12 to 18 Months Before Wedding
Announce your engagement to family and friends.
Arrange for in-laws to meet, if they have not yet.
Plan engagement party, set date and send invitations.
Set your wedding date.
Have a few dates in mind until you book your receptino, as your first date may not be available.
Choose the style of wedding you would like.
Determine what style of wedding ceremony and reception (ie. Classic, Vintage, Beach etc). This will help you choose your style of venue and wedding dress style etc.
Decide on approximate number of guests.
This will influence where you hold the ceremony and reception.
Set your wedding budget.
This will affect decisions such as how many guests you can invite, venue and clothing budgets.
Start thinking about the style of your wedding gown.
Start looking for a suitable ceremony location.
Start looking for a suitable reception venue.
Choose and book an officiant.
Confirm your ceremony location and pay a deposit.
Confirm your reception venue and pay a deposit.
Choose and book a caterer (if required).
Choose and order your wedding gown.
Choose and book a photographer.
Choose and book a videographer.
9 to 11 Months Before Wedding
Start work on your Guest List, involving parents.
Begin your guest list. Ask your parents for their list. This can be finalised closer to the date.
Choose and confirm your bridal party
Meet with your officiant to discuss the ceremony.
This may involve filling in various forms and attending a pre-wedding course.
Find a wedding planner to help plan your day.
Select the colour scheme for your wedding.
You will need this before choosing decorations or bridal party attire, and decorations.
Think about ceremony and reception entertainment.
Listen to demos and watch video clips to help you decide on the type of entertainment you would like to have.
Book a wet weather ceremony option if needed.
Book marquee if you are having an outdoor reception.
You will need to organise hire of all the equipment you need inside the marquee if you are having a marquee reception.
Set up your easy weddings gift registry.
Be sure to include items in all price ranges to ensure all guests can purchase a wedding present regardless of how big or small their budget may be.
6 to 8 Months Before Wedding
Choose and book your reception entertainment.
Choose and book your ceremony entertainment.
Choose and order bridesmaids dresses and accessories.
Get all the girls together for a day to go and try on dresses.
Choose and order attire for junior attendants.
When buying outfits for the kids in your bridal party, allow for possible growth.
Choose formal wear for groom and groomsmen.
Organize fittings for all the groomsmen, there may be various locations that they can be fitted at.
Meet with a florist and choose your wedding flowers.
You will need to decide on the style of flowers that you would like, and also what flowers you need for your day.
Choose your wedding cake and order it.
Find accommodation for out of towners.
If you are having guests from out of town, search for affordable accommodation near the reception venue and place some rooms on hold.
Order and send out save the date cards if desired.
Consider the wording of your wedding invitations.
Once you have come up with otpions that you like for invitations, it is good to involve your parents in this.
Start thinking about honeymoon destinations.
Prepare travel documents, and look into vaccines.
Find a stylist to create your perfect look.
4 to 5 Months Before Wedding
Finalise your guest list.
Finalise caterer and reception details.
Reserve a suite for your wedding night accomodation.
Finalise wording for all stationery and order it.
Choose and order wedding rings.
Finalise ceremony arrangements with officiant.
Select gifts for each other.
Select gifts for bridal party.
Choose a hairdresser and book a trial and wedding.
Book in a trial as well as the wedding day to ensure that you get the look that you would like.
Choose a make up artist and book a trial and wedding.
Choose and book wedding cars for the wedding party.
Hire vehicles for the bridal party. You will need to decide what sort of transport you need and where the two parties are getting ready.
2 to 3 Months Before Wedding
Choose and purchase bridal accessories.
Think about everything that you will want to wear other than the dress - veil, headpiece, jewellery, lingerie and shoes.
Choose and buy grooms accessories, shoes, cufflinks.
Choose and purchase bridesmaids accessories.
Choose accessories and shoes for the bridal party and organize for your attendants to try on shoes. Jewellery is an excellent gift for your bridal party.
Book decorations for ceremony and reception.
Things that you may like to consider are red carpet, chair covers, disposable cameras, butterflies to release. Ideas are only limited by your imagination.
Have a test run of beauty services.
When trying things like spray tanning or different hair colours it is best to do a test run to avoid any nasty surprises.
If you plan a diet and exercise regime, start it now.
Pick up your invitations and start addressing them.
Confirm fittings and delivery date of your dress.
Purchase bridesmaids dresses and shoes.
Be sure to have them try everything on before the wedding day.
Decide on your favours and order them.
Ask special guests to do readings and speaches.
Choose an MC. This can be a guest or professional MC.
Check with your DJ or the person in charge of your reception entertainment as often they will also MC functions.
Choose the music for your ceremony and reception.
Think about what song you'd like playing as you walk down the aisle and sign the register. Think also about what song you'd like to for your first dance.
Assist bridal party with hens and bucks parties.
Talk to the maid of honour and best man about the hens / bucks parties and any bridal showers that you choose to have. They will need lists with names and addresses of who you would like to invite.
Hold your hair and make-up trials.
Try to ensure they are on the same day so you can see the complete look. Take your veil and headpiece with you. Also, while you are looking fabulous, ensure you've got a great night out booked!
Purchase anything required for the honeymoon.
Finalise wedding day timetable to confirm bookings.
6 to 8 Weeks Before Wedding
Send out invitations 8 weeks before the wedding.
Decide on vows and readings for the ceremony.
Write your ceremony program.
Add more gifts to your registry, if required.
Have final gown fitting and organise dress pick up.
Order drinks if not included in the catering.
Consider care or entertainment for kids at reception.
Confirm your honeymoon reservations.
Book in nails about two days before the wedding.
You may want to ask your bridesmaids to join in the pampering.
3 to 5 Weeks Before Wedding
Organize your rehearsal and rehearsal dinner.
Run through wedding day timetable with bridal party.
Contact everyone in the bridal party and double check that they know exactly what is required of them leading up to and on the day. Ensure they are familiar with times.
Do last beauty routines, facials, hair colour etc.
Finalise your ceremony structure with your officiant.
Pick up wedding rings and check their sizes.
Pick up your wedding dress, and store it carefully.
Plan something old, new, borrowed, and blue.
Confirm final numbers, call guests who havn't RSVP'd.
Confirm reception details including menu and numbers.
Seat details, Share these details with the reception venue or caterers.
Deliver your place cards to the reception venue.
Check the condition of your luggage and tags.
1 to 2 Weeks Before Wedding
Have your rehearsal and rehearsal dinner.
Confirm your ceremony location booking.
Confirm flowers order and delivery with your florist.
Confirm cake order and delivery with cake maker.
Confirm photographer time and locations.
Confirm videographer time and locations.
Confirm ceremony entertainment including choices.
Confirm reception entertainment including choices.
Confirm any party hire if required.
Confirm any decorations or specialty items booked.
Confirm favours, number and delivery details.
Confirm transport timesfor the day and evening.
Confirm hairdresser time and number of people.
Confirm makeup artist time and number of people.
Confirm nail treatments (if required).
Confirm formal wear hire.
Confirm wedding night accommodation.
Confirm MC.
Confirm with guests who are doing readings.
Confirm with guests who are doing speeches.
Confirm honeymoon arrangements.
Pack for your wedding night.
Pack for your honeymoon.
Arrange refreshments and food for the bridal party.
Before the ceremony and during the day it is very busy, refreshments with you will help keep you all at your best.
Double-check you have all the accessories you need.
Things such as jewellery, shoes, veil, tiara, lingerie, extra pair of stockings, garter, your something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue.
Have your hens and bucks party.
The groom should have his haircut now.
Prepare your wedding speech and thank yous.
Plan the night before the wedding.
Who will be staying where?
Give a copy of your honeymoon itinerary to someone.
Organize cash for on the day payments.
Enlist a trusted person to make any payments on the day.
1 Day Before Wedding
Pack car for honeymoon including travel documents.
Organize someone to transport wedding accessories.
Organize someone to return any hired equipment.
Pickup formal wear the day before wedding.
Go over the wedding day schedule with wedding party.
Pack everything you need to get ready on the big day.
Drop off anything required to the reception venue.
Check all formal wear has arrived and check sizes.
After the Wedding
Ensure that all formal wear is returned.
Make contact with photographer if you have not heard from them.
Check that all wedding bills have been paid in full.
Take your gown and veil to be cleaned.
Organise wedding bouquet preserving.
Within two months write thank you letters.
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