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:
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
- 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
- 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!
