Wedding Planning Checklist
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The wedding planner checklist allows for a couple that is engaged to start the process of planning the wedding that includes guests, budget (including estimator), to-do’s, venue, caterer, and the photographer. This can be used as a do it yourself or if you are looking to work with a hired planner.
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12 Months
- Announce Engagement
- Arrange for your families to meet, if they haven’t already
- Set a budget and determine who will be paying for what
- Decide what type of wedding you want:
- Style
- Size
- Location
- Time of day
- Draft preliminary guest lists
- Bride’s
- Groom’s
- Bride’s family
- Groom’s family
- Register for engagement gifts
- Gather ideas for your ceremony and reception Order thank-you notes for engagement gifts Subscribe to wedding magazines
11 Months
- Interview wedding planners and hire one, if desired
- Plan engagement party Begin dress research Set a wedding date
- Start your ceremony and reception location search
- Create a wedding Web site – Make a free one at theknot.com
10 Months
- Determine your wedding’s color palette and theme
- Reserve a ceremony and reception site
- Research marriage license and residency requirements if you’re getting married abroad Select the members of your bridal party
- Reserve a block of rooms for out of town guests
9 Months
- Make bridal salon appointments to try on wedding gowns
- If wearing an heirloom gown, clean and schedule alterations
- Gather vendor referrals from friends and relatives
- Interview officiants
- Order and mail save-the-date cards
- Start meeting with vendors – photographers, caterers, bakers, videographers, florists, bands and DJs
8 Months
- Start a fitness/workout regime to get into wedding shape
- Contact lighting and tent rental companies for at-home weddings
- Delegate agreed responsibilities to your groom
7 Months
- Finalize wedding theme and palette
- Research wedding customs and traditions
- If you’re getting married at-home, talk to your gardener about landscapeing
6 Months
- Book baker and decide on cake flavor, design and style
- Discuss groom’s cake ideas, if having
- Book caterer
- Book florist and determine overall style for personal flowers, ceremony and reception décor
- Book ceremony musicians and reception band or DJ
- Book photographer and videographer
- Finalize guest list and mailing addresses
- Research invitation designs
- Select an officiant and discuss ceremony service
- Order your wedding dress and accessories
- Book day of transportation for the bride, groom and bridal party
- Reserve a hotel room for your wedding night
- If necessary, update passports
5 Months
- Select bridesmaids’ attire and confirm that each bridesmaid has ordered her dress
- Select attire for your flower girl(s) and ring bearer(s)
- Provide bridal shower guest list to maid-of-honor
- Update registry lists for bridal shower
- Research honeymoon destinations
- Finalize invitation design and order wedding invitations, and don’t forget to order
- extra outer-envelopes
- Check invitation proof
- Test drive directions before printing direction cards
- Reserve rental items
4 Months
- Book honeymoon
- Provide guest address list to calligrapher
- Meet with hair and makeup stylists to discuss ideas
- Create song play and do not playlists
- Select first dance and other special dance songs
- Schedule dance lessons, if desired
- Order wedding rings
- Reserve tuxedos for groom, dads and groomsmen
- Draft wedding program information
- Schedule your wedding rehearsal with officiant and bridal party
3 Months
- Attend first dress fitting
- Plan rehearsal dinner: book space and order invitations
- Order or make wedding favors
- Purchase guest book/vessel for guest notes
- Research signature drink options
- Attend pre-marriage counseling or classes, if required
- Request time off from work for your honeymoon
- Finalize flower arrangements for ceremony, reception and personal flowers
- Order wedding programs
2 Months
- Mail wedding invitations
- Keep a record of RSVP cards you receive
- Schedule a makeup and hair trial Select gifts for attendants and parents Attend bridal shower
- Write and mail shower thank-you notes
- Start drafting your wedding vows, if writing your own
- Schedule a tasting with your caterer and confirm reception menu
- Send wedding announcement to local newspaper, if desired
1 Month
- Draft seating chart
- Review ceremony details with your officiant
- Distribute copies of selected readings and songs to ceremony participants
- Apply for a marriage license
- Send photo shot list to photographer and do/do not play list to band/DJ
- Attend bachelor/bachelorette parties
- Write your wedding speech/toast
- Prepare bride and groom emergency kits
- Assemble guest room gifts for out-of-town guests
- Start breaking in your wedding day shoes
- Attend a hair and makeup trial and remember to take pictures of yourself
- Schedule a haircut appointment for the groom for the week or two before the wedding
- Find something old, new, borrowed and blue
- Attend final dress fitting
- Pick up your wedding rings
- Send seating and place cards to calligrapher, or begin to write/print them yourself
1 Week
- Pick-up wedding dress from bridal salon
- Have groom and groomsmen pick-up their tuxedos
- Give the caterer your final head count
- Send reception location manager final seating chart and drop off seating cards
- Distribute wedding day timeline and contact list to vendors and bridal party
- Give ceremony and reception location managers a vendor contact sheet
- Confirm wedding day beauty appointments
- Confirm wedding day details with all vendors
- Pack for honeymoon
- Deliver guest room gifts to hotel
- Assign day-of responsibilities to attendants
- Arrange for someone to send your wedding dress to a preservationist and return your groom’s tuxedo to the rental store
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