Wedding Checklist

He asked and you accepted. Congratulations!!

Every bride-to-be needs a great wedding checklist as they begin the wonderful journey of planning their dream wedding.

A beautifully planned wedding can be accomplished if you do your homework. My goal is to provide you with useful information and answers to your wedding planning questions and inspire you with creative and simple wedding ideas.

My wedding checklist will guide you every step of the way. My tips will help you create a wedding budget and help you stick to your budget, as you incorporate unique wedding details that will reflect both your styles and personalities.

Don't let the "long wedding checklist" below overwhelm you. Instead, pick and choose the items that pertain to your particular style and size of wedding. Follow my "wedding planning checklist" to stay organized, inspired, and stress free (well maybe not totally), but it will help.

Let's get started!

Wedding Checklist
9 - 12 Months before Wedding

- The brides parents should be the first to know about your engagement. Many grooms discuss the engagement with his parents. If he has not, the grooms family should be notified next.

- Many couples arrange a small get together for their parents, especially if they have never met.

- If one or both of you have children, it is important to let them know before anyone else.

- Discuss your budget with everyone who will be contributing to your wedding.

- Determine your wedding style, theme, colors and size.

- Select engagement ring and wedding bands with fiancé if he has not already done so.

- Schedule to have an engagement portrait done.

- Announce your engagement in the local newspapers.

- Decide on a wedding date (consider availability for ceremony sites when selecting your date.)

- Begin interviewing wedding planners, if you decide to use one.

- Compile guest names and addresses with input from both sets of parents and get a head count. Your guest list will affect all future decisions. Do not put this task off until the end. You will regret it!

- Begin visiting possible ceremony sites and book your site.

- Interview and book your wedding ceremony officiant. If you plan to have a church ceremony, schedule a meeting with church/clergy to receive religious ceremony instruction.

- Visit reception sites and reserve your site by signing a contract and providing a deposit.

- Select your bridal party attendants.

- Shop for your wedding gown, veil and headpiece.

Wedding Checklist
6 - 9 Months before Wedding

- Every good wedding checklist must include special pampering for the bride-to-be. We will call it "a pre-wedding beauty regimen" to improve your complexion, whiten teeth or work on your tan, get a massage, etc. This is a very special time in your life make time to relax and enjoy it!

Check out this easy to follow Bridal Beauty Regimen!

- Planning your wedding will require you to interview several caterers and hire one by signing a contract and providing a deposit.

- Put your wedding checklist down long enough to enroll in a bridal gift registry. This task should be done as a couple and should be fun!

Click here to get the most out of your Wedding Registry.

- Purchase your wedding gown (remember your gown may have to be ordered).

- Shop for and purchase your bridal attendant’s dresses (these may have to be ordered as well).

- Interview several floral designers and book one by signing a contract and providing a deposit. Set up a follow-up floral design meeting to discuss your specific wedding design requests.

Read guides & tips before you interview your wedding florist.

IMPORTANT NOTE:

It is essential that you read simple wedding guides and tips, before you set-up meetings with your potential wedding vendors.

This guide helps you deligate important wedding planning tasks to others. Wedding vendors will be working for you...don't be intimidated, let each vendor know that you are well informed and in control of your wedding planning.

Always listen to vendors suggestions and options. Most are very experienced and professional, they can help you enhance the vision of your wedding and possibly save you money.

- Interview several wedding photographers and videographers, book them and be sure that they provide you with a contract. Remember, both parties must sign the contract for it to be valid. When planning a wedding, consideration must be made for the type of music you would like for your ceremony, reception and dance. Always take into consideration that many guests will be celebrating with you and select music that everyone will enjoy. Interview and book your musicians, DJ, or band by signing a contract and providing a deposit.

- Begin researching where you would like to honeymoon.

Your wedding checklist is getting smaller! Yippy!

Wedding Checklist
4 - 6 Months before Wedding

Click Here To visit the Better Business Bureau site.

