The Only Wedding Checklist You’ll Ever Need
February is wedding month. The wedding of your dreams could be right around the corner, you may of just got engaged or yet to find the “one”. The most important thing that you could possibly have is a wedding checklist or guide. Having a fairytale wedding in Hermanus or the Overberg is one step closer.
A wedding planner can be a valuable asset but not many of us can afford one. Here we provide you with a breakdown of the most important things you’ll need to remember when planning your BIG day!
16 to 9 Months
- Go out and buy a pretty folder or file to store all your snippets, invoices ect. Read bridal, lifestyle, garden and beauty magazines for inspiration.
- Workout your budget. determine who contributes what and how much you’ll need right down to the smallest detail.
- Pick your wedding party. Once he puts that engagement ring on your finger people will start wondering who will be bridesmaids and groomsmen.
- Begin with your guest list. Make a spreadsheet with all the people who you wish to invite, along with columns for: Contact details, invite sent, received, RSVP’s and any other information you think is important.
- Hire a wedding planner if you have room for it in your budget. They can put you into contact with vendors in the area.
- Reserve date and venues. You can also decide if you would like to have the ceremony at the same venue as the reception or separate locations. Remember about timing when it comes to travelling between venues.
- Book your minister.
- Time to throw and engagement party. It can either be you and the family or with your closest friends.
8 Months
- Hire the videographer and the photographer. There is no need to go into detail just yet about timing and so fourths, just be sure that they are open to doing that shoots you want.
- Get your entertainment sorted.
- Book your caterer, if your wedding venue doesn’t offer their own onsite catering services.
- Buy the dress and schedule a time for 3 fittings prior to your big day. Shopping for a veil can wait until 2 to 3 months before walking down the aisle.
- Scroll the location of your venue for any guest houses and send the details to out of town guests.
- Register for your gifts. These days money is a well liked gift option, but for those who are a bit more traditional, a gift registry is the way to go.
- How about your own wedding website? Include all the information you would like about the wedding from location, map, menu and anything else you can think of. Send this link to all of your invited guests. A free wedding website can be designed through www.weddingchannel.com
6 Months
- Select invitations. You could design them yourself or make use of a designer.
- Start planning you dream honeymoon. Check that your passports are up to date and if you need any injections or medicines
- Start shopping for bridesmaid dresses. Once you have an idea of the colour scheme and theme of your wedding you can get started with the dresses for the bridesmaids.
- Meet up with your minister. Visit the venue with them and get all your documents in order.
- Send out your “save the date” cards to all those invited.
- Reserve and book any items that need to be hired in from decor, lighting and sound systems. Check with your venue what they offer and what they do not have.
- Flowers, flowers, flowers. Book your florist, there is no need to go into much detail at this point in time.
- Transportation. Arrange any transportation from the car you want to arrive in to any other taxi services that guests might require.
- Start thinking about your timeline. Draw up a hour to hour event schedule, from when your decor items and flowers arrive, when you make your entrance and when your new husband does the garter toss!
4 Months
- Make a date to rehearse if you wish as well as a venue for the rehearsal dinner.
- Check on the wedding invites. Revise them if you need to and give your final approval.
- Eat cake. Choose a bakery to create your cake, remember to taste samples so you know what your are getting. Talk about themes and colours to incorporate into the design.
- Send the guest list to the maid of honour or the person who will be organising your hen’s party.
- Begin with dress fittings and buy yourself a comfortable set of wedding shoes. Bring the shoes along so that the dressmaker or seamstress knows where to trim if need be.
- Book your hairstylist, beauty appointments and make-up artist.
- The groom and groomsmen can make arrangements to see a designer who will make their suites if they are not planning on hiring them.
- Start choosing your music to give to the DJ. Select what song you would like for coming down the aisle, entrance, first dance, garter toss, cake cutting and bouquet toss. Keep notes on what you would like playing during meals and what you do not want played at your wedding.
3 Months
- Finalize your flowers and menu.
- Order wedding favours, begin to make them if you would like or plan that extravagant candy bar that you have always wanted.
- Make a note of all the speakers at your wedding and any of those what wish to speak that weren’t on your list.
- Finalize the readings that you would like done by the minister.
- Buy a beautiful set of underwear to wear on the day and schedule another fitting if need be.
- Run through the schedule for the day and finalize it.
- Buy the wedding rings, this gives you enough time to engrave them if you would like.
- Send the wedding schedule the all the vendors so that they are aware of the timing. Sending it now allows them and you to make any changes if need be.
2 Months
- Make contact with all the vendors and put to rest any questions that you might have.
- Meet up with the photographer to talk about the shots that you would like done on the day and have a walk through with them at the ceremony and reception site.
- Touch base with the DJ and provide the final schedule and song requests.
- Send out the invitations. Invitations that are to be posted should be done so 8 weeks prior to the wedding, set the RSVP cut off time 3 weeks after the date you sent the invites.
- Enjoy the bachelorette or bachelors party!
1 Month
- Enter all the RSVP’s onto your invite schedule and confirm the numbers with your ceremony and reception venues.
- Get your marriage license.
- Confirm date and times with those attending the rehearsal dinner.
- Visit the dressmaker for your final fitting.
- Men can organise their tuxedos if they are planning to hire them for the day.
- Once you have the correct head count you can order any alcohol that you might want to have on the day.
- Finalise all payments so that outstanding accounts are settled.
- Confirm the times for all beauty appointments.
- If you have arrange transport for certain guests ensure that the company has all the location details as well as a map.
- Assign seating. To make things easier draw the table layout and the numbers that each one can seat.
- Purchase bridesmaid and groomsmen gifts if you wish. This can be given to them on the day or at the rehearsal dinner.
- Write your vows.
- Get your hair cut and coloured.
1 Week before the wedding
- Run through the schedule with all your suppliers.
- Give all those helping a hand tasks to do on the day, from organising vendors to handing out gifts and notes.
- Send all those lending a hand a timeline of the wedding along with important contact information of all the vendors.
- Pick up your wedding dress and any extras
- Visit the spa for all your beauty treatments, a manicure, pedicure and massage can be done before your big day.
- Send all your final lists to the venues, this includes numbers, dietary changes and arrival of all the relevant vendors.
- If you have high heels or tight wedding shoes break them in.
- Pack for your honeymoon!
- Enjoy the last few days leading up to the wedding and remember to relax!
Need help planning your wedding, see our wedding directory.
See how to plan a fabulous bachelorette party
Honeymoon ideas.
Lessons in Love, how to keep the romance alive.
Source: Real Simple
It is such a happiness when good people get together — and they always do. ― Jane Austen