The wedding planning process can be a stressful one, whether you have two months or a couple of months to plan it. Coordinating all the different elements required in making the wedding a success can be demanding, but with a full-proof wedding list at hand the planning process becomes much easier!
Here is a list of the top 9 important things you should include on your wedding checklist.
Workout a Budget
First things first, have a sit down and discuss what type of wedding you would like to have. Whether it is a simple wedding with few people or a grand wedding with hundreds of guests; you’ll need to workout a budget for the wedding.
Having a concrete budget in place helps guide a number of planning elements which, in turn, helps you to stay within the budget. The last thing you would want is to overrun your budget before procuring all the must-haves.
Select your Wedding Party
Whom do you want to become part of your wedding party? This is an important decision to make ahead of time so that you may formally extend these invitations. This also applies both for the groomsmen and bridesmaid, as well as in deciding the Maid of Honor’s dress and Best Man’s suit.
The selection of a Maid of Honor and Best man is particularly important, because they will essentially act as your right hand throughout the wedding planning process.
Compile a Guest List
Whom would you want to attend your wedding? Creating a guest list is quite important because it somewhat goes hand in hand with the budgeting for the wedding. Of importance is also to send out wedding invitations as early as possible, particularly in case of the destination weddings.
When compiling a guest list it is important to also figure out whether your guests can bring a Plus One or if you would rather limit the number of guests attending.
Select a Venue
The venue is one of the equally important aspects of planning a wedding, because it directly affects a number of other elements. The venue goes in hand with choosing a date for the wedding, which in turn affects the budget as well as the selection of wedding vendors.
If you settle for a destination wedding, this means that certain expenditure such as flight costs and accommodation have to be factored into your wedding budget. Choosing a garden venue for a winter wedding means that extra costs have to be incurred such as the setting up of wedding tents or canopies. Likewise, choosing a popular wedding venue during a high peak season could attract higher venue rental costs.
Hire a Planner
Weddings are happy events and the road leading to the actual day of the wedding should be a happy one. The planning process can be a stressful one, particularly when it comes to coordinating different wedding planning elements. Hiring a planner will take the bulk of the stress away from the planning process and allow you to truly enjoy your wedding.
One of the most central roles planners play is to help actualize your dream into reality. After all, planners have a list of all the vendors you’ll need to provide the specialties you require for your wedding.
Hire Vendors including Caterers, a Photographer and an Officiant
Once you have a planner on board, getting the services of the different vendors you need for your wedding will be much easier. Planners do come with their list of professional and reliable vendors and they can always recommend the best in the industry for you.
Amongst the most important vendors to hire early enough for your wedding are caterers, a photographer and an Officiant to perform the ceremony.
Get the Gown, Groom’s Suit and Bridal Dresses
What you wear on your wedding day should be special; after all it is a very special day and you need to dress not to merely impress, but to be remembered. That is why ample time should be given to find the right Bride’s gown and Groom’s suit as well as suits and dresses for the groomsmen and bridesmaids.
If you are having your gown/suits/bridesmaid dresses custom made, it is important to place the order as soon as possible. Follow up on the progress is also important to make sure that the special outfits are ready in time for the special day.
Get the Rings
Getting your wedding rings is a special part of the wedding planning process and one that needs a lot of attention. The rings should be ordered on time, especially in the case of personalized rings. Ring fittings should also be scheduled to make sure that everything fits right and that the rings look exactly as they should be.
Plan for a Wedding Rehearsal
A full wedding dress rehearsal will help you run through your wedding day schedule and give everyone a chance to understand his or her specific roles. Wedding rehearsals also help to break the ice by getting fears out of the way and rectifying anything that might not be working.
Wedding rehearsals are often set for the day before the actual wedding and it makes sense to have the key vendors to attend the rehearsal.
Finalize Menu & Flowers
The reception is thought to be the icing on the cake and everything that you need for a successful reception should be procured on time. This includes settling on a wedding menu, as soon as you have finalized your guest list.
Flowers are amongst the last items that are purchased for a wedding, and it is easy to forget about them entirely when dealing with other demanding wedding planning needs. A wedding wouldn’t be a wedding without flowers and getting flowers for your wedding requires a slot on your checklist.
With these 9 important things on your wedding checklist you can rest assured that every important wedding planning activity will be attended to.
Most importantly, the planning process will flow seamlessly with a detailed and comprehensive checklist to consult with!
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