- Order wedding stationary, save-the-date cards, invitations, envelopes, thank you cards, place cards.

Response Card Tip: To avoid having your guests invite additional uninvited guests to your wedding, do not provide a line where guests can write in a number of their choice.

(Example) Number of Guests ___

Instead use the following text to avoid this problem:

Please reply by August 10th

2 seats reserved for

M__________________________

______Accept ______ Regrets

- Book a calligrapher or take a calligraphy class.

- Mail out save-the-date cards, especially if you are having a destination wedding or if you have selected a holiday weekend wedding date.

- Schedule meetings with several wedding cake bakers and schedule cake tastings. Book your baker by signing a contract and providing a deposit. Schedule a follow-up cake design meeting to go over your wedding cake design.

- Visit the Better Business Bureau website to check on your wedding vendor's company history, and assure that you are hiring reputable wedding vendors for your special day.

- Book your wedding day transportation by signing a contract and providing a deposit.

- Book your hairdresser and make-up artist for your wedding day.

- Help both mothers coordinate and select their wedding day attire. Grandparents may also need help.

- Research hotel accommodations and group rates for out-of-town guests.

- Finalize your guest list.

- Decide on a great honeymoon destination and begin making your travel and hotel reservations.

- Plan the rehearsal dinner.

Click Here To Start Planning the perfect Honeymoon!


Click Here For an easy to use Currency Converter
before you travel abroad.

Wedding Checklist
2 - 4 Months before Wedding

- Your wedding checklist must include contacting the County Clerk’s office to obtain information about marriage license requirements.

- Select tuxedos for groom and groomsmen and place your order. Ask attendants who live out of town to visit a tuxedo shop in their city to be properly fitted and send you their measurements.

- Meet with your caterer and/or banquet manager to discuss menu selections, service style, wine selections, etc.

- Meet with your wedding cake baker to go over final wedding cake requests, delivery, and payments.

- Make final selections for ceremony and reception music and provide your selections to your musicians.

- Purchase special thank-you gifts/favors for your wedding party attendants.

- Select and purchase wedding favors and welcome baskets for your guests.

- Meet with party rental companies, and reserve linens, tables, chairs, tents, etc. if necessary.

- Reserve a hotel room for your wedding night.

- Planning a wedding also includes obtaining group hotel rates for your out-of-town guests. Guests will appreciate receiving useful hotel information that will make their travel less stressful.

- Some couples may need to start looking for a place to live after the wedding.

Wedding Checklist
4 - 8 Weeks before Wedding

- Mail your wedding invitations 4 – 8 weeks prior to your wedding date.

- Finalize ceremony details with officiant. It is important to discuss your choice of readings and music if your wedding ceremony is to take place in a church or place of worship.

- Schedule an appointment with your hairdresser and make-up artist for a practice run. Be sure to bring your wedding veil and head piece to this appointment.

- Meet with caterer to make final menu choices.

- Send programs, menus and table cards to printer or calligrapher to be printed.

- Planning a wedding is not just about the wedding day. You will soon be a Mrs., and this means that you must inquire about insurance policy changes that will need to be made for you and your groom. Add names to joint checking account, credit cards, etc.

- Gather information from town/city clerk’s office to change your name if desired.

- If you and/or the groom will have to relocate to another city after the wedding, you may need to begin making arrangements to move your belongings.

This Moving Guide will provide all the help you need! Click Here

- Prepare your wedding announcement to be place in the local newspaper, if desired.

Take a break from your wedding checklist long enough to plan a fun spa party for your maid of honor and bridesmaids and let them know how much you appreciate their love and support during the planning of your wedding.

Wedding Checklist
2 - 4 Weeks before Wedding

Click Here For Easy to follow Wedding Seating Chart Guide

- Complete the seating arrangement for the reception.

- Contact all wedding vendors to confirm all details and set a time line for the wedding day.

- Schedule your final wedding dress fitting with shoes, headpiece, jewelry and lingerie. Your bridesmaid and flower girls should also schedule their final fittings as well.

