So, you said yes to a wedding proposal. Congratulations! Now your biggest question is “now what?” You feel like there are hundreds of items that should be on your wedding plan checklist before you can finally say “I do” on your wedding day, right? Take a deep breath, girl. We got you covered in this Ultimate Checklist!
Before you start overwhelming yourself with all the #weddinginspo from Pinterest boards, Instagram, or Google, take a step back, sit with your partner and ask yourselves the most important question that boils down to your goal: “what is our mission in this wedding?”
The moment you answer that question truthfully, then you can align all the details of your wedding according to what you want.
Where to start? How to plan? What do I do first? When should I start planning? Do I need a wedding planner? What is the timeline for all these?
So, here’s our Ultimate Timeline and Guide to Planning your Wedding.
9 - 12 Months To Go...
Budget
Sit down with your partner and decide on the budget for your entire wedding and stick to it. These are the first and non-negotiable steps in planning a wedding.
Setting the budget will allow you to decide on the details of the wedding. Make a spreadsheet and adjust the numbers that will fit your budget. Along with the budget, you can decide whether you can afford to hire a wedding planner or organise it by yourself.
Date and Venue
Now that you have set the budget, it’s time to set the date and find the venue. Your venue will affect almost every aspect of the reception i.e., the number of guests, table setting, theme, and even the flowers that you will put on the tables.
Guest list
Let your budget be your guide in deciding the number of people you want to be in your wedding. Ask your families for a rough list of who they want to share your celebration with, but don’t make promises. Again, prioritise who you want on your big day according to your budget. You wouldn’t want to go overboard your limits just because someone really wants your great-uncle’s third cousin to come. Otherwise, they can throw in extra cash per head.
Theme
Deciding the vibe of the wedding is not just your decision, but a team effort. So, take time to converse with your partner about this. Before you get caught up with all the wedding inspo that you saw in Pinterest, ask yourselves the following questions: What is important to me and why? What do I value? What do I like and what do I dislike at weddings?
When you have set those boundaries, then you can really decide on a wedding party that you both will enjoy.
Get a marriage license
Visit your municipality for the requirements. This varies slightly between states and municipalities. Common identification is required i.e., birth certificate, passport, and other government IDs. So, go ahead and make an appointment in advance.
Vendors
Outsourcing vendors will depend on whether the venue can take care of some of these services, but ideally, you should hire the following:
Catering service
Photographer
Videographer
DJ, singer, or band
Florist
Cake designer
Remember to make your budget spreadsheet as your guide in deciding which elements of the wedding you want to splurge on. It is important to read reviews and recommendations, especially the contract before deciding. Book as soon as possible because these vendors might have wedding bookings a year in advance.
Hair and Makeup
This is a very important decision to make because you would want a stylist that has already provided you with excellent service and ask for a look that has made you feel like the most beautiful woman on Earth. If you want to try someone new, you can book a hair and makeup trial in advance.
Choose only the best make-up artist. You can check out the wedding portfolio of various makeup artists and browse through what inspo you like most.
To guide you in choosing only the best on your wedding day, here are the necessary tips you shouldn’t miss:
5 - 9 months out
Wedding ring
Pick out a wedding ring that you and your partner are both happy wearing in a daily basis. Usually, couples pick matching rings, but if you have a different style preference, don’t fret about it. As long as you both are happy with your choices.
Wedding Site/Online Registry
Wedding websites nowadays have become the most efficient way to share all your wedding details in one place. There are numerous wedding website templates that you can find online.
On your website, you should include
your love story including photos of you together
date and venue of your wedding
map to the location of the venue
sites and attractions around the venue
transportation and hotel booking
you can include the link to your online wedding registry
contact information
Wedding dress
Whether you select a dress online or in person, the experience can dredge up some deep- or shallow-seated body-image issues. Licensed professional counselor Kate Sutton suggests reading Health At Every Size by Linda Bacon before shopping, as well as only trying on dresses with people who can make the experience a positive one. At no point should you be “shredding or shedding for the wedding.” A wedding body is a human body, and if anyone around you seems to disagree, that’s one less person you need to invite.
Also, pick out your wedding shoes. Make sure that you are comfortable wearing it. A quick tip: Try slipping into your shoes at home for increments of 30 minutes the week before your wedding to ensure that they have been lightly worn to offer greater ease of movement.
Send out invitations
If you opt for paper invitations, make sure that you know the exact addresses of your guests and include RSVP cards with stamped and addressed envelopes.
On the like manner, if you opt for online invitations, it will be faster, easier, and more efficient. The guests can RSVP immediately and you will complete your guest lists in no time.
There are available online tools that are readily available for your customisation. You can even include the link to your wedding site in email invitations!
3 - 5 Months To Go...
Bridal and groom’s party attire
Choose a color that complements your theme. Whether you prefer that all bridesmaids wear the same dress or a variation for every person is all up to you, the bride. But if you choose the former, you can ask them to vote for the few options that you provided.
It is also a good idea to coordinate the colours for both your groomsmen and bridesmaids. Your aesthetic is your limit! Be creative and fun!
Marriage Celebrant
It is important to meet with your celebrant and organise together a rehearsal ceremony so you make sure he or she gets right the tone you want for your ceremony. Also, ask if you can exchange your personal vows during the ceremony.
Wedding reception
Plan and meet with the host, the band and the DJ on the flow of the party and your desired playlist. It is your wedding after all! The music played from you wedding ceremony until the reception will set the tone and ambiance of both events. Soft music during dinner and upbeat music on the dancing part.
2 – 3 Months To Go…
Seating arrangements
You need to draft seating arrangements once the guests begin to RSVP. You will need to know how many people can be seated together at one table. Ideally, you would want to make sure all your guests are comfortable where they are seated. So, you consider seating family members with other family members that know each other or a group of friends who are in similar walks of life.
Hotel rooms for out-of-town guests
For guests who are coming in from out-of-town, make sure that they have a place to stay for a discounted rate. Thus, booking a hotel room block is ideal. It is best to overestimate the number of rooms to reserve or you can book various nearby hotels at different price points for more options.
1 Month To Go...
Go over all the steps in your checklist and see if there are any concerns that need your attention or some last-minute things.
Budget
Date and Venue
Guestlist
Theme
Get a marriage license
Vendors
Hair and Makeup
Wedding ring
Wedding Site/Online Registry
Wedding dress
Send out invitations
Bridal and groom’s party attire
Marriage Celebrant
Wedding reception
Seating arrangements
Hotel rooms for out-of-town guests
One week before your wedding is all about pampering yourself and making sure that you give your skin a natural glow by trying to sleep enough and taking Vitamin E. Have a day at the spa, manicure and pedicure session, facial, and go have that milk bath for a soft glowing skin!
Do you know what’s the secret to a wedding day that runs smoothly? It is planning ahead. It is a lot of work to keep track of everything for the big day. However, if you remind yourself that this wedding is not just a bunch of checklists that you have to tick off, but rather a celebration of your unity with your partner in love and marriage, then you can make wedding planning a breeze.
You can rock this wedding planning love, all the best!
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