While there are
thousands of variations of wedding planning calendars and guides out there, this
calendar is The Ring's loose interpretation of what you need to know & when,
according to the local industry.
need to know:
•
Wedding vendors who are extremely high in demand may book more than a year in
advance.
•
Weddings planned in the off-season (Winter) or on an 'off-day' such as a Tuesday
evening, will often mean the ability to plan a wedding in a shorter amount of
time.
•
If
you're starting out late in the game, begin at 9-12 Months & Earlier and work
your way through the list until you're up to date.
12-24 Months & Earlier
Announce Your Engagement
This is your
moment to shout it from the roof tops!! Tell your family (parents first),
friends, and co-workers. Then show off the rock, because you know you're
dying to...
The BIG
Picture...
The big picture lets you dream a little bit and then helps you determine the
location, formality, day, night, size, location, and number of guests for your
wedding.
Sit back, relax with a glass of wine and your favourite man, and talk details.
Picture your perfect wedding, determine which parts are most important, and
write as much as you can down on paper.
Dream a little...
•
Do you see Autumn leaves and sunshine or Winter beauty and a Snow White cape
over your gown?
•
Do want cocktails with three dozen or a buffet for three hundred?
•
Does the groom see himself arriving with the guys in a Hummer and have a
live band, or does he think traditional will be best for all?
... you get the
picture. |
Now be more specific...
Circle what applies most to your
fairytale wedding
Fall /
Winter / Spring / Summer
AM / PM /
Daylight / Candle Light / Wedding Weekend!
Church /
Chapel / City Hall
Indoor /
Outdoor / Home / Park / Tent
Formal /
Informal / Unconventional
Romantic /
Fun / Elegant / Expensive / Religious
Bride &
Groom are: Practical / Funky / A Little Weird / Pretty Normal / Other
Wedding
should: Reflect our personalities / Honour the wishes of our families most
of all |
Hire a Wedding
Coordinator?...
[You'll thank yourself for it
later]
While this
web site, many of your vendors, and probably your mom/friends/family will
be able to help you plan all of the details, wedding
consultants can often make life in general easier. Wedding
consultants can either help plan the entire event or often just be hired
to attend the day of the wedding. They can make sure that everything goes
as planned, bring bobby-pins for hair crises and hair spray for nylon
runs, and, well, basically deal with any of the problems that may arise - and
trust us, there are always problems. The earlier you hire a consultant, the more
of these steps he or she can help you with. Otherwise, bookmark this site and
email for advice when you're stuck.
If you live in a
small town that doesn't have wedding coordinators, check out some of the larger
cities for coordinators who are happy to travel to help you out.
Prepare to Delegate!
If you don't hire a
consultant, your second option is to put one of your most trusted friends or family members in charge. Handling everything single-handedly is
not possible. Picture yourself running around in two inch heels, wearing
a ten pound gown with a twenty foot train sporting hair spray and bobby-pins ...
If that's not enough to make the delegation of tasks to friends OR the
hiring of a consultant your number one priority, we don't know what is!
The Budget
(cue
music from Nightmare on Elm Street)
Determining
your budget and how expenses will be shared is a scary thought, but it
doesn't have to be. Simply sit down with your man and look at how much
you think you can save over the months leading up to the wedding. Check out out
Best Guesstimate
Savings Chart for a good start. Then
look at how much you already have. Then, the last step is sitting down
with parents and discuss the wedding plans you're thinking of so that you
can open the discussion of their possible contributions. In this day and
age, the old traditions of who pays for what are very seldom upheld, so
there is no guarantee that parents will be able to contribute a lot or
at all. Once you have added up all of these amounts, you have your budget!
(cue big sigh of relief) From here on in, its just a matter of details.
The brand new
Budgeter
giving basic price ranges for absolutely everything, so you can use this as a
rule of thumb for planning your wedding.
At this time, find or make a record-keeping book to record payments made
and balances due as your get closer to the Wedding Day.
The Guest List
If your family
goes up in arms about anything, it may end up being about this. The best
way to avoid problems, is to take everyone's suggestions and then break
it down into a number that your budget and sanity can handle. Collect Lists
from Everyone: Bride, Groom, Bride’s Family, Groom’s Family. Then add a
little perspective:
• Decide if you want
to include any children among the guests
• Choose who must
be invited
• Choose who should
be invited
• Choose who it would be
nice to invite
Make Some BIG
Decisions. Do a Little Shoppin'.
• Decide On, select
and reserve ceremony
site
• Select and reserve
your officiant
• Select and reserve reception site
• Select and order
your bridal
gown and headpiece
• Determine your colour
scheme
• Select and book photographer
• Select maid
of honour, best man, bridesmaids and ushers (approximately one usher for
every 50 guests)
Announce your Engagement in
the Newspaper
Your photographer
often includes an engagement photo in the package you've selected. You
can use this professional shot or simply choose a favourite candid pic
from the your personal photo album.
Details, Details
•
Buy A
Calendar or Planner
to write down all important
activities: showers, luncheons, parties, get-togethers, etc.
• If ceremony or
reception is at home, arrange for home or garden improvements as needed.
• Order passport,
visa or birth certificate, if needed for your honeymoon or
marriage license.
6 to 12 Months Before
• Select flower
girl and ring bearer (consider closeness to the family, age, maturity,
shyness and, of course, cuteness!)
• Decide (WITH them,
not for them) on the individual responsibilities of each member of the
wedding party and then make sure everyone is clear on the final decisions
of who does what.
• Reserve wedding
night bridal suite in a hotel. It is suggested that
you choose a separate hotel or floor from traveling wedding guests so that you
are undisturbed. You may want to choose one with brunch facilities if you plan
to meet up with all guests for breakfast before leaving on your Honeymoon. Its a
great way to say Thank You and to relax without a tight itinerary. No matter how
hard you try, you may end up missing some of the guests during the actual
wedding. This is a great way to make up for that.
