Wedding Planning

Depending on your personal preferences and the preferences of your husband or wife-to-be, a wedding can take anywhere from 6 weeks to 2 years to plan. If one step in the planning process is missed, the whole wedding could be ruined. To prevent this from happening, we have created a wedding checklist in order to ensure everything goes according to plan on your big day.

7-12 Months Prior
<ul>
<li>Announce Engagement and have your engagement party
<li>Decide on the wedding style and create a guest list
<li>Choose who you both want in the wedding party
<li>Set the date and time of the wedding
<li>Book your wedding officiant
<li>Choose your wedding song
<li>Decide on "extras" (cake, flowers, dj, photographers etc)
<li>Purchase your wedding dress and bridal accessories
<li>Purchase bridesmaids dresses and accessories (maid of honor as well)
<li>Start planning your honeymoon
<li>Buy (or make) your wedding favors
<li>Purchase your wedding invitations
<li>Plan your rehearsal ceremony and dinner
</ul>

2-6 Months Prior
<ul>
<li>Arrange accommodations for out-of-town guests
<li>Finalize the dinner menu
<li>Book your limo (or other form of transportation)
<li>Book the rehearsal dinner site
<li>Book your honeymoon
<li>Purchase your wedding rings
<li>Purchase your gifts for the wedding party
<li>Rent the tuxedos for groom and groomsmen (including bestman)
<li>Schedule a dress fitting (bride)
<li>Book hair and makeup appointment (bride)
<li>Have your bridal shower
<li>Send out the invitations to your guests
<li>Plan the wedding program
</ul>

1 Month Prior
<ul>
<li>Get your marriage license (and blood tests if needed)
<li>Final dress fitting (bride)
<li>Arrange seating for your guests
<li>Have your stag and doe party
</ul>

1-2 Weeks Prior
<ul>
<li>Pick up the wedding dress
<li>Have your bachelor and bachelorette parties
</ul>

The Day Before
<ul>
<li>Give the wedding party their gifts
<li>Pick up the tuxedo(s)
<li>Decorate the wedding site
<li>Have your rehearsal dinner and greet out-of-town guests
</ul>

Follow these steps in the first step towards a lifetime of marital bliss!

Samantha Taylor spent several years working in the weddings industry as a wedding planner. When she isn't being a mom of two wonderful children, she works as a freelance writer for http://www.yourwedding101.com - a site that offers information about everything wedding related.