Wedding Checklists, the best guide to plan your wedding

It is no secret that planning a wedding can be a very expensive proposition. As a result, many people are tempted to forgo planning traditional weddings that can run $30,000 or more. Instead, they are simply opting for small and modest weddings. There is nothing written in stone that dictates exactly how to plan a wedding. Your planning is clearly up to you, and that means you can structure your big day in any fashion that you see fit.

Having a small wedding means deciding in the beginning stages that you are going to scale back your wedding arrangements to a more modest level. If you are following the steps on a traditional wedding planning checklist, you may even find that some of the suggested arrangements are no longer necessary. Wedding checklists often presume that you are planning a large expensive wedding, so you can skip or ignore steps that are not within your budget.

First you need to decide how many people you are going to invite to your wedding. This is a key point that will obviously affect every other aspect of your planning. Deciding who is and who is not invited to your wedding needs to be at the very top of your wedding to do list. This means that you must determine who must be invited, as compared to which individuals are (for lack of a better term) a “non-essential invite.”

Remember that planning a wedding can be fun if you approach it from the right perspective. Planning a small wedding opens up the possibility of incorporating a little travel into your plans. Perhaps you are only planning on inviting a handful of close family and friends. If this is the situation, then everyone might be able to accompany you to an exciting travel spot. In this way, you can make your wedding even more memorable. For example, imagine having your wedding on a black sand beach in Hawaii.

Realize in advance that you may have to explain to many friends, acquaintances or even relatives the fact that you are having a small wedding. Most people will understand that you are keeping things low-key in order to save money. Taking a few moments to personally explain to people why you are keeping your wedding small might also be a good idea.

Due to the potentially political nature of weddings, one of the key factors is making sure that no one is offended. By its very definition, having a small wedding means that fewer people are invited. With this in mind, make sure that people understand that your wedding is limited to just a handful of people. This way there will be no hurt feelings and you can enjoy your small, but intimate wedding with no regrets.

Are you looking to save some costs with your wedding? Many couples have been looking to plan their wedding reception on their own as a way to reduce the budget. There is no reason that with a little thought and a little wedding planning “magic,” you can’t plan a reception on your own that will be seamless and memorable. After all, it’s your wedding and probably one of the most important days of your life. Why not have a major hand in planning your own wedding details? You will find that planning a wedding reception will be an enjoyable process. In the end, you may very well be glad you didn’t hand the job over to a traditional wedding planner.

Your friends and relatives are coming to your wedding because they care about you. If you put your personal touch on the wedding reception, your guests may appreciate this event even more. Although learning how to plan a wedding reception may seem intimidating at first, the fact of the matter is that this process really is quite simple. It just means relaxing, prioritizing and keeping organized.

In order to handle the array of details that come with planning a wedding reception, a wedding checklist is a necessary place to begin. Once you take a look at your wedding checklist, you will have an easy reference point listing all the items you need to handle. This wedding planning list will include key wedding items like centerpieces, wedding cake, flowers, videographers, food, etc. Although these items all seem obvious on the surface, when you are caught up in the thrills of planning your big day, it is easy to forget one of these essential items. Again, make sure you keep organized and levelheaded.

While you are looking over your wedding checklist, at the same time it is a good idea to decide on your budget. You and your partner can decide together what wedding items you are willing to spend more money on, and which areas you might want to conserve costs by scaling back upon.

For example, perhaps you have a good friend who might want to donate wedding videography services to your wedding. You may have guests on the list that you and your partner both don’t feel as essential to invite. If you and your partner feel that the reception hall is a key item to spend some money, go ahead and follow your instincts. Feel free to get creative, and make your budgeting decisions as a couple. Sometimes the things that guests remember most about a wedding reception are due to “out of the box” thinking that was designed to save money.

The key to how to plan your wedding reception is to keep your wedding checklist handy, because this list will remind you when it is necessary to do what in the wedding planning process. The wedding checklist will keep you from forgetting anything essential to your wedding reception’s success.

If you liked this article about planning a wedding reception, you’ll find our wedding reception checklist very usefull.

You can also have a look at our Recommended Wedding Suppliers to find some of the best wedding vendors in quality and price from the comfort of your home.

The wedding timeline checklist is the main checklist most couples search for when planning their wedding. The To-Do-List is organized from 9-12 months before the wedding until the first days after the wedding.

Don’t feel overwhelmed by all the To-Do-Things pointed out here. Just pick the ones that best suit your dream wedding.

9-12 months before the wedding

• Officially announce your engagement
• Decide on who pays for what and set an overall budget
• Set a wedding date (consult with registry office and officiant)
• Decide on the type of wedding (formal, semi-formal, informal…)
• Book reception site (liability insurance necessary?) and arrange parking
• Book ceremony location (liability insurance necessary?)
• Decide whether you need/want pre-marital counseling
• Get some useful wedding checklists or prepare your own ones
• Hire wedding planner if you wish
• Start first draft of your guest list

6-9 months before the wedding

• Announce wedding date (especially for out-of-town guests)
• Start shopping for wedding dress, shoes, jewelry etc.
• Decide on bridesmaids dresses
• Organize (flower) decoration and bouquets
• Hire catering service
• Hire wedding photographer/videographer
• Hire DJ/band
• Choose officiant and discuss ceremony process
• Start thinking about gift registry options
• Reserve hotel rooms (in varying price ranges) for out-of-