As we all know it's always raining wedding, somewhere in the world right now a lady just got engaged , is getting married or planning a wedding. Engaged or not u need to read this,
Whether your a bride to be, bridesmaid, or just a guest this time table will let you know to expected and how to prepare.
A lot of us have been envisioning our dream day since we were little. And if your like me that stalks wedding boards on Pinterest , your wedding is practically on a not so secret "i do" board. Lolss. Planning a wedding can be a bit overwhelming. There are so many things to coordinate that it can take away from enjoying your engagement.
That been said, I hope you find this wedding planning timeline helpful. Its based on a research I did and a little bit brain storming. Even if this timeline line is based on a year long plan, it doesn't mean u can't apply it to your own schedule. It's just a helpful guide in letting you know the basic order of events.
Wedding planning timeline
12 months before
Book a venue: venues book up past in some cases, up to a year in advance.
Engagement party:
Register
10 months before
*Pick an officiant if u don't wan to have the wedding in a church.
*Select bridal party
*choose vendors (caterer,Dj,wedding decorator, make up artist etc)
*Take Engagement photos
8 months before
*Order your dress
* Book hotel room for guests
* Cake tastings or order cake
* Begin hair and make up trials
6 months
* Send save the dates
* Book honeymoon
* Order bridesmaids dresses
* Purchase wedding bands
4 months
* Select groomsmen attire
* Plan rehearsal dinner
* Confirm vendors
* Decide on hair and make up
2 months
* Mail invitations
* Write or decide on vows/ceremony
* Purchase day of accessories
* Confirm day of transportation (optional)
6 weeks
* Apply for marriage license
* Get everything printed
1 month
* Bachelorrete party
* Bridal shower
2weeks
* Final dress fitting
* Give shot list to photographer
* Review music with Dj or band
1week
*Final head count
*Finalize seating chart
* Get facials and waxings *wink*
48 hours
* Go for mani pedi and massage
* Wrap bridesmaid and groom gifts
* Have one last meeting with your wedding planner
Day before
*Rehearsal dinner
*Give bridal party gifts
Day of
Get married and live happily ever after!!
12 months before;
Book venue; venues book up fast, in some cases, up to a year in advance.
Draft a guest book; I suggest doing this in a google doc spreadsheet so that your family can easily access the list and update as needed. It also avoids the issue of having multiple versions of the same document floating around in your email.
Engagement party: this is optional, Traditionally the parents of the bride host the engagement party. However where I come from. It's up to the bride/groom to be, to host. Most people have the engagement party before he pops the question , while most have it after they get engaged.
Register: it's better to do this sooner rather than later so people have an idea of what to get u if they want to send u an Engagement or shower gift. You can always go back and edit your registry so don't feel like you're bound to everything you register for right off the bat.
10 months before
Pick a the church: most couples don't have a church that they are members and as a result u might find it difficult to get the church u want to be wedded in. In most cases the couple end up getting married in either of there parents church. So it's advice able to speak to ur parents and choose a church, this applies to people in my country (nigeria). But other countries u need to pick an officiant because just like venues officiants book fast.
Select bridal party: this is one of the toughest for most brides because it's impossible to include all ur close friends. It's good to get this out of the way early so your attendants can plan.
Choose vendors: book a photographer, look for a good caterer book and pay, Dj or band, and a hall decorator. You can book the rest later, but it's advice able u book them all in time so u get a good deal. U will find that booking later cost more and puts pressure on the bride. It's better to book vendors that are under one company .
Take engagement photos; this is optional, many couples like to include an engagement photo in their announcements or save the dates. If you don't wish to include a photo in either, you can take them at a later date or not at all. Completely up to u! I suggest taking some photos together as a couple where you are not in your formal wedding attire at some point before the wedding. These will be lovely images to scatter around your home later down the road.
8 months before
Order your dress: believe it or yes, a wedding dress might take a long time to receive after ordering - especially if you want it custom made specially for u.
Book hotel room for guests: if u have a lot of people flying in for ur wedding from different locations or maybe your having s destination wedding, you should book a block of rooms for your guests. Hotels give discounted group rate if you meet a minimum room block requirement.
I'm of the opinion that couples make it a goal to book hotel rooms for their guests so they are comfortable and not stressed out, by having to share rooms with the bride or groom's siblings at your family home.
Order cake: mmmm cake. Most wedding cakes cost a lot sha, but the keybyo getting the best deal on ur wedding cake is to book for it early. (Cakes ala parties)
Begin hair and make up trials
Once you've ordered your dress, it's a good idea to begin thinking of your look book. If you are doing your own hair and make up, be sure to test out a few styles.
6 months;
Send save the dates; if your having a destination wedding, it's a good idea to send these out with as much advance notice as possible- 10 months prior to your date should be sufficient. Otherwise it's important to give your guests atleast 6 months notice so they can save the date on their own calendars and plan accordingly.
Book honeymoon: figure out where u want to go and begin researching transportation options and accommodations.
To be continued
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