Wedding Planning Checklist
From LoveToKnow Weddings
It's not a good idea to try to pull together a wedding ceremony and reception without utilizing some form of a wedding planning checklist. Even the simplest weddings require some form of pre-planning and a checklist can be helpful to keep everything in order.
Early Planning
Most wedding experts agree that the planning stages of a wedding begin as early as a year or more prior to the actual event. This does not mean that if you want to have a short engagement and get married quickly there is no way that you will have a complete ceremony and reception, but instead it means that you will simply have to work more quickly than a couple who has more planning time.
The early stages of planning a wedding generally include:
- Setting a wedding date
- Announcing the engagement to family and friends
- Deciding on the theme or motif for the wedding
- Composing a budget for the ceremony, reception, and honeymoon
- Choosing a location for the actual wedding ceremony as well as the reception
- Deciding on the bridal gown
- Putting together a preliminary guest list
Again, don't feel hopeless if you don't tackle these tasks a year ahead of time. The key is to remain flexible so the lack of planning won't make your dream wedding impossible to pull off.
Counting Down
A wedding planning checklist really comes in handy around nine to six months before the ceremony when major decisions must be made, such as:
- Who will the bridal party be?
- Who will cater the reception?
- Who will officiate the wedding?
- Which florist will you use?
- Who will the photographer be?
A comprehensive checklist helps you stay on track and will help you avoid forgetting to take care of a task or book a service provider.
A Couple Months Prior
Things really get hectic as the date of the ceremony approaches. The more elaborate the wedding, the more tasks you will have to delegate or take care of yourself. If you're following a wedding planning guide then things may not seem as overwhelming as they would be if you were playing it all by ear.
Your checklist will direct you to take care of a variety of tasks in the final months leading up to the ceremony, including:
- Order invitations and send them out
- Buy wedding rings
- Organize rehearsal dinner and any other wedding-related gatherings
- Book your honeymoon
- Order wedding cake
- Obtain a marriage license
- Get an official engagement portrait
The Final Preparations
It's easy to forget to take care of certain tasks when you're trying to track the RSVPs, sift through wedding gifts that arrive through the mail, and finalize all the planning with the long list of professionals assisting with your big day. As long as you follow a wedding planning checklist you will be able to stay on top of all the tasks you have to complete before actually walking down the aisle.
You will discover that the list of things on a checklist start to grow exponentially the closer you get to your actual wedding date. The checklist will help you stay on task and not get overwhelmed. The best checklists include separate lists for the week prior, a couple days prior, the day before, and your actual wedding day.
Find a Wedding Planning Checklist
Although you can purchase fancy books that have checklists you can also download these forms for free online. Some of the downloadable forms can be edited, allowing you to include specialized items for your event.
- Frugal Bride has a checklist designed for couples who are trying to save money.
- Vertex42 offers a checklist within an Excel format.
- Keep and Share provides free printable checklists.
- iVillage offers a month-by-month wedding checklist that starts out a year prior to the wedding date.
This is merely a brief list of checklist available online. Take the time to take a look at several to find the checklist that works the best for your needs.
Using a wedding planning checklist can help you keep track of each small detail of your wedding day to ensure that nothing is forgotten. With careful planning, it can be easy to coordinate your perfect day.
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This page has been accessed 1,993 times. This page was last modified 21:16, 4 September 2008.
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