Wedding TO DO Checklist (12-18 months)

12 – 18 months

• Announce your engagement!
• Select your wedding date
• Discuss the budget and decide who will pay for what
• Determine your wedding style
• Select your wedding party:
  Maid of Honor and Bridesmaids, Best Man and Groomsmen, Flower Girl and Ring Bearer.
• Create your wedding website (include date, time, location, accommodation info, gift registry, activities and events)
• Get your engagement ring insured and consider purchasing wedding insurance
• Begin compiling your guest list
• Research ceremony and reception sites
• Schedule ceremony and reception venue options
• Research and begin assembling your team of wedding professionals: planner, photographer, videographer, caterer, florist, stationer and musicians
• Research wedding dress and veil styles.
• Create wedding inspiration (physical boards, Pintrest, etc.)
• Have engagement photos taken
• Start browsing Save the Date designs
• Order your Save the Dates (include wedding date, city/state and website)

10 – 11 months

• Choose bridal party attire and accessories
• Reserve ceremony and reception venues (Metropolitan areas could be booked out 18 months)
• Book officiant
• Hire photographer, videographer, caterer, DJ/band, florist, and planner
• Mail your Save the Dates
• Purchase wedding dress, veil and undergarments

8 – 9 months

• Find 2 or 3 hotels (at different price points) for out-of-town guests
• Refine guest list
• Create gift registries (consider including national retailers for out of town guests)
• Browse Wedding Invitation designs and coordinating stationery (Enclosures, Programs, Menu Cards, Thank You notes, and Favors)
• Begin planning honeymoon

6 – 7 months

• Explore wedding day hair and makeup styles
• Meet with officiant to discuss plans for ceremony
• Reserve rentals: chairs, linens, lighting, décor, etc.
• Choose cake style and schedule tastings
• Decide on groomsmen attire
• Hire ceremony musicians
• Book transportation to and from venues
• Purchase wedding bands
• Finalize guest list
• Order Wedding Invitations
• Order Stationery for your Thank You notes (bridal showers and wedding gifts)
• Hire a Calligrapher if you plan to have your invitations addressed for you
• Decide on hostess gifts (showers, etc)

4 – 5 months

• Choose flowers for: wedding party, attendants, venues, cake, etc.
• Schedule dress fittings
• Book honeymoon flights and hotels
• Book room for wedding night
• Order wedding cake
• Plan welcome baskets for out-of-town guests
• Prepare (play/do not play) lists for DJ/band
• Assemble rehearsal dinner guest list
• Book rehearsal dinner venue
• Order Rehearsal Dinner Invitations

3 months

• Finalize honeymoon plans and ensure all documents are in order
• Plan ceremony and reception seating
• Experiment with hair and veil with stylist
• Finalize readers and readings
• Purchase: toasting flutes, serving pieces, guestbook, flower basket and ring bearer pillow
• Finalize reception menu
• Order Menu Cards and personalized beverage napkins
• Order Wedding Favors

2 months

• Mail Wedding Invitations (consider having them hand-cancelled at the Post Office)
• Develop system for organizing RSVPs
• Begin writing vows
• Review ceremony details with officiant
• Lay out the content for Wedding Programs
• Order Wedding Programs
• Apply for marriage license: order 2-3 extra
• Finalize seating arrangements
• Finalize playlists with musicians
• Finalize fittings for wedding party and parents
• Create wedding day timeline and send to your vendors, officiant and wedding party
• Write out honeymoon itinerary for family at home
• Decide “Something Old, New, Borrowed, Blue”
• Book spa and beauty treatments for you and your bridal party
• Book wedding day transportation
• Purchase gifts for attendants

1 month

• Call vendors to confirm date, times and location.
• Confirm honeymoon reservations
• Pack for honeymoon
• Pick up wedding rings
• Pick up marriage license
• Final dress fitting (with shoes & undergarments)
• Write Thank You notes as gifts are received

2 weeks

• Follow up with guests who have not RSVP’d
• Give final count to caterer
• Update registries
• Begin breaking in wedding shoes
• Make arrangements for the caring of pets and plants while on honeymoon
• Send playlists to DJ/band/ceremony musicians
• Get final haircut and color
• Delegate wedding day duties: gift table, guestbook, etc.
• Delegate someone to return tuxes, rentals and tend to wedding dress
• Send directions to wedding day limo/transportation driver

1 week

• Prepare final payments to vendors + cash tips for service personnel
• Give readers their scripts
• Give photographer and videographer your image and video requests
• Lay out wedding clothes
• Prepare wedding day emergency kit
• Get spa treatments for you and the bridal party

Day Before

• Deliver welcome baskets
• Get mani/pedi/massage
• Attend wedding rehearsal
• Have fun at the rehearsal dinner
• Get to bed at a decent hour!

Wedding Day

• Eat a good breakfast! Allow yourself plenty of time to get ready
• Give wedding rings and officiant fee to best man
• Relax, smile, and soak in every incredible moment

Final Details…Don’t Forget

• Ensure tuxes and rentals have been returned
• Get wedding dress to preservationist or cleaners
• Order Thank You notes (include a wedding photo)
• Order Personalized Stationery with your new last name

Now. . .go live and enjoy your wonderful, fabulous, love-filled, happy life!