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Wedding
Planning Schedule
Using
the wedding planning schedule:
We have not put
fixed time frames on these, as everyone has a different schedule. Print
our PDF and put the pages together
to fit your wedding schedule, with the correct tasks filed with the month when YOU will do
them.
ASAP (6-24 months before
wedding)
1) Tell close family and friends about your
engagement!
2) Set the Wedding Date!!
-
If you must have a specific
location for your ceremony and/or reception, line this up as soon
as possible, before you finalize your date. Some dates may fill up
two years in advance, and many venues are almost fully booked 9-12 months in
advance. If you are not flexible on location, you may need to be
flexible on date and/or time. So call your church, synagogue or the reception
location you need before you set the date.
-
If you are open to other locations, go ahead and
set the date without booking the venue. Unless time is extremely
short, you will be able to find something.
-
If time and/or money are extremely short, consider a
weekday wedding. You will have more options for locations, and the
cost will be much lower.
3) Decide if you need to send a Save the Date card
or otherwise notify guests in advance of the invitations.
-
If your date is finalized 9 months or more in
advance of the date, if your date falls near a major holiday, if many
guests live far away and will have to make travel arrangements, or you just
want to make sure EVERYONE POSSIBLE will be able to attend, it is a good
idea to use some kind of Save the Date announcement as soon as your date is
fixed.
-
Your Save the Date card can double as an
engagement announcement to those who do not yet know your big news.
-
You do not have to send a Save the Date to all of your
guests; after all, you haven't even made up the guest list yet!
They should go to close friends and family and others who might need extra
notice of the big day, to help ensure they keep
the date free and can make it.
-
You MUST make sure everyone who gets a Save the
Date card also gets a wedding invitation!
-
A Save the Date can be regular imprinted
cards, magnets, bookmarks or preprinted phone cards. Or use email if
your prospective guests are online! Magnets and cards with stickers
are very handy as the recipients can post them where they will not forget!
-
You can find a great selection of
Save the Date cards at Antonia Rose Printing!
After the earlier tasks (6-24
months before wedding)
1) Figure out your wedding budget. (Use our
Budget Worksheet for help.)
-
DON'T SKIP THIS STEP! If you don't
plan your budget with care, you may end up starting your marriage deeply in
debt or having a beautiful ceremony but no food for your guests.
Whatever your budget, you can have a lovely and
memorable celebration, but your budget must be kept in mind at all times.
2) Reserve your wedding ceremony and
reception locations for date and time, if you have not yet done so.
(See our Location ideas for help
finding locations.)
3) If you need to, set up wedding preparation classes through
your clergy or other source.
-
Often this is a requirement of your church or
synagogue. Even if it is not, it is a good idea!
-
The more you discuss key issues, the smoother
things will go as you plan your wedding and then start your married life.
Many couples are more open to these kinds of discussions during their
engagement than they might be later on.
-
Check out our
When Couples Talk
article for more on this topic.
4) Create a notebook or folder with pockets to
keep all of your wedding-related papers organized.
-
Even if you use wedding planning software or
an online planner, you will have many papers, business cards, and so on.
-
You can download our planner as a PDF and
then print it; we include calendars and checklists for you. Put it
all in a three-ring binder with pockets and you are set!
After the above (6-18
months before wedding)
1) Decide with your fiancé and family what kind of wedding you want.
Fill in our Overview Worksheet to keep track of
essentials along the way.
-
You have already done some of this in
determining your budget and locations. Now spend some time going into
more detail on every item.
-
Determine the colors you want to use for your
ceremony and reception. Decide on the level of
formality and the number of attendants.
-
Would you like a theme wedding? Western,
beach/tropical and fairytale theme weddings are becoming more popular, both
for destination weddings and for "regular" weddings.
-
What is most important to you about your
big day? Make sure those items do not get lost in the shuffle.
-
Choices you make now will help you decide later about your decorations, flowers, music, dresses, etc.
2) Ask your wedding attendants to participate.
3) Find and book your caterer, if not
included with your reception venue. (See our
Caterer
Checklist.)
4) Choose a florist. (See our
Florist Checklist.)
5) Choose a photographer. (See
our Photographer Checklist.)
6) Choose and book a DJ and/or musicians for
your reception. (See our
Music Checklist.)
7) Locate and book musicians for your
ceremony. Your clergy and/or church music director may be able to
assist you if you need help here.
