So you've finally gotten engaged to your spouse-to-be. You're excited, in love, and suddenly under a lot of pressure. A wedding is a big deal, and you have to plan it.
Planning a wedding is a lot of work, even if you're working with professionals. You have to sort through thousands of wedding planning ideas, find all of your vendors, pick a venue, and so much more. You only have a limited time to work with!
We're here with a brief wedding planning checklist that can set you on the right track. Read on to learn more.
Determine Your Budget
Aside from your date, your budget is going to be the biggest determining factor when it comes to choosing everything else about your wedding. You have to start here.
Determine if you're paying for everything on your own or if you're getting help from family. There's nothing wrong with a small budget-friendly wedding if you're trying to save money. You can spend more on your future or on your honeymoon.
Remember that everything about weddings is going to be expensive. You have to plan meals, vendors, events, venues, transportation, and more. You can cut corners in some of these areas, but you're likely going to be spending thousands of dollars on photos and outfits alone.
Find the Perfect Venue
Once you know how much money you're able to spend on your wedding, it's time to pick a venue. You want to do this as early as possible. Desirable venues get booked quickly, and if you already have a firm date in mind, you need to lock in a venue up to a year ahead of time.
Determine your must-haves and your "would be nice to haves" You should, by this point, know roughly how many people you plan on inviting. Make sure that you pick a venue that can accommodate that many people.
Look for perks that go alongside certain venues. Some venues will come with their own vendors or even built-in wedding planners. These things might be able to help you save money and effort in the future.
Create a Guest List (and Send Out Save the Dates)
Once you know approximately where your wedding is going to be, you're going to send out "save the dates" to all of your potential guests. Many people who've never been to a wedding before forget this step.
Real invitations will come later. A "save the date" is like an invitation warning. It tells your future guests that you might not have all of the details nailed down yet, but you have a date and you want them to clear their calendars so they can attend your wedding.
This is especially important if you have guests that are going to have to travel to see you. They need ample time to take time off of work, find transportation, and find accommodations.
Create a Wedding Registry
Not everyone creates a wedding registry, but if you're anticipating gifts, it's a great way to guide your guests in the right direction.
Many online stores will allow you to create a registry right from their sites. The registry may even give you and your guests better prices on high-value items. Include a link to the registry in your invitations or on your Facebook event page.
Find Your High-Priority Vendors
Like venues, wedding vendors are in high demand. There are some that you'll have to choose almost a year ahead of time.
Caterers, photographers, entertainers, and videographers all book out months ahead of time. If you have a desirable wedding date, you need to contact them as early as possible. These vendors work all day long so they'll be clearing their entire day for your event.
Choose a Theme or Color Scheme
What do you want your wedding to look like?
Are you doing a casual wedding in a garden? Is this going to be a black-tie event with glitz and glamor? You need to make this decision early so you can start finding decorations and you can warn your guests about their future wedding attire.
Even if you don't have a "theme" in mind, try making a mood board on a site like Pinterest to create an "aesthetic." This will help you create a cohesive wedding even if you have no design experience.
Start Planning Invitations
You'll send out your official invitations anywhere between 3 months and 6 weeks before the actual event, but you want to start planning them now if you're having them professionally made.
Find a designer or a calligrapher for your invitations. Work together with them to create a mock-up that fits the "vibe" that you're going for. Remember, these people are artists, so you want to give them as much time as possible to do their work.
If you're not working with a professional, you could just make DIY invitations and create a FaceBook event, but this is less "fancy."
Start Shopping for the Dress
A wedding dress is one of the focal points of the wedding. Make sure that the bride (or brides) starts shopping and trying to choose a wedding dress months ahead of time.
When you buy a wedding dress, it's not going to be perfect off-the-rack. You're looking for something that fits your vision even if it doesn't yet fit your body. You choose a dress so early so that you can order one in your size and have it tailored to you.
It can take months to find the perfect dress. This is a one-time event, so don't quit until it's perfect. Give yourself plenty of time.
What About Other Wedding Party Attire?
So what about the groom or the rest of the wedding party?
Their clothes still matter, but it takes far less time to choose and alter them than it will the dress. That said, this is a good time to start looking.
Men's outfits for weddings are typically simple. Your goal is to find something flattering and in an appropriate color. You can wait until about three months before the wedding if you want.
Bridal party dresses are a bit trickier. It's currently popular for brides to give their bridesmaids a color and then let them choose their own dresses from a specific bridal shop.
This takes some of the pressure off of the bride and allows the bridesmaids to all pick gowns that appeal to them.
