Sunday, November 28, 2010

The Complete Wedding List To Prepare for the big day!!

So many of my clients ask me how I was so calm on my wedding day. I guess good planning comes into it, knowing that you have everything ready and leaving the rest up to fate!

I have rustled through my wedding box (yes I had a wedding box so I wouldnt loose even the tiniest bit of paper!) to find my wedding planner list. 

I have posted it here in the hopes that you can print it and use it yourself to make the best day of your life just a little bit easier!


As soon as you get engaged:
  • Announce your engagement to your family and friends
  • Get your self a folder or box and start putting every bit of paper you have in relation to your wedding in it - starting from the cutout of your engagement ad to pictures and receipts! Trust me it will save you loads of time and stress!
  • Place an engagement announcement in the newspaper
  • If you are having an engagement party book it and send out invitations
  • Set wedding date, you may need a couple of dates in case the venues you chose are booked out. - make sure you notify all overseas guest asap so they can arrange travel.
  • Determine wedding ceremony and reception style, casual or formal, reception centre, marquee, garden, beach or any other ideas.
  • Determine the number of guests that you may be looking at - remember this may have an influence over your venue - remember its quality not quantity!
  • Set your wedding budget, now is the time to decide who will be contributing and how much - I have written another post on the traditional contribution guides that may help in this area.
  • Start thinking about your wedding dress, look at different styles and cut out pictures or ideas from magazines so that you have a real life idea of what you would like.
  • Look for a suitable ceremony location and make tentative booking
  • Look for a suitable reception location and make tentative booking
  • Chose a marriage celebrant or check if your priest is available for your date.
  • Confirm your ceremony location and pay a deposit
  • Chose a caterer and book them
  • Choose and order your wedding dress or at least start paying it off
  • Chose and book a photographer - my pick here is Ashford Studio
  • Choose and pick your videographer - my pick here is Action Productions  
9 - 11 Months Before Wedding Date:
  • Begin your guest list, ask parents for a list and do your own wish list, this can be finalised closer to the date.
  • Select your bridal party and ask them if they would do you the honor 
  • Meet with your priest/wedding celebrant to discuss the ceremony, fill in all forms and discuss religious requirements.
  • Select the colour scheme for the wedding, you will need to think about the colours for your chosen ceremony and reception location and the attire for your bridal party.
  • Select your reception entertainment or DJ and start listening to demos
  • If you are planning an outdoor ceremony decide if you would like a wet weather option (chapel or marquee) book this in.
  • If you are planning an outdoor reception book the marquee and all other party hire such as tables, chairs, floor etc
6 - 8 Months Before Wedding Date:
  • Book reception entertainment
  • Choose and book ceremony entertainment if required
  • Chose and order bridesmaids attire - make sure you include everyone in this
  • Chose and order junior attire such as page boy flower girl - make sure you allow for any growth spurts they may have!
  • Chose formal wear for groom and groomsmen, organise fitting and book to hire.
  • Meet and book florist, decide which flowers you will require and what style you would like - again photos are a great thing to show exactly what you have envisioned
  • Chose a gift registry. Try and look for a store with a large range. If you would rather money towards something in particular, arrange a wishing well that guest can put their money gift in.
  • Choose your wedding cake and order it.
  • Place on hold some hotel rooms near by for your out of town guests
  • Inform all out of town and overseas guests of the wedding date as they will need to make travel arrangements.
  • Decide on wedding invitation wording and design, dont forget to involve both sets of parents.
  • Plan honeymoon or wedding trip
  • Organise passports, VISA's, birth certificates for your trip.
4 - 5 Months Before Wedding Date:
  • Finalise guest list
  • Finalise caterer and reception details
  • Reserve bridal suite for wedding night
  • Finalise wording for all stationary and order it
  • Order wedding rings
  • Finalise ceremony arrangements with priest/celebrant including marriage licence
  • Select gifts for each other 
  • Select gifts for bridal party
  • Choose a hairdresser and make up artist - or have the Hypnotic Creative Team take care of all your hair and make up needs on the day - call 0450 LASHES or visit www.hypnoticlashes.com
  •  You will need to consider trials for both hair and make up so book them now
  • Hire wedding vehicles for the bridal party, you will need to decide what sort of transport you need and where the two parties are getting ready.
2 - 3 Months Before Wedding Date:
  • Chose and purchase bridal accessories, veil, headpiece, jewellery, lingerie and shoes.
  • Chose and buy grooms accessories, shoes, cufflinks etc
  • Any new beauty routine should be started now. If you want to experiment with hair colours or styles now is the time - Make sure you check out our beauty Must Do's post to get you ready for the big day.
  • If you plan a diet and exercise routine start it now.
  • Pick up your invitations and start addressing them.
  • Confirm fittings and delivery date of your dress.
  • Confirm with all bridesmaids that they have organised their dresses and shoes - its a good idea to have them try them on a week before the wedding in case they need altering.
  • Decide on bombonieres and order them.
  • Ask special guests to do readings or take part in the ceremony in any way that you would like
  • Chose an MC, this can be a guest or a professional one
  • Select ceremony and reception music - you will need to music for such things as walking down the isle, signing the register, the first dance, cutting the cake, and any other specific moment you have.
  • Talk to the maid of honor and best man about the hens/bucks nights and any kitchen tea you have chosen to have. They will need lists of names and addresses you wish to invite.
  • Mail wedding invites out 6-8 weeks before the wedding
  • Have your hair and make up trial - call 0450 LASHES
  •  Purchase anything required for the honeymoon.
6-8 Weeks Before Wedding Date:
  • Decide on vows and readings for the ceremony
  • Write your ceremony program
  • Add more gifts to registry if required
  • Have your final gown fitting and confirm when dress is to be picked up
  • Order drinks and alcohol if not included in catering package
  • Work out wedding day times before you confirm booking such as make up, hair, cars etc
  • Confirm your honeymoon reservations
  • Book in to have nails and toes done 1-2 days before the wedding - you might want to take your bridesmaids with you as well.
  • Whiten teeth




