Meet With Your Florist
At the ten month mark you should meet with your florist to finalise your order. Wed recommend meeting them at your wedding venue, because although youre unlikely to have forgotten anything, they might be able to recommend different ways of elevating your floral design to really bring the space to life.
Buy Or Rent The Grooms Tuxedo
The groom walks out first, remember? Make sure that first impression on your guests is a good one. Step one is choosing between a tux or suit, based on the formality of your wedding, and then deciding whether to buy or rent. When selecting the actual ensemble, focus on fit and function. A well-made outfit will be flattering, but also allow your groom to show off any and all embarrassing dance moves without fear of splitting any seams. Finally, if youre going the renting route, avoid these five mistakes groomsmen make when renting a tux or suit.
Order Your Wedding Invitations
We are a fan of giving yourself plenty of time to not only research and find wedding invitations you love, but figuring out the proper wedding invitation wording, finding a calligrapher to address them if youre going that route, and getting them assembled and mailed out at least 6-8 weeks before your wedding date .
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Plan Your Favors & Welcome Bags
If you’re going to surprise your guests with special gifts like wedding favors or welcome bags, we recommend purchasing them now. While these extra add-ons aren’t necessary, they are a nice touch if they fit in your budget. All of your gifts should be packed and ready to go about two months before the date. “Favors are a nice touch, but they are an added expense,” says wedding planner Alyssa Pettinato, founder of Alinato Events. “I tell my couples to put them on the end of their budgeting list and explore it if leftover funds allow. Plan to purchase them roughly two months out to give time for shipping.”
Start Ordering Dcor Items
At the eight month mark, you should decide whether youre going to be decorating your wedding venue yourself or whether you need to appoint a décor stylist. If you decide on the latter, meet with an expert ASAP and offload all your ideas. If youre decorating the space yourself, this is a good time to scour the web for décor ideas and budget décor items which you can begin to order. Things to consider include fairy lights, centrepieces, table décor, wedding signs, chair covers, tablecloths, outdoor furniture, chairs and anything else you might need to make your venue look fabulous.
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Finalize Your Wedding Songs/playlist
If youre working with a DJ or wedding band theyll often have you submit songs you love, as well as a Do Not Play list. This is a great thing to work on ahead of time, as well as figuring out the music you want for your processional, recessional, cocktail hour music, as well as first dances.
Crafting the perfect playlist? Listen to these 20 Unique Wedding Songs That Arent Played to Death. Or perhaps you want something with a little more twang? Youll love these 15 Best Classic Country Love Songs. Or you can just use our guide to the best wedding songs for every moment of your wedding.
Create A Music Wishlist
Most wedding DJs and bands will ask you for a list of must-play songs, as well as a do-not-play list too. Sit with your S.O. to talk about the songs you need to hear on your wedding day. This is also a great time to finalize standout music moments, like your processional and recessional song, your first dance tune, parent dance hits, and your wedding exit song. Make sure to share these music requests in a timely manner so your pro has plenty of time to plan.
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Bouquets Boutonnieres And Other Flowers
NickBulanovv / Twenty20
You’ll need to have the bride’s bouquet bridesmaid flowers petals for the flower girl boutonnieres for the groom, groomsmen, ushers, fathers, and grandfathers corsages for mothers and grandmothers and any decorative flowers.
Another optional accessory is an aisle runner, which protects the bride’s dress and adds drama.
Take Advantage Of Design Suites
From save-the-dates through thank you cards, the wedding process stretches out several months before and after the main event. Visual cohesion is key to making all the elements feel like they were part of the same event, but thankfully many wedding website services make this easy by offering save-the-dates, invitations, and even thank you cards that match the design of their websites.
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In The Final Weeks Before The Wedding
The weeks before the Big Day are sure to be busy, so don’t forget to check these items off your list:
- Reconfirm the rehearsal plans with your clergy member and the dinner-site coordinator. Remind all attendees of the time and place.
- Finalize the seating plan for the reception.
- Have final consultations with the caterer and other professionals as necessary.
- Attend pre-wedding parties: showers, bridesmaids luncheon, bachelor or bachelorette party.
The Week Before The Wedding
It’s the home stretch. You have one week until your wedding! Take this moment to soak up all of the excitementthis is a big deal. Here are the last planning tasks to tie up before the day arrives.
If you have the ability, consider taking time off from work to focus your attention solely on wedding prep. Not only will this eliminate stress, it’ll help you soak up the experience. “If you are able to take a few days off of work leading up to the wedding, that always helps take some pressure off and allow you to be fully present,” suggests Tangerini.