• Select attendants’
dresses, shoes and accessories
• Select flower
girl’s dress, shoes and accessories
• Select and book caterer,
if needed
• Select and book ceremony
musicians (for ideas on music selection -
click here)
• Select and book reception
musicians or
DJ
(for ideas on music selection -
click here)
• Schedule fittings
and delivery dates for yourself, attendants, flower girl and ring bearer
• Select and book videographer
• Select and book florist
• Register
at your favourite store for
wedding gifts.
4 to 6 Months Before
• Bride and Groom
get to start shopping for each other’s wedding gifts
• Reserve rental
items needed for ceremony & reception
• Finalize guest
list
• Select
and order wedding stationary: invitations, announcements, and
additional stationary such as thank-you notes, wedding programs, and seating
cards
• Set date, time
and location for your rehearsal dinner
• Arrange accommodations
for your out-of-town guests - by booking a group of rooms in a hotel,
you can usually get a group discount, making it less expensive for your guests
• Start planning
your honeymoon
• Purchase shoes
& accessories & then begin to break-in your shoes
2 to 4 Months
Before
• Select bakery and order wedding
cake
• Address invitations
• Order party
favours
• Select and order
room decorations
• Purchase honeymoon
attire & luggage
• Select and book transportation
for wedding day
• Check
marriage
license requirements
• Shop for wedding
rings and engrave them
• If you're planning
something cosmetically drastic such as having your teeth bleached, cutting
your hair or changing it's colour, now is the time. This also gives you
lots of time to fix anything you wish you hadn't done!
• Consider writing
a will and/or prenuptial agreement
• Plan activities
for your out-of-town guests both before and after the wedding
• Purchase gifts
for wedding attendants
6 to 8 Weeks
Before
• Mail invitations.
Include
accommodation choices and a map to assist guests in finding the
ceremony and reception sites
• Maintain a record
of RSVP’s and all gifts received. Send thank you notes upon receipt
of gifts
• Determine hair
style and makeup
• Schedule to have
your hair, make-up and nails done the day of the wedding, check out local
spas
• Finalize
shopping for wedding day accessories such as toasting
glasses,
ring pillow, guest book, etc.
• Set up an area
or a table in your home to display gifts as you receive them
• Check your
local
newspapers for wedding announcement requirements
• Have your formal wedding portrait
taken
• Send wedding announcement
& photograph to your
local newspaper
• Select and reserve
wedding attire for groom, ushers, fathers and ring bearer
• Obtain
marriage
license
• Plan luncheon or
dinner with bridesmaids. Give them their gifts at that time or at
the rehearsal dinner
• Find “something
old, something new, something borrowed, something blue and a six pence
(or shiny penny) for your shoe”
• Finalize your menu,
beverage and alcohol order
2 to 6 Weeks
Before
• Confirm ceremony
details with your
officiant
• Arrange final fitting
of bridesmaids’ dresses
• Have final fitting
of your gown and headpiece
• Finalize rehearsal
dinner plans; arrange seating and write names on place cards, if desired
• Make final floral
selections at your
florist
• Make a detailed
timeline for your wedding party
• Make a detailed
timeline for your service providers
• Confirm details
with all service providers, including attire. Give them a copy of
your wedding timeline
• Start packing for
your honeymoon
• Finalize addressing
and stamping announcements
• Decide if you want
a formal receiving line. If so, determine when and where to form
the line
• Contact guests
who have not responded
• Pick up rings and
check for fit
• Meet with
photographer
and confirm special photos you want
• Meet with
videographer
and confirm special events or people you want videotaped
• Meet with musicians
and confirm music to be played during special events such as first dance
• Continue writing
thank-you notes as gifts arrive
• Remind bridesmaids
and ushers of when and where to pick up their wedding attire
• Purchase the lipstick,
nail polish and any other accessories you want your bridesmaids to wear
• Determine ceremony
seating for special guests. Give a list to the ushers
• Plan reception
room layout and seating with your reception
site manager or caterer.
Write names on place cards for arranged seating
The Week Before the Wedding
• Pick up wedding
attire and make sure that everything fits
• Do final guest
count and notify your caterer or reception site manager
• Gather everything
you will need for the rehearsal and wedding day
• Arrange for someone
to drive the getaway car or ensure other transportation
is in place
• Review the schedule
of events and last minute arrangements with your service providers
• Confirm your honeymoon
reservations and accommodations. Pick up tickets and travelers cheques
• Finish packing
for the honeymoon
• Familiarize yourself
with guests’ names. It will help during the receiving line and reception
• Have someone collect
your mail and newspaper, water plants and take care of pets while you are
away on you honeymoon
The Day Before
the Wedding
• Review list of
things to bring to the rehearsal
• Put suitcases in
getaway car
• Give bridesmaids
the lipstick, nail polish and accessories you want them to wear for the
wedding
• Give best man the
officiant’s fee and any other cheques for service providers to be delivered
the day of the wedding
• Arrange for someone
to bring accessories such as flower basket, ring pillow, guest book &
pen, toasting glasses, cake cutting knife and napkins to the ceremony and
reception
• Arrange for someone
to mail announcements the day after the wedding
• Arrange for someone
to return rental items such as tuxedos and cake pillars after the wedding
• Provide each member
of your wedding party with a detailed schedule of events of the wedding
day
• Review ceremony
seating with the ushers
The Wedding Day!
• Review list of
things to bring to the ceremony
• Give the groom’s
ring to the maid of honour, and ive the bride’s ring to the best man
• Simply follow your
schedule of events
• Relax and enjoy
your wedding!
