Wedding Plan - Timeline

9 to 12 Months Before Wedding

• Announce engagement
• Select wedding date and time
• Decide type of wedding you want (location, size, formality, guest number, time)
• Determine wedding budget & who will pay what expenses
• Develop organization system (costs, contacts, schedule, etc)
• Begin guest list (must, should and could invitees, children allowed)
• Shop together for wedding rings
  
• Obtain passport, visa, birth certificate for honeymoon or marriage license
• Consider honeymoon location
• Consider home & garden improvements if wedding is at home
• Start health and fitness plan
  
• Book wedding consultant
• Book wedding & reception site(s)
• Book officiant
• Book photographer
  
• Select color scheme
• Select your dress and headpiece, set date fittings and delivery dates.
• Choose attendants/ushers & identify their sizes
• Select attendants dresses and accessories

6 to 9Months Before Wedding

• Check marriage license requirements
• Reserve wedding night lodging
  
• Book additional professionals: videographer, caterer, florist
• Book ceremony musicians
• Book reception musicians or DJ
• Decide upon a gift registry and select your gift choices
  
• Select flower girl & ring bearer
• Assign wedding responsibilities to wedding party
• Select and discuss color schemes with florist and/or balloonist
• Select attendants/ushers clothing, shoes, & accessories
• Schedule fitting dates for yourself, attendants, flower girl, & ring bearer
  

4 to 6 Months Before Wedding

• Shop for bride & groom gifts to each other
• Finalize guest list.
• Order invitations, thank you cards, programs, seating cards, etc.  
• Begin honeymoon planning
  
• Book rehearsal dinner location, date, time
• Register for gifts
• Reserve rental items (tables, chairs, china, silverware, gazebo, etc.)
• Book miscellaneous services (valet parking, entertainment, etc.)
• Review written agreements with all professionals (photographer, caterer, etc.)
• Block accommodations for visiting guests
• Help both mothers coordinate and find their wedding day clothing
• Purchase shoes & accessories (break in shoes!)
• Order/purchase gifts for attendants

1½  to 4 Months Before Wedding

• Take engagement portraits
• Place engagement announcement in newspaper
• Mail invitations – include lodging options & maps (ceremony, reception, lodging)
• Begin record of RSVPs
• Begin record of gifts received & send thank you notes upon receipt of each gift
• Arrange a dedicated area in your home to store/display gifts
• Finalize honeymoon plans
• Confirm marriage license requirements
  
• Purchase wedding day accessories (guest book, ring pillow, toasting glasses, etc.)
• Order party favors & decorations
• Book wedding day transportation
• Book hairdresser, makeup, and manicure appointments
• Book baker & choose wedding cake & groom’s cake
• Finalize menu, beverage, & alcohol order(s)
• Consider dental enhancements (bleaching, bonding, etc.)
  
• Plan activities for attendants/ushers & visiting guests
• Reserve men’s clothing (groom, ushers, fathers, & ring bearer

2 to 6 Weeks Before Wedding

• Obtain marriage license
• Pick up rings & confirm proper fit
• Create detailed timeline for the wedding day. Distribute to wedding party & service providers.
• Call guests who have not RSVPed
• Continue writing thank you notes
• Begin packing for honeymoon
  
• Confirm ceremony details with officiant & ceremony site
• Finalize seating & provide listing to ushers
• Confirm reception site details:
• Receiving line timing & location
• Finalize layout of all reception elements
• Finalize seating & place cards, if needed
• Finalize floral arrangements
• Bride & bridesmaids bouquets
• Flower petals for flower girl’s basket
• Corsages for mothers, grandmothers, & other special women
• Boutonnieres for groom, ushers, fathers, ring bearer, & other special men
• Finalize rehearsal dinner arrangements, including seating
• Finalize plans with photographer (provide list of special photos you want)
• Finalize plans with videographer (provide list of events & people you want taped)
• Finalize music plans (provide list of requested songs & their timing)
  
• Hold luncheon/dinner with attendants & present their gifts
• Finalize wedding accessories (rings, pillow, garter, etc.)
• Finalize bride’s & attendant’s accessories (coordinated lipstick, nailpolish, jewelery)
• Purchase your going-away outfit.
• Schedule final wedding dress and head piece fitting
• Have final fitting for attendant dresses
• Obtain something old, new, borrowed, and blue

 

1 Week Before Wedding

• Complete final guest count & provide to caterer & reception site
• Confirm honeymoon reservations
• Obtain & keep secure all reservation information, tickets, passports, travelers checks
• Complete packing for honeymoon
• Arrange for pet & plant care while on honeymoon. Stop mail & newspapers
  
• Review/update the detailed timeline for the wedding day with all relevant service providers.
• Confirm assignments for wedding party
• Someone to bring wedding accessories to the ceremony/reception site
• Someone to ensure any required clean up is completed after events
• Someone to return rental items
• Someone to ensure all personal items are gathered after events
• Finalize arrangements with the entertainer(s) and provide a list of music you would like played during special events such as first dance, garter removal and bouquet toss.
• Have final wedding dress & head piece fitting

The Rehearsal Day

• Put luggage in car
• Give best man checks for service providers that are paid on the wedding day
• Attend ceremony rehearsal
• Attend rehearsal dinner
• Have manicure/pedicure
• Relax a bit. Have a professional massage

The Wedding Day

• Remember to bring the rings and marriage license.
• Give groom’s ring to the maid of honor & the bride’s ring to the best man
• Follow your detailed Wedding Day Timeline
• Allow plenty of time for your hair to be styled (wear a button up blouse!)
• Complete your make up after hair styling is completed
• Allow at least two hours for dressing.
  
• Allow 1 to 1 ½ hours for pre wedding photographs   
• Ushers seat guests as they arrive.
• Groom’s parents are seated about 5 minutes before the ceremony
• Mother of the bride is seated last
• Relax & enjoy, knowing that you have prepared well

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Contact Janet at (805) 674-2853 for more details.
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