Nine to Fifteen Months Prior
- Announce engagement to family and friends and plan an engagement party
- Choose wedding date, preferably more than one in case your preferred venue and/or vendor is booked
- Select wedding attendants
- Establish budget early, with maximum amounts for each event/vendor/etc.
- Decide on the style, formality and guest-list size for the wedding
- Select wedding planner
- Reserve ceremony and reception location
- Secure wedding officiant
- Begin compiling guest list and mailing addresses
- Start the selection process for wedding professionals, including photographer/videographer, entertainment, ceremony music, caterer, transportation, florist and stationery
- Start the wedding gown and wedding attendants’ dress search
- Consult travel agent for honeymoon plans. If traveling abroad, you will need valid passports and up-to-date immunizations
Six to Nine Months Prior
- Select gift registries
- Order wedding gown & accessories, including veil, shoes and undergarments (wear to fittings)
- Order menswear for groom and attendants
- Take engagement pictures
- Select and order bridesmaids dresses, schedule fittings, etc.
- Engagement party
- Finalize wedding professionals
Four to Six Months Prior
- Finalize guest list and mail Save-the-Date announcement
- Reserve rehearsal dinner location and/or caterers
- Order wedding invitations and thank-you notes
- Hire calligrapher
- Create wedding website with directions, accommodations, local attractions and other wedding details
- Reserve accommodations for wedding night and out-of-town guests.
- Book honeymoon and finalize travel documentations, if necessary
- Order wedding cake, groom’s cake and any other confections
- Research all legal requirements — permits + licenses
- Purchase/rent any decor to be used during the ceremony and/or reception
Two to Four Months Prior
- Purchase wedding bands and have engraved if desired
- Order favors and gifts. Purchase cake knives, toasting crystals and other accessories
- Mail out-of-town invitations
- reserve wedding day beauty appointments for bride and attendants
- Select wedding readings
- Confirm menu selection and/or bar with caterer
- Book specialty services, including photo booth, ice sculptures, rentals, Second Line, etc.
- Continue writing thank you notes for previous bridal parties, couple showers, etc.
Four to Six Weeks Prior
- Mail local invitations
- Take bridal portraits and have framed for reception display
- Begin addressing wedding announcements
- Pick up wedding rings
- Complete name-change documents
- Print ceremony programs
- Remember to update wedding website with any changes
- Review banking and insurance information and see what needs to be updated after you’re married
- Fill out a Change-of-Address at post office, if necessary
Two Weeks Prior
- Confirm all appointments and finalize professional services:
- Baker
- Beauty Appointments
- Caterer
- Ceremony Music
- Entertainment
- Florist
- Honeymoon Reservation
- Lodging Reservations
- Party Rentals
- Photographer
- Reception Entertainment
- Transportation
- Videographer
- Others
- Arrange for pick-up of wedding gown, if you haven’t done so already
- Plan seating arrangements, if necessary
- Pick up marriage license
- Plan honeymoon wardrobe, obtain travel tickets and confirm reservations
- Remember to update wedding website with any event changes
One Week Prior
- Schedule pick-up and return of groom’s and groomsmens’ attire, if rented
- Prepare final checks to wedding vendors, as well as donations to ceremony officiants and musicians, if necessary
One Day Prior
- Welcome family and friends from out-of-town
- Have honeymoon bags packed
- Gather all wedding day items
- Attend rehearsal dinner and give gifts to wedding party and family
Wedding Day
- Arrange to see hairstylist and make-up artist BEFORE your attendants
- Be dressed and ready about two hours before ceremony for photos
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