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Starting to plan for a wedding should happen as soon as
possible because of all that has to be done in preparation
for the wedding. You should have a plan set out for phases
of the planning as the date draws closer.
One year or more: At this point you should decide on the
date for the wedding and decide how much money is going
to be in your budget. If you want to hire a wedding planner
to assist with the wedding, this is the point that the planner
should be hired. Locations should be decided and booked
as early as possible because locations tend to go very quickly.
The dress should be worked on and purchased too so there
is no doubt that it will be ready for the day. The couple
should also sit down and decide how many people will be
involved in the bridal party and who the best man/groomsmen
will be.
Nine months or more: Decide if you want a DJ or a live
band for the reception, then they should be; book them now.
The caterers, photographers, florists and any other wedding
specialists should be contacted and hired at around this
time. They have a lot of weddings to handle at once and
you want them to do their best work for yours so contacting
them far in advance gives them enough time to do just that.
You want to find the vendors and caterers that have the
best food for you and your guests at the price that you
can afford.
Eight months or more: This is the time when the wedding
dress should be ordered. Custom made dresses take longer
than others because they are specially made for her on her
day. The sooner that it is ordered ensures that the dress
will be ready for her and any and all appointments for fittings
and alterations can be made so that the dress looks perfect
on her. If you have not done so by this point, the vendors
should be booked. Their demand can spike for weddings especially
during the traditional wedding season. Call hotels if you
have a lot of guests flying in and reserve rooms for your
guests to stay over night after the reception.
Six months or more: By this point the invitations should
be sent out with the confirmed set in stone date on them.
Around this time you should order the dresses for your bride’s
maids and maid of honor. These dresses can sometimes take
upwards of 12 weeks to arrive. The sooner they are in the
less you have to worry about once the date comes closer.
Orders should also be put in for your wedding rings and
contact a limousine company to reserve limos for the wedding.
Four months or more: Now is the time to order and begin
the process of creating your wedding cake. Taste as many
samples as you like, because you still have four months
to fit into your dress. The rehearsal dinner should also
be settled by this point in the planning process. The accessories
for your dress such as a veil and jewelry should be ordered,
if you did not already do so when the dress was ordered.
Three months or more: The final arrangements should be
made regarding the menu and the floral arrangements. The
gifts for the wedding party should be taken care of at this
time. Lots of couples like to customize the gifts they give
out and customizing with names or initials can take some
time and you want these important people to have their gifts
when they are supposed to have them.
Two months or more: The photographer should have a list
of the pictures you would like to take after the wedding.
He or she may have his own ideas to incorporate once at
the site but the photographer should have a heads up about
what you want to do. If the decision was made to go with
a live band, give them the set list of songs for them to
play at the reception. It’s a good idea to check in
with your vendors at this point as well. Also, send out
the invitations two months before the date.
One month or more: Checking with your town or city for
the specific requirements, you should go to the city hall
to get your marriage license. Those who are invited to the
rehearsal dinner should be notified of the date and sent
invitations. Work on and send in the seating chart for the
reception hall. If you and your spouse want to write your
own vows, you should do that now so they come out exactly
how you want them to. Also, once again, keep tabs on your
vendors to check their progress.
Week of the wedding: Pick up your wedding dress and store
it where there can be no damage done to it. Give the caterers
the final guest list and seating chart. Be sure to pack
for the honeymoon! Put the finishing touches on the gift
bags for the guests and give someone the job of giving them
out. Get your nails and hair done the morning of the wedding
to ensure that you look your best. Get together all the
payments that have to be made that day and keep them in
one envelope. After that is just the rehearsal dinner and,
of course, the wedding!
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