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+ Months Out From Wedding
Fact: There’s no such thing as the “right” engagement length. Every couple is different, which means there’s no pressure to follow a timeline that doesn’t fit your needs. While some couples want a longer, multi-year engagement, others might prefer to say their “I dos” mere months after getting engaged. A wedding planning timeline is not one-size-fits-all, which is why we’ve crafted this checklist to work for you regardless of how much time you have to plan. While it’s modeled as a 12-month wedding checklist, you can use this guide for whatever amount of time you do havejust follow the order of tasks and you’ll be good to go.
- In general, most couples take over a year to plan their wedding. In fact, according to The Knot Real Weddings Study, the average engagement length is 15 months. So, when you’re 13-15 months out from the big day, use this time to research, gather ideas, and create a vision.
Now’s the time to think about what you want your wedding to look like. What colors speak to you? Would you like to follow a theme? Where do you want to exchange vows? What do you think you’d like to wear? We recommend browsing Real Wedding galleries to gather ideas and inspo from other couples just like you, which will help you create a vision for your own wedding. Social media can also be a powerful tool for getting inspired.
Construct A List Of Wedding Day Priorities
Sit down with your partner and determine what the three most important aspects of your wedding will be. Is it the venue or a specific wedding date? Locking in a certain wedding photographer or live band? Prioritize those details and be willing to compromise on the rest. This will help you stay within your budget and help you focus your efforts on what really counts.
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Begin Wedding Beauty Upkeep
Interested in trying out a teeth whitening treatment or a new skincare routine? Now’s the time to begin prewedding beauty upkeep. Keep in mind that this wedding checklist step is completely optionalbut, if you do want to try out any new treatments, it’s important to start now to allow your skin and body time to adjust. This will give you leeway to experiment and find what works best for you.
Order Your Wedding Favors And Welcome Bag Goodies
Do yourself a favor and dont spend too much time agonizing over which wedding favors to send. In fact, cutting out wedding favors will save you a ton of money. Read more about these 9 Wedding Hacks That Will Help You Save. Still deciding what to buy? Guests will love these 30 Unique Wedding Favors That Theyll Actually Use.
For welcome bags, we recommend something simple yet thoughtful. Create a wedding weekend itinerary for guests and include water bottles and a snack. See what I put in my wedding welcome bags here.
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Compile Your Favorite Wedding Ideas
If you havent already, head to your local bookstore and pick up several wedding magazines, books, and start a wedding Pinterest board. Plus, be sure to follow us on , and for fun ideas!
Pin/save wedding venues you love, ceremony and reception ideas that make you swoon, as well as wedding dresses you dream about wearing. You might start to see a theme emerge as well as colors and styles you gravitate towards. Plus, you might soon realize that you love super modern ballrooms vs. rustic barns, or outdoor garden weddings instead of funky art museums.
Shop For Wedding Party Attire
Once you have an idea of what you and your S.O. will wear on the big day, it’s time to think about your wedding party too.
The same is true of groomsmen suits or tuxedos too. Think of wedding party outfits as puzzle piecesyou’ll need the big pieces first, like the location, wedding dress and wedding suit, in order to find outfits for your crew that fit in perfectly. Then, order them as early as possible to leave time for fittings and alterations. “We highly recommend that you order bridesmaid dresses at least three months in advance,” Lee says. “Not every dress is going to fit like a glove, so you’ll want ample time for exchanges or alterations.”
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The Wedding Day Checklist
- Give the gifts for your parents to the best man/bridesmaid for after the speeches
- Flowers delivered to where the bride is getting ready – buttonholes may need to be brought to the guys
- Give wedding bands to the best man to hold during the ceremony
- Give best man the officiant’s fee envelope, to be given after the ceremony
- Introduce your reception coordinator to your wedding planner , or bridesmaid/best man for questions or problems during the reception.
- Assign a family member or attendant to be the photographer’s contact so he knows who is who.
Start Working On Your Guest List
Photo by Roey Yohai Event Planning by JZ Events
Making decisions about the guest list can be a complicated process and one that will depend largely on your venue and budget. Sit down with your partner and key family members to put together a wish list of wedding guests. Chances are, youll need to make some cuts. You will also need to decide whether youre inviting children and who will be allotted a plus one.
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Connect With Your Most Sought
If youve had your eye on a particular supplier for a while, and you know they fit within your budget, get in touch as soon as possible to avoid disappointment. Many in-demand vendors book out a year in advance, so (especially if youre choosing an ever-popular Saturday in Summer, dont delay
If youre considering a wedding planner or coordinator, connect with them first too, as its their job to deal with the remainder of the suppliers.
- Start looking at wedding photographer/videographer
- Arrange to talk to/meet a few celebrants
- Meet with any other vendors youre determined to have.
The Best Destination Wedding Checklist
// by Cynthia //
If youve been searching for the ultimate destination wedding checklist, look no further! Chances are youre probably overwhelmed by the numerous tasks that lie ahead of you now that youve decided to take the plunge and tie the knot away from home. Not only are you planning a wedding, but youre also planning a vacation for you and your guests as well as a honeymoon. It can be really overwhelming and things can quickly fall through the cracks if youre not organized.
Theres so much to do, but where do you start? Use this destination wedding checklist to keep you organized, right on schedule, and most of all, sane!! You can even for free.
- Requestproposals and photos from destination wedding vendors that interest you, or hire a travel agent. Learn more about hiring a destination wedding travel agent.
- Do a site visit, if time and budget allow for it. You can scout venues/resorts in person before making a decision, meet with vendors, do food tastings, hair, and makeup trials, etc.
- Settle on a venue, reserve your date, and put down a deposit
- Start a binder to store all your paperwork, ideas, and inspiration in one place. For example, contracts, and magazine pages or printouts of photos that inspire you .
- Start collecting guests email and mailing addresses and keep them in an RSVP tracking sheet
- Select the members of your bridal party
- Shop for your wedding dress, keeping in mind the destinations climate
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Book An Accommodation For Guests
Weâre sure that your guest list is ready by now, and you must be aware about which relatives and friends are coming from other towns. Itâs time to book a good and comfortable accommodation for them. Find out good hotels and guest houses that provide friendly hospitality and amenities to assure your guests get the maximum comfort. Also, make sure that the accommodation is in close proximity to the wedding venue.
Talk With Your Partner About Each Of Your Visions For The Wedding
While you shouldnt feel overwhelmed about wedding planning, now is the time to start setting a clear vision with your partner on a date and some of the bigger wedding details. Have conversations about budget, ideal size , and any other initial preferences that comes to mind. Start collecting ideas and thoughts in a shared Google Doc or Excel spreadsheet or go old-school with a wedding binder to begin bringing those Pinterest boards to life. Its highly unlikely youll agree on every detail of the big day, so establish your must-haves and non-negotiables while compromising on any disagreements that come up. The most important pieces to agree on are budget, guest list, and venue, but be ready to compromise or talk through the smaller details that wont matter as much.
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Meet With Potential Florists
Much like hiring your other vendors, you want to be simpatico with your florist, as well. In order to do that, we suggest polling friends for recs, scrolling through Instagram inspo, and asking your planner/venue coordinator who they recommend in the area. It’s important that you find someone who is able to deliver on your vision and budget.
Free Wedding Checklist For Couples
Using the most important tasks from our incredibly popular and comprehensive wedding to-do list, we created this free wedding planning checklist with a simple goal: to ensure that nothing was left forgotten before your wedding day.
The wedding planning checklist is divided into sections based on where you are in your wedding planning journey. This creates achievable goals for you that are already prioritised. Simply revisit the checklist when you need to, and check off those tasks as theyre completed. Easy, right?
The beautiful checklist includes all the basics so that no matter what type of wedding you are planning to have, no task is forgotten. You can print this checklist and keep it with you throughout your wedding planning!
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Its Accessible From Anywhere
By using a digital wedding planning checklist, you can access and update your task list from your computer, mobile device, tablet, wherever. So whether you just dropped your wedding invitations off at the post office or met the photographer of your dreams, you can check off each task in real time. No more toting your wedding planning binder everywhere you goits all online!
+ Wedding Checklist Templates
Planning weddings is a complex process that requires a proper approach to be able to address all the components a successful wedding needs. Wedding planners face problems ranging from what attires to choose, how to choose the ceremony receptions and venues and even the caterers and entertainment facilitators. The many constituents required during the planning process needs a wedding checklist template that clearly outlines all the steps to follow for a successful wedding in their order of urgency.
The template acts as a guide through the lengthy process by simplifying things and making them more manageable and precise for the users.
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The Ultimate 12 Month Wedding Planning Checklist
As with all the wedding planning advice youll find here, this 12 month wedding planning checklist is just a guide. I encourage you to celebrate your day in a way that is special and meaningful to you, and include only those traditions and wedding customs which feel natural and personal.
Theres almost nothing you absolutely must do for your wedding , and your special day will be all the more so if you follow your heart.
The wedding planning checklists and articles here are designed around the time-frames set out in the little white book. When I was planning our wedding I found it easiest to stay organised and on-track with countdown checklists in my diary, hence the wedding organiser I designed is also a 12 month countdown diary making it the ultimate wedding planner book. The wedding planning checklists are integrated into the diary on a day-to-day basis, so you can organise your wedding with ease.
