The best time tested method of sticking to your wedding schedule and budget is to break your workload down into manageable categories.
Most of the stress associated with wedding planning stems from last minute, high pressure decisions and that sinking feeling that you are forgetting something. A printable wedding checklist and schedule allow you to avoid all of that.
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Follow along and we will show you how to stay organized and stress free.
The Wedding Planning Resources You Need
The first step to wedding success is to step back and acknowledge where you are in your wedding journey. This allows you to choose a specific printable wedding checklist that addresses your particular needs. Wedding Forward, for example, provides a variety of wedding prep checklists to address a year-long planning process, and accelerated versions for couples in a rush, and resources for all of the events along the way.
The Basics – Wedding Time and Money
If you just said ‘I Do’ and are completely new to the concept of wedding planning, this is the perfect place to start. You need a wedding plans to do list before making any venue or attire decisions. This involves setting a firm budget, building a list of all the decisions you have to make, and giving yourself some deadlines so that everything happens on time.
1 Year Until The Wedding
All ultimate wedding checklists start with the big decisions and then guide you through the tiny details. Start with your guest list and wedding party to determine how many people will be in attendance. This number plays a major role in your overall budget.
Next, find a printable wedding checklist that categorizes all of your decisions and assign a budget percentage to each section based on your priorities. Some brides are willing to sacrifice venue quality in favor of a high-end gown, for example. This will help you identify where you are willing to make compromises and make future decisions much easier.
Then you will have to choose your wedding theme. This defines your wedding style, and allows you to select the correct venue and gown, which you should choose next.
Based on results, create a shortlist of venues, vendors, and to opt for a professional wedding planner if you feel you need one at this point.
6-9 Months Until The Wedding
Make all of your interview and sample arrangements and make your larger decisions. At this point in your wedding planning timeline, you should finalize your caterer, florist, photographer, and other service providers.
You can also move on to setting up your registry, hotel blocks, and transportation arrangements. Being exactly on time and budget, you can now relish the process of sending attire guidelines and order instructions for the bridal party, ring bearer, and flower girl. This is also the enjoyable period where you can dig into planning the bridal shower and bachelorette party.
3-5 Months Until The Wedding
Now the wedding planning checklist gets into the finer details. Schedule your rehearsal dinner, submit your vendor down-payments, and sign off on your rentals.
With everything really coming together, you can now focus on crafting and sending out your invitations, writing your vows, purchasing the wedding rings, choosing the perfect reception menu, and creating a ‘day-of’ timeline.
You’ll also be able to plan the honeymoon and indulge in makeup and hair trials.
Notice how each phase has a healthy balance of stressful and fun activities? That’s the beauty of a formal wedding planning checklist!
A Few Weeks Until The Wedding
With most of the tedious wedding checklist items out of the way, you can appreciate this interactive phase of your process. Take some dance lessons to make a big splash at the reception. Activate your bridal party so that they know what to do and when to do it. Make your name change and marriage license arrangements and, every bride’s favorite event, attend your wedding dress fitting.
Double check and approve all of your orders and make your final purchases. Send off the rehearsal invitations and purchase your favors and thank you gifts.
We’re getting pretty close to being done here.
Day Before The Wedding
With everything in its place, everyone playing their role, you can operate with a clear mind and a smile on your face. All that’s left is setting up the venue, reviewing the day’s schedule, and getting enough self care and rest for your big day.
Conclusion
These are the basic details, but obviously there are plenty of tiny details that we didn’t cover. That’s precisely why finding a wedding checklist early in the process is so important. Not only do they keep you on track, they ensure that no detail gets lost in the shuffle.
Author: Anastasia Beluschenko, with a specialty in wedding dresses, joined Wedding Forward over five years ago. She knows everything about wedding dresses from styles to trends, fit, and designers. Her great sense of style makes it easy for her to expertly predict the newest and hottest wedding dress trends. For leisure, she loves court tennis and stretching.
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