My Checklist

Here’s your official to-do list as you count down to your special day:

11+ Months Before

• Determine what kind of wedding you want

• Indoor? Outdoor?

• Casual? Formal?

• Daytime? Evening?

• Winter? Spring? Summer? Fall?

• Create your budget.

• Need help with this?  TheKnot.com has a great resource!

• Start thinking about your guest list – this will help when you are looking at reception sites so you know if what they offer is too big or too small.

• Ask friends and relatives to be in the bridal party.

• Begin looking at reception sites.  Don’t visit too many in one day – the information overload can be a little exhausting. 

• Once you find a place that works, sign a contract.

• If you’re doing something at your home, contact a tent company so they can come and take a look at the space.  If there are any landscaping or renovation projects that will need to take place, you’ll want to know sooner than later.

9 - 10 Months

• What do you picture for your dress? Even if you think you know, start trying some on.  Don’t expect to find it the first day.  Have fun with it – you will find the perfect dress.

• Things you should start to think about (especially since you picked a popular time of year like the fall):

• Color story – figure out what colors & shades you want everything.

• Flowers – start thinking about what you like – collect pictures from magazines and have a couple options you like incase prices eliminate your favorite.

• Photographer – start looking at websites to see which styles you like.

• Videographer – ask for demos – watch for misspellings – if they send you a not-perfect video, question their attention to detail.

• Music – what are you going to do for ceremony, cocktail & reception music?  All DJ?  Strings for ceremony & then DJ?  Live band?  Start asking for demos now if you’re looking for a band – you’ll need to have them booked sooner than a DJ.

• Hotel room blocks – even if you’re wedding is at a hotel, look at other places for additional room blocks to give your guests a variety of price points.

• Caterer – if you are having your special event at a place that does not do their own catering, you will want to get menus and other information from different catering companies.

7 - 8 Months

• Register!  Take your fiancé and let him hold the little zapper thing – he’ll have more fun.  Do yourselves a favor and look through catalogs or have an idea of what you want BEFORE you ask for the little zapper.

• Have you started thinking about your honeymoon? 

• If you’re going somewhere that requires a passport – start that information. Send it in now and avoid higher processing fees later to get it back in time.

• Don’t forget to ask your travel agent if there is anything you need – immunizations, visas, etc for whichever location you pick.

• You and your bridemaids should start looking at dresses for them.  Any special orders for them can take a few months to get  back too.  Instead of everyone matching, pick a color and let the ladies pick their own dresses. 

• Do you have your dress?  If not, remember it’s hard to find a dress that doesn’t need alterations and those take awhile depending on what you need done.  And, special orders can take several months to get back and will potentially still need some alterations.

6 Months

• If you haven’t booked a rehearsal dinner spot, begin to think about it.  Do you want something casual or something formal? Will everyone from out of town be invited or just immediate family and the bridal party?

• Do you have an officiant for the ceremony?

• If you’re using them, send out your save-the-dates.  If you have a theme or color story, these are a great way to start letting your guests know what it is.  If not, do something fun like postcards from the areas where your wedding is being held!

5 Months

• Have you bought your wedding bands?

• If you haven’t booked your rehearsal dinner site, try to do that this month.

• Keep looking at those bridemaids’ dresses if you haven’t found something yet.

• If you have not booked the officiant for your ceremony, do that this month. 

• This month try to wrap up any vendor bookings you haven’t confirmed yet:

• Florist

• Photographer

• Videographer

• Caterer

• DJ/Ceremony Musicians/Band

• Start thinking more about those invitations. The time to order them is around the corner.  Check out magazines and websites for ideas on wording.

• What about favors?  To save on your budget, get creative and do something that ties in to your centerpieces.  Personalize votive candles are easy to make, add romantic lighting and make a nice favor.  Small potted plants work nicely too.  Or, use little frames as double duty – they work as seating cards and favors!

4 Months

• It’s time to order stationary, invitations & thank you notes!!

• If you’re using a calligrapher, book them now too!

• Get the groom’s tux taken care of this month.

• His groomsmen should get fitted to.  If the groomsmen don’t live in your area, have them go to any tuxedo rental place to get sized & have them send you the information.

• Start thinking about bridal party gifts. 

• If you’re going to do them, sign up this month to start dance lessons.

• Don’t forget about your wedding cake!

3 Months

• Get those invitations out this month!

• Start talking with the officiant about the details of your ceremony.

• If you’re going to write your own vows, start that this month

• If you’re going to have them, start to look at readings – there are a lot to pick from.

• Schedule your ceremony rehearsal & send out invitations or emails to everyone who needs to be there.

• Write thank you notes as you start to receive gifts – it will save you from doing a whole bunch later or forgetting who gave you what.

• If you haven’t had your shower yet, mention to the person throwing the event that it would be really helpful to you if she put out envelopes for everyone to fill out their own addresses. J  This will save you time and make sure you have everyone’s addresses.

2 Months

• If you haven’t done it, get those invitations out this month!

• If you must provide dinner counts to your caterer, make sure you track people’s choices as you get their RSVPs.

• If you haven’t yet, start talking with the officiant about the details of your ceremony.

• If you’re going to write your own, don’t forget about those vows.

• Pick your readings – next month you’ll want to give them to whomever is reading them so they can get comfortable with them.

• Purchase bridal party & parent gifts.

• Doing in-room welcome baskets for your guests? Start thinking about what will be in them & start getting stuff together.

• If you’re having a ceremony program, get that started so you can get it printed and have one less thing to worry about next month.

• If you’re changing your name, start collecting all the forms you’ll need – Social Security, credit cards, bank, insurance, driver’s license & passport.

• Schedule your final dress fitting.

• Make a list of MUST play and DO NOT play music for the DJ.

• Make sure your bridesmaids their alterations taken care of.

• Have a guest book?  Be non-traditional – here are a few ideas…

• Get a picture matte and have guests sign that. 

• Purchase a pottery platter – guests can sign it and after the wedding, have it glazed for safe use.

• Have a scrapbook sheet at each table.  Provide markers (and other goodies if you want) for guests to write notes.  Have the photographer take a group picture of each table for you.  If you do this, don’t forget to mark out an area for the picture so people don’t write in that space.

1 Month To Go!!!

• Get your marriage license!!!

• Make last minute adjustments with vendors

• DJ – order of events

• Photographer – provide a list of all the pictures you want – DON’T expect to be able to think of all of them the day of the wedding – you’ll miss something you wanted.

• Finalize your ceremony & vows – make sure you give the officiant a copy of your vows – even if you’re memorizing them.

• Finish those welcome baskets if you are doing them and haven’t started (or finished) yet.

• Review your RSVP list – call anyone you haven’t heard from yet.

• Make up your seating chart.

• Make seating cards.

• Have a hair & make-up consultation.

• Have your fiancé get his haircut if necessary.

• Have your dress pressed or steamed if necessary.

• Have your fiancé go for his final fitting & tux pick-up.

• If you haven’t yet, get your ceremony programs printed.

• Pack for your honeymoon.

• RELAX, HAVE FUN AND BE EXCITED!!!

- ShawnnaLea Young, Wedding Coordinator, Topnotch Resort & Spa