When you first become engaged, most brides look for guidance in a schedule to follow for the planning process because there are so many things that we just dont think about. While I think these schedules are useful, they are also at times unrealistic. I've seen a lot of my girlfriends posting planning schedules on websites like Pinterest and there are times when I look at them and am like "are these people frikin crazy?" and I mean the websites, not the people posting because they dont know any better. So I decided to take a sample schedule from the Knot, which is probably the most popular one i've found and show you some good things and bad things about it! This is all working off a one year planning schedule. I stand by my belief that if you choose to go with less than a year of planning you are crazy.
All of my comments will be in this lovely purple colour!
12+ months before
Date: ______________________- Envision your wedding and draw up a budget. (This is important, knowing your budget from the very get go will help you plan out everything. Use a wedding budgeting tool, you can find them online everywhere, because there will be things that you will need to pay for that you would have never thought about.)
- Assemble your "planning team." Consider hiring a wedding consultant. (I dont have a consultant but I'm going to trust that this is the right time to do this)
- Pick a wedding date and time. Select several options, then check with your venues, officiant, and important guests before finalizing. (Dont wait any longer for this. When I called to book my venues it was a year and a half in advance and they were already booked for the original weekend that we had planned to get married. Places book up super fast, especially in touristy places and small towns)
- Start planning the guest list. (This is a good time to start this because the list that you start a year in advance will change a lot leading up to when you finally send out your invitations)
- Ask friends and relatives to be in the wedding party. (I did this around this early, but if you are uncomfortable with choosing people this early then I would say put it off to no longer than six or seven months before the wedding)
- Optional: Have an engagement party. You may want to register beforehand for gifts. (We did this a year in advance and it was really helpful for our budget, we bought both our wedding bands, paid a chunk on our photographer and paid a few other little things with money we made from our Jack and Jill which made this part of the planning a lot easier on us financially.)
8-10 months before
Date: ______________________- Bride: Think about, shop for, and order your gown. (Unless your weight fluctuates an insane amount, order your dress early. It took 4 months for my dress to come in so bank on a wait.)
- Envision reception food. (We didn't have to do this until now which is less than 5 months from the day so it may depend on where the reception is)
- Decide what type of entertainment you want. A pianist for the cocktail hour, strolling violinists, a DJ, or band? (Luckily we have a friend DJing for us but if you are hiring someone, book early especially in rural locations)
- Think about your floral decor. (We aren't having any real flowers so this wasn't of relevance for us)
- Research and book your wedding professionals. Interview vendors: photographer, videographer, reception band or DJ, florist. (Firm believer this should be done a year in advance. Basically once you get engaged and set a date start booking these people fast. We weren't able to get a videographer because I waited until 8-10 months before the wedding to start looking and they were all booked for our date)
- Research a wedding insurance policy to protect your deposits. (unnecessary)
- Research and reserve accommodations for out-of-town guests.(This is more of just a curtesy to do early. A lot of my guests from Bridgewater wanted to book their rooms early and have it out of the way so we booked off blocks of rooms around 7 months before the wedding)
- Register for gifts. (We are still doing this with less than five months to go and I hate doing it. I'd rather just get money than one of the over priced gifts I registered for)
- Contact rental companies if you need to rent anything for ceremony/reception, such as chairs, tables, and tent. (Another area that books up early so as soon as you know your venue and date, book this.)
6-8 months before
Date: ______________________- Book ceremony musicians. (Can be hard to come by in rural locations)
- Order bridesmaid dresses. (UBER IMPORTANT because again they take around 4 months to come in. I would also add start searching for these dresses in the 8-10 month range because it can be a daunting task that will take a long time)
- 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. (We sent these out 8 or 9 months before the date so close but a little earlier than this suggests)
4-6 months before
Date: ______________________- Attend prewedding counseling, if required.(We got out of having to do this but typically if you get married in the Catholic Church you have to do this so make sure that you get it out of the way before things get crazy with planning)
- Shop for and order invitations and wedding rings. (I would also suggest sending out your invitations four months in advance. Because you want to get them back a month early to let your hall know the numbers.)
- Shop for formalwear. (Next on my to do list)
- Renew or get passports, if necessary.
- Envision your wedding cake and research, interview, and book a cake designer. (I'm making my own cake so this is irrelevant to me)
3 months before
Date: ______________________- Order wedding cake.
- Hire a calligrapher, if you want your invitations professionally addressed. (I didn't do this)
- Attend your shower. (It may be earlier, depending on when hosts decide to have it.) (Mine is August 4th which is really only two months before the wedding
- Groom: Rent the men's formalwear. (At tip top they need AT LEAST 90 days for your order but they prefer four months
- 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. (Way too late, you'll be lucky if Canada Post can even get all of you invitations to where they need to go in a month and then you need to get them back)
- Write your vows. (We aren't doing this but I feel like this is a personal discretion item)
- Purchase gifts for parents, attendants, and each other. (I would suggest doing this earlier because it can be stressful to have that added cost this close to the wedding)
- Book your stylist and try out big-day hairstyles. ( I would not have a hair and makeup appt if I waited this long to get it. I barely got one when I booked it 8 months in advance SO DO NOT TRUST THIS!)
- Book a makeup artist and go for a trial run. (Same as above)
1 month before
Date: ______________________- Apply for a marriage license. Check with the local bureau in the town where you'll wed.(You can do this up to 90 days in advance of the wedding)
- Bride: Have final gown fitting. Bring your maid of honor along to learn how to bustle your dress. Have the dress pressed and bring it home. (Mine also needs to learn how to tie up the corset on my dress, not as easy as you might think)
- Call all bridesmaids. Make sure they have their gowns ready for the wedding.
- Make last-minute adjustments with vendors.
- Create a wedding program to hand out to guests.
- Order and plan in-room welcome baskets for out-of-town guests. (I am so not that considerate)
2 weeks before
Date: ______________________- Review final RSVP list and call any guests who have not yet sent a response. (We will need to do this a month in advance because that is when the hall needs our info)
- Deliver must-have shot lists to 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 bandleader. Include special song requests and songs you don't want played.
- Bride: Get your last prewedding haircut and color. (I am so very hesitant to do this)
1 week before
Date: ______________________- Give reception site/caterer final guest head count. Include vendors, such as the photographer or band members, who will expect a meal. Ask how many extra plates the caterer will prepare.(We have to do this a month in advance)
- Supply location manager with a list of vendor requests such as a table for DJ or setup space needed by florist.
- Plan reception seating chart.
- Print place and table cards, or finalize list with the calligrapher you have hired to do so.
- Call all wedding vendors and confirm arrangements.
- Give ceremony and reception site managers a schedule of vendor delivery and setup times, plus contact numbers.
- Groom: Get your hair trimmed.
- Attend bachelor/ette parties. (My bachelorette party is a month before the big day)
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 formalwear.
- Groom: Ask the best man to make sure all groomsmen attend fittings and pick up their outfits.
- Determine wedding-party positions during 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 vendors. 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 from the airport or train station. Ask friends, attendants, or relatives to help.
- Deliver welcome baskets to the hotel concierge; make sure to include names and delivery instructions.
Day before
Date: ______________________- Provide all wedding professionals 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 details.
- Bring unity candle, aisle runner, yarmulkes, or other ceremony accessories to the site.
- Give your marriage license to your officiant.
- Attend rehearsal dinner.
- 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 the maid of honor 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 honor for questions or problems during the reception.
- Assign a family member or attendant to be the photographer's contact so he knows who is who.
Postwedding
Date: ______________________- Prearrange for someone to return any rentals.
- Preplan 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 vendors who were especially helpful.