8) Buy your wedding dress!
-
Whether you buy a dress from the rack or
order one from a sample, every bride will look better if the dress
is custom-fitted. Find a seamstress to
adjust it so it fits you perfectly and looks just the way you want it. This is generally
not expensive, depending on the extent of the alterations, and it can
make a huge difference in your appearance and comfort on your wedding day.
-
If you are ordering your dress, make sure it will come in at least two months before your wedding,
so there is time to deal with any problems. If you do not have this
much time, consider having a dress made or buying one off the rack.
Ordered dresses have been known to come in months late, so DO NOT consider
this option if time is short.
-
Don't forget about your accessories:
veil/headpiece, shoes, lingerie that works with the dress, a garter, jewelry and so
on.
4-6 months before your
wedding
 1) Choose bridesmaids' dresses.
-
The style and color possibilities are endless, based on your
taste and their budgets.
-
Don't forget bridesmaids' accessories also.
-
Allow plenty of time to get them in
and fitted to your bridesmaids.
-
Be considerate of your bridesmaids' figures
when choosing dresses. It is easy to get carried away by styles and
colors YOU love, but you want the whole tableau to be lovely. Putting
your friends and family members in dresses that are not flattering will not
make for a lovely picture or happy attendants.
2) Order wedding invitations, response cards,
menu and place cards, thank-you cards and personalized stationery with your new names and
addresses.
-
Make sure to order a few more invitations
than you expect to need, due to mistakes in addressing and last-minute guest
list changes.
-
The Etiquette:
Invitations guide will help you with your invitation process.
3) Locate and book a site for the rehearsal dinner.
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The wedding party and immediate families of
the bride and groom are invited to this, along with the officiant.
-
Sometimes out of town guests are also
invited.
-
It is best to get a private room for this
event, as there will be a lot of celebrating and toasting.
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This dinner is generally the day of the
rehearsal, which is the day before the wedding.
4) Plan and book your honeymoon! Even
if your budget is tight, try to get away for at least a few days to
decompress and enjoy each other before "real life" takes over.
5) Buy your wedding rings; make sure they fit
properly. Many couples choose to have a special sentiment or the date
engraved on the insides of their rings.
6) Make the men's formalwear arrangements.
-
The groom, best man, groomsmen and sometimes
ushers generally wear tuxedos or suits.
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Even if your groom says no way to a tux, if
you want him to wear one, talk him into trying one on. Men look
wonderful in them and can often be convinced to wear one once they see how
sharp they look!
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Arrange for a fitting before the big day,
preferably several days before.
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Don't forget about shoes AND socks!
 7) Order your
wedding cake.
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Be specific about who will deliver it and
where, who will set it up, who will decorate it and so on.
-
Be specific about whether you will take the
top home, whether you want a flat cake to cut as well as the traditional
tiered cake, and so on. Your baker should be able to go over all of
this with you. If not, find another vendor!
8) Book transportation for the wedding day,
if needed. Limousines make transporting the wedding party easier and
less stressful for everyone, if your budget allows for them. Be sure
to allow a little extra time in your contract, as weddings can run late and
you don't want to have to come up with extra money on the spot.
9) Book a block of hotel rooms for
out-of-town guests, if needed.
10) Determine how you will decorate the
ceremony location. (See our decorating tips.)
-
Many churches have plants, candlesticks and
other items they will let you use; find out what might be in storage!
-
Consider items like aisle runners, pew bows
or flowers, altar flowers, a unity candle, and so on. Order or
purchase what you need and determine who will decorate and when.
-
You can often move flowers from the ceremony
to the reception, which helps with your budget.
11) Determine how you will decorate the
reception location. (See our decorating tips.)
-
Some locations will have decorations you can
use; talk to your contact there about the logistics of decorating.
-
Consider a guest book, engraved cake serving
set, vases or candles for guest tables, cake table and the head table,
toasting glasses, colored and/or imprinted napkins and so on. Order or
purchase what you need, and determine who will decorate and when.
-
Clips are available which allow you display
your wedding bouquets on tables; this is another budget helper.
12) Select and order favors for your guests.
-
While not required, favors for each guest are
a traditional way of thanking them for celebrating with you.
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Favor options are almost endless; see our
favor tips sheet for ideas.
2-3 months before the
wedding
1) Finalize your guest list, then address and
assemble your
invitations.
2) Contact your caterer, reception
location, officiant, photographer and musicians to confirm your wants and
needs.
-
Finalize your music choices for the ceremony
and reception.
-
Finalize your vows, readings and the order of
the ceremony. Get copies of readings to anyone who will need them so
they can practice in advance. Ask them to practice in advance!
-
Finalize your menu and beverage arrangements.
3) Register for wedding gifts at one or more
stores. See our Registry Tips.
-
Many stores have online registries as well,
which is handy for guests.
-
Spread the news about where you are
registered through the grapevine, NOT on your invitations.
-
Your fiancé, family, friends and staff at the
stores can help you choose patterns and decide what you should include.
4) If your state requires a blood test,
make those arrangements.
1-2 months before the
wedding
1) Arrange final fittings for your gown.
2) Make sure the bridesmaids' gowns will be
in and fitted in plenty of time.
3) Get your marriage license.
4) If you are moving or changing your name,
make a list of every place you will need to contact after the service.
5) Mail your invitations.
6) Select and purchase gifts for the wedding
party and your new spouse.
7) The best man may organize a bachelor
party, and the maid of honor a bachelorette party, if desired.
8) You may have one or more bridal showers.
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Showers are generally hosted by family and
close friends of the bride or groom, or groups of friends and coworkers.
They should not be organized by the bride.
-
"Couple's showers" are becoming more popular,
as are theme showers such as "home improvement."
9) Send thank-you notes as you receive shower and
wedding gifts, and to hosts of any pre-wedding parties.
10) Prepare a seating chart for the reception
and do your place cards, if you are using them.
-
Some brides choose no seating arrangements
except a separate head table.
-
Others have place cards for each and every
guest.
-
Another option is to use place cards for the
head table and one or more family tables, to ensure special guests are
seated near the head table.
11) Make sure your favors are assembled and
ready to go.
12) Send a wedding announcement to local
newspapers.
13) Arrange a trial-run with your hairstylist
and/or make-up artists, if applicable.
14) Write your wedding programs and have them
printed.
-
Wedding programs are not necessary, but they
are generally used for weddings including a religious service.
-
They list the order of the service, the
wedding party's names, often family names, readings and so on.
-
They are helpful to guests who do not know
both sides of the wedding party and especially to those with different
religious backgrounds from that of the service.
-
Wedding program fans
are becoming very popular now. They can help keep your guests cool in
the hot sun or church and provide a memento for them to take home as well.
2-4 weeks before the
wedding
1) Continue to send out thank-you notes a
gifts come in, to preserve your social
standing and assure guests you did receive the gift.
2) Finalize your guest count.
-
You need to track of all response cards
that come in, both for guests attending and those not attending.
-
After your "respond by" date has passed,
mobilize your close family and/or friends to call those who have not
responded and determine their attendance plans.
-
DO NOT make the mistake of assuming those who
did not respond will not attend. Many people do not realize how
important a prompt response is to wedding planning.
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Give your caterer the final number of guests.
Don't forget meals for everyone helping with the wedding, including the
photographer, officiant and so on. Most caterers allow a little leeway
in the final number--find out what this is and plan accordingly. It is
better to pay for a few extra dinners than to run short.
3) Write your speech for the rehearsal dinner
and wedding reception, and remind your
groom to do the same.
-
A short speech is expected at these times; a
simple thank-you to those who came to witness your union is fine.
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It can't hurt to remind the best man and maid
of honor of their toasting duties as well. They should have a short
speech prepared for the rehearsal dinner and reception.
4) Pack for the honeymoon.
5) Pack for any other away-from-home nights
you will have right before and after the wedding.
6) Make and pass out wedding day schedules to
all participants.
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Many photographers will give you a schedule
of who they will need when for pictures. This is helpful to ensure
family and the wedding party are where they need to be.
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You may want to make your own schedule to
ensure things go smoothly.
7) Prepare envelopes with payments for the
ceremony, reception hall, musicians and so on.
The week of the wedding
1) Check on any details that are not yet
confirmed.
You don't want last minute surprises!
2) The rehearsal dinner is a good time to
give your gifts to the wedding party.
3) Ensure the groom and groomsmen pick up
their formalwear!
4) Arrange for your car and luggage to be
delivered to the reception hall, if necessary.
5) Take a deep breath and relax! Try to
enjoy the process and definitely enjoy the
day!
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""I
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