Find a Rehearsal Dinner Venue
If you plan on doing a rehearsal dinner, now's the time to find the venue (even if you're going to choose somewhere casual). Remember, most restaurants don't have the ability to take large parties on the spot. You need to make a reservation.
This is a low-stakes event and we recommend keeping it casual and affordable.
Book the Honeymoon
If you plan on going on a honeymoon after the wedding, you should book your trip about 6 months in advance so you can get a good price and get all of your "ducks in a row." You don't want to stress about it later on.
Make sure to give yourself a bit of wiggle room between the wedding and the honeymoon. Popular media often depicts couples going on their honeymoons the moment that the wedding is over, but this isn't realistic.
You'll want time to clean up and settle down after the wedding. Even an extra few days will make a big difference.
Find Your Perfect Cake
Ah, the cake. Another crucial focal point of the wedding.
We recommend having one large decorative cake as well as a simple sheet cake (or cupcakes) for the guests. This way, you won't run out of dessert and you can accommodate more people and palates.
Look for local cake bakers in your area. Go to as many tastings as possible. Many people think that wedding cakes are more for show than for the taste, but with a good baker, this isn't true.
It takes time for a baker to bake a perfect wedding cake. Doing this at least three months ahead of time is a good idea. You can continue communicating with the baker for future tastings or last-minute design changes.
Buy Wedding Bands
So there's likely already at least one engagement ring already in play, but what about wedding bands?
Wedding bands are simple rings and you'll likely get bands that match (or almost match). They're more affordable than most engagement rings, and you get to go shopping for them together.
Visit local jewelers to browse their rings. Pick a style that you can agree on and then send the rings to get sized. You want them to be perfect when the big day arrives.
Find Hair and Makeup Stylists
Unless you plan on DIYing your hair and makeup, you're going to need a stylist. Luckily, because stylists don't work all day, they'll be easier to find. You'll still need to book at least a month ahead of time (more if you're in a major city or if you're booking with a popular stylist).
Make sure that they can do your hair and makeup as well as the hair and makeup of the other members of your bridal party (if applicable).
Bonus: make sure that you find time to do a trial run before the wedding. This gives you and your stylists time to collaborate on a hair and makeup look that works for your vision.
Write Your Vows
Are you writing your own vows? It's a good idea to start about three months before the wedding. Even if you end up writing the "final" version the night before the wedding, you don't want to feel rushed!
Writing your own vows is unnecessary, but it is romantic. Here are a few tips to get you started.
Have a Dress Fitting
As the wedding day approaches, the memory of buying your dress is far off in the distance. Suddenly, your tailor calls you and says that it's time to try it on.
Maybe you've gained a few pounds since the original try-on day, or you've been working out to reach a "goal weight" for your wedding. Either way, it's almost certain that your body has changed.
Have a dress fitting about two months before the wedding. You want to make sure that you have enough time to make alterations but not enough time for your weight to significantly fluctuate again before the big day.
Nail Down Song Selections
This is where the fun starts to happen. You get to work together with your entertainers to create a song list for your wedding.
Make a list of songs that are special to you and your partner for the bigger events (like the first dance). Then, get creative. Consider allowing your wedding party to collaborate on a Spotify playlist to give to your entertainers.
Take Care of "Extras"
There are plenty of extra things that are crucial for every wedding but aren't high-priority.
First, are you passing out wedding favors? What's going to go into them?
Create a seating chart. Seating charts aren't necessary, but they're helpful when it comes to keeping people organized and ensuring that there are no disagreements on the big day.
Are there any "fun" things you want to do at the wedding, like a DIY photo booth or a game? Start planning that now (between one and two months ahead of time).
The Final Countdown
The week of the wedding is going to go by in a flash.
Make sure that you have a final fitting for all wedding attire. Pack your bags and confirm transportation for your honeymoon or the wedding itself.
Take this opportunity to get a massage, touch up your hair color, and maybe even have a full spa day to relax. Get a manicure and a pedicure (you deserve it!).
The night before the wedding, pack a little bag of wedding day essentials. This should include small snacks, bandages, a needle and thread, and a small first-aid kit. Remember, you don't want anything to disrupt your big day, so you should expect the unexpected.
Follow This Wedding Planning Checklist
Planning a wedding is no joke! This wedding planning checklist is only a portion of what you're going to need to do, but it should set you on the right track.
When in doubt, consider hiring a professional wedding planner. They can guide you through how to plan a wedding and take a lot of the responsibility off of your shoulders.
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