- Compose your wedding vows, if desired.

- Provide biblical readings, blessings or poems to each person who will be responsible for each reading or speaking during your wedding ceremony.

- Remind members of your family or wedding party to write a toast to be read during the reception.

- Send escort cards and seating chart to the calligrapher or printer to fill in guests’ names and table numbers 1 – 2 weeks before the wedding.

- Planning your wedding can take up much of your time. The groom-to-be should also be assisting in the process. Thank him by purchasing a gift for him, if gifts are being exchanged.

- Plan your rehearsal and rehearsal dinner. Provide instructions to all attendants so that everyone is aware of their duties during the wedding day.

- Plan a bridesmaid’s luncheon. This is a great time to discuss your bachelorette party!

- No wedding checklist is complete unless you include planning your move, don't forget a change of address card to your local post office.

Wedding Checklist
1 Week before Wedding

- Arrange for your wedding dress to be picked up or delivered.

- Arrange for your grooms attire to be picked up or delivered.

- Organize all wedding day payments in envelopes. Designate someone to hold these and handle each payment on your wedding day.

- Provide the final head count to your caterer.

- A wedding checklist "must" is to schedule a final meeting with your florist and provide the final count of boutonnieres, corsages, bouquets needed for the wedding day. As a special touch you may want to present each mother with a single rose during your wedding ceremony or you can have flowers delivered to each parent’s house while you are on your honeymoon, as a way of expressing your appreciation and thanks for a wonderful wedding.

- Contact your wedding cake baker and confirm arrangements for delivery and set-up of cake at reception site, include time of delivery, name of person delivering cake and a contact phone number. Be sure to provide your baker with a name of the person who they will speak to at the delivery site for special instructions regarding your cake table set-up.

- Your wedding plan should include special responsible persons you will designate to transport your unity candles, and other keepsakes to and from the church on your wedding day.

- Designate someone to transport cake knife, toasting glasses or other wedding keepsakes to and from reception site.

- Meet with your photographer/videographer and provide them with a photography check list of portraits you will want him to take, along with the names of the people in each portrait.

- Designate someone to assist your wedding photographer during the formal portrait session. Provide a copy of your photography check list to the person you have designated to assist the photographer. This person will be responsible for gathering the persons on your list while the photographer begins the photo session. Select someone who is familiar with your family.

- Designate someone to bring all wedding gifts from wedding site to your home after the wedding.

- Get final beauty treatments (facial, waxing, brow shaping, manicures, etc.) of your choice.

- Prepare an emergency kit to keep with you on your wedding day. Include items like safety pins, scissors, needle and thread, lint brush, nail polish, white chalk (works great to cover up any small stains you may get on your wedding dress), small steam iron, etc.

- If flying, be sure to pick-up your honeymoon tickets.

- Pack for your honeymoon. Designate someone to pick you up at your hotel, bring you your honeymoon luggage and drive you to the airport. Day before wedding

- Pack special lunch bags for you and your bridesmaids and be sure to include bottled water, cheese and crackers, mints, aspirin, etc. These snacks will assure that you feel your best during the hours between the ceremony, photo session, etc.

- Organize all your wedding attire, shoes, jewelry, handkerchief, make-up, etc. so that you don’t forget any important items on your wedding day.

- Attend rehearsal and rehearsal dinner and enjoy yourself.

- Avoid alcohol and caffeine to avoid puffiness. Go to bed early and try to get a good night’s sleep.

On your wedding day

- Be sure to eat a good breakfast, even if you are not hungry you can still eat a light breakfast.

- Drink plenty of water throughout the entire day.

- Allow plenty of time to get dressed and to travel to your wedding location.

- Give the best man and maid of honor the wedding rings.

- Be sure to have the officiant’s fee ready.

- Don’t forget your marriage license.

- Lastly, put your wedding checklist away and stop planning and start enjoying your wedding day!

- Remember to thank your parents before leaving your wedding reception.

Congratulations & Best Wishes on Becoming a Mrs.!

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