3 - 4 Weeks Before Wedding Date:
  • Organise your rehearsal and rehersal dinner
  • Contact everyone in the bridal party and ensure they know what is expected of them leading up to and on the day - you might even want to give them a print out of our Bridal Party To Do List!
  • Make sure all bridal parties shoes and attire are ready 
  • Make sure you are following your beauty and fitness routine
  • Have a meeting with your priest/celebrant to finalise ceremony structure and let them know about your vows.
  • Pick up wedding rings and make sure they fit
  • Pick up wedding dress and store it carefully
  • For specific traditions make sure you have what you are using for something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue. Make sure you have a garter
  • Call all guest who havnt rsvp to confirm final numbers
  • Confirm all reception details including menus and numbers
  • Arrange seating for reception and make sure the venue and caterer has this asap
  • Name your place cards and deliver them to the reception centre
  • Check that you have luggage ready for your trip
1 Week Before Wedding Date:
  • Have rehearsal and rehearsal dinner and confirm your ceremony details and time with priest/celebrant.
  • Confirm your ceremony location booking, including time.
  • Confirm flowers ordered and delivery location and time with florist
  • Confirm cake order and delivery location and time with baker.
  • Confirm photographer time and location
  • Confirm videographer time and location
  • Confirm ceremony  and reception entertainment and music
  •  Confirm any party hire such as marquee, tables, chairs etc
  • Confirm any decorations or specialty items that have been booked
  • Confirm Bombonieres number and delivery details
  • Confirm transport to ceremony, to photo locations, to reception location and leaving the reception including times.
  • Confirm hairdresser and make up on 0450 LASHES
  • Confirm nail treatments
  • Confirm formal wear
  • Confirm MC
  • Confirm wedding night accommodation
  • Confirm with guests who are doing readings
  • Confirm honeymoon arrangements
  • Pack for wedding night
  • Pack for honeymoon
  • Arrange refreshments for bridal party while dressing
  • Check that you have all accessories that you need - shoes, jewellery, veil, lingerie, extra pair of stockings all your extras like something borrowed, something new, something used and something blue.
  • Have your hens and bucks nights
  • Groom should have a hair cut if required
  • Prepare your speech
  • Plan the night before the wedding - who will stay where
  • Leave a copy of your honeymoon itinerary with someone
  • Organise cash for anything that will need to be paid for on the day
1 Day Before the Wedding Date:
  • Pack car for honeymoon
  • Organise someone to transport wedding accessories
  • Organise someone to return any hires
  • Pick up tux 
  • Review schedule with wedding party
  • Gather together everything you need to get ready on the wedding day - see our list of wedding day necessities 
  • Drop off anything required at the reception venue
  • Check all formal wear items have arrived and are the right size.


AND MOST OF ALL REMEMBER ITS YOUR DAY, MAKE IT THE WAY YOU WANT TO REMEMBER IT!

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