The Sunday News
STARTING to envision your wedding? Wondering about all the things you’ll need to do and when? Our month-by-month snapshot of all your wedding to-dos will steer you in the right direction.
12+ months before
Date: ______________________
-Envision your wedding and draw up a budget.
-Assemble your “planning team’’. Consider hiring a wedding consultant.
-Pick a wedding date and time. Select several options, then check with your venues, officiant and important guests before finalising.
-Start planning the guest list.
-Look for and book ceremony sites and reception sites.
-Ask friends and relatives to be in the wedding party.
-Optional: Have an engagement party.
8–10 months before
Date: ______________________
-Bride: Think about, shop for and order your gown.
-Envision reception food.
-Decide what type of entertainment you want
-Think about your floral décor.
-Research and book your wedding professionals: photographers, videographers; DJ, florist etc
-Contact rental companies if you need to rent anything for the ceremony or reception, such as chairs, tables and a tent.
6–8 months before. Date: ______________________
-Book ceremony musicians/entertainment.
-Order bridesmaid dresses.
-Start planning honeymoon.
-Send save-the-date cards. This is a particularly good idea if you’re marrying during a tourist or holiday season or having a destination wedding.
4–6 months before. Date: ______________________
-Attend re-wedding counselling, if required.
-Shop for and order invitations and wedding rings.
-Shop for formalwear.
-Renew or get passports, if necessary.
-Envision your wedding cake and research, interview and book a cake designer.
3 months before. Date: ______________________
-Order wedding cake.
-Hire a calligrapher, if you want your invitations professionally addressed.
-Attend your shower. (It may be earlier, depending on when your hosts decide to have it.)
-Groom: Rent the men’s formalwear.
-Hire wedding day transport: limousines, other cars. Look into transportation sooner if you’re considering renting streetcars or over-the-top travel.
2 months before. Date: ______________________
-Mail your invitations.
-Write your vows.
-Purchase gifts for parents, attendants and each other.
-Book your stylist and try out wedding day hairstyles.
-Book a make-up artist and go for a trial run.
1 month before. Date: ______________________
-Apply for a marriage licence. Check with the local offices in the town where you’ll wed.
-Bride: Have final gown fitting. Bring your maid of honour along to learn how to bustle your dress. Have the dress pressed and bring it home.
-Call all bridesmaids. Make sure they have their gowns ready for the wedding.
-Make last-minute adjustments with service providers.
-Create a wedding programme to hand out to guests.
-Order and plan in-room welcome baskets for guests.
2 weeks before. Date: ______________________
-Review final RSVP list and call any guests who have not yet sent a response.
-Deliver must-have shot lists to your photographer and videographer. Include who should be in formal portraits and determine when portraits will be taken.
-Deliver final song list to your DJ or band leader. Include special song requests and songs you don’t want played.
-Bride: Get your last re-wedding haircut and colour.
1 week before. Date: ______________________
-Give reception site/caterer final guest head count. Include service providers, such as the photographer or band members, who will expect a meal. Ask how many extra plates the caterer will prepare.
-Supply location manager with a list of service providers requests such as a table for DJ or set-up space needed for a florist.
-Plan reception seating chart.
-Print place and table cards, or finalise list with the calligrapher you’ve hired.
-Call all wedding service providers and confirm arrangements.
-Give ceremony and reception site managers a schedule of service delivery and set-up times, plus contact numbers.
-Groom: Get your hair trimmed.
-Attend bachelor/ette parties.
2–3 days before. Date: ______________________
-Bride: If you need to, have your gown pressed or steamed.
-Groom: Go for final fitting and pick up your formal wear.
-Groom: Ask the best man to make sure all groomsmen attend fittings and pick up their outfits.
-Determine wedding party positions during the ceremony and the order of the party in the processional and recessional.
-Hand off place cards, table cards, menus, disposable cameras, favors and any other items for setting the tables to the caterer and/or reception site manager.
-Reconfirm final details with all service providers. Discuss any necessary last-minute substitutions.
-Call the limousine or car rental company for pickup times and locations.
-Arrange for guests without cars to be picked up. Ask friends, attendants or relatives to help.
Day before. Date: ______________________
-Provide all wedding service providers with an emergency phone number to call on the day of the wedding.
-Write checks and/or talk to wedding hosts (usually your parents, if not you) about any final balances to be paid at the end of the reception.
Night before. Date: ______________________
-Rehearse ceremony. Meet with wedding party, ceremony readers, immediate family and your officiant at the ceremony site to rehearse and iron out the details.
-Bring unity candle, aisle runner, yarmulkes or other ceremony accessories to the site.
-Give your marriage licence to your officiant.
-Present attendants with gifts at the rehearsal dinner. You’ll want to do this especially if the gifts are accessories to be worn during the wedding.
Day of. Date: ______________________
-Present parents and each other with gifts.
-Give wedding bands to the best man and maid of honour to hold during the ceremony.
-Give best man the officiant’s fee envelope, to be handed off after the ceremony.
-Introduce your reception site manager to your consultant or maid of honour for questions or problems during the reception.
-Assign a family member or attendant to be the photographer’s contact so he/she knows who’s who.
Postwedding. Date: ______________________
-Pre-arrange for someone to return any rentals.
-Pre-plan for attendants to take the bride’s gown for cleaning and return the groom’s tux to the rental shop.
-Write and send thank-you notes to gift-bearing guests and others who were especially helpful. — Source theknot.com
