
Reading & sunglasses
wallet
Cellphone, charger
Camera, cards, battery charger
Maps
Weather radio
Sunblock
Flashlight
Clothesline
Liquid detergent (Woolite)
Semi-synth oil
Riding Gear--------------------------
Helmet
Spare visor w/fog city shield
Neck-up
Darien jacket and pants
Riding boots
Reg. & waterproof gloves
Wee Willie
Earplugs
Bungee net
Cleaning rag
Tank bag and raincover
Saddle bags and raincovers
You may want to add a tux to that list.
Have fun!
