Wedding Planning Time Frame
A Sample To-Do List To Make Planning Stess Free
This list has a variety of basic planning to-dos that can help guide your unique wedding to be more of a dream!
Wedding Planning To-Do List
6 to 12 months before the wedding
- Announce the engagement to family and friends.
- Discuss the wedding style the two of you envision.
- Discuss among the two of you and both sets of parents how the wedding expenses will be shared or divided.
- Choose an honor attendant and your bridesmaids.
- Choose a best man and groomsmen.
- Register for wedding gifts (That is the fun part!).
- Select a wedding date.
- Pick out a bridal gown and tux along with the accessories.
- Meet with the officiant and fiancé to discuss ceremony.
- Discuss honeymoon plans.
4 to 6 months before the wedding
- Select ceremony and reception sites.
- Shop for wedding rings.
- Complete your guest list and ask your parents to do the same.
- Interview and hire professionals.
- Send “Save the Date” cards if you set your dates far in advance or if it falls during a holiday season.
- Reserve rentals yourself.
- Delegate transportation arrangements.
- Determine requirements for marriage license.
- Arrange for physical exam or blood test (If needed).
- Reserve hotel room for wedding night if you’re not departing on honeymoon immediately after reception.Choose wedding favors.
- Make sure everyone knows their task in the wedding
Complete task with each vendor
- Stationer: Order invitations and all other stationery. Contact and reserve calligrapher, if desired.
- Caterer: Discuss and choose menu. Select other services to be provided.
- Baker: Order the cake if the caterer is not providing it.
- Florist: Order floral arrangements, bouquets, boutonnieres, and corsages.
- Photographer: Give shot list and discuss style of photos.
- Videographer: Discuss various styles and approaches of wedding and videos and express you’re preferences.
- Entertainment: Select style of music for ceremony and reception. Compile a list of music for both and give a copy to the band leader and/or DJ.
2 months before wedding
- Address invitations and send them out.
- Check on vendor’s progress and confirm arrangements with each one.
- Select gifts for each other, attendants, parents and other helpers.
- Pick up rings and make sure they fit.
- Select readings, poems, or prayer for the ceremony. (Give copies to everyone who will be reading them.)
- If writing all or part of your vows, begin to put them together.
- Stay on top of thank you notes. Try to send them every time you receive a gift.
- Confirm transportation arrangements and honeymoon plans.
- Start work on favors if you or the wedding parties are making them.
One month before wedding
- Check final details with all of your vendors.
- Have your final fitting for the gown. Bring shoes and hair accessories to confirm that they match.
- Send out additional invitations as you receive regrets (when someone can not make it).
- Work on seating plans.
- Meet with officiant to finalize the plans for the ceremony.
- Make arrangements for the rehearsal and rehearsal dinner.
- Organize going-away outfit and clothing for the honeymoon.
- Schedule final hair trimming.
- Plan transportation to the ceremony and the reception.
2 weeks before wedding
- Check in with vendors as needed.
- Pick up marriage license with fiancé.
- Pick up wedding gown. Confirm that you have something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue.
- Practice hairstyles (with/with out headpiece), either by yourself or with a stylist.
- Schedule makeup trial run or practice.
- Begin writing seat place cards or delegate this task to calligrapher, stationer, or attendants.
- Compose reception toasts.
1 week before wedding
- Check in with vendors as needed.
- Confirm seating plan and give caterer final guest count.
- Finish writing seating and place cards.
- Assign wedding-day duties to your attendants and helpers.
- Pack for the honeymoon.
- Attend rehearsal dinner.
- Create a checklist of all items you will be bringing to the ceremony and reception.
24 hours before wedding
- Have breakfast with attendants, close family or a few friends.
- Touch base with wedding consultant if you hire one,
- Before dressing, take a nice relaxing bubble bath or enjoy a massage.
- Give groom’s ring to honor attendant to hold for the ceremony.
- Give bride’s ring to the best man in sealed envelope.
- Have luggage and honeymoon documents taken to the reception location.
- Collect bridal bouquet and emergency kit (Sewing, aspirin, and so on.) to the ceremony.
- Pin on the boutonnieres.
- Give gifts to the parents to thank them for their help and support.
Before the ceremony
- Confirm that chairs are set up and that all elements of the décor have been properly arranged.
- Confirm that the musicians/DJ arrived on time, to setup.
- Confirm that attendants and groomsmen have arrived at the ceremony location, and distribute flowers and boutonnieres.
- Confirm that officiant has arrived at the ceremony location.
- Confirm that the photographer and/or videographer have arrived.
- Have honor attendant and best man sign the wedding certificate as witnesses.
Before the reception
- Ensure that the guest chairs, table and buffets have been set up and arranged according to plan.
- Confirm that guest tables are set with specified elements, such as specialty linens, place cards, and favors.
- Confirm that the caterer and/or bartender have arrived at reception location.
- Confirm that a microphone (Preferable cordless) is available for toasts.
- Confirm that the photographer and/or videographer have arrived.
The copyright of the article Wedding Planning Time Frame in Wedding Planning is owned by Melissa D. Smith. Permission to republish Wedding Planning Time Frame must be granted by the author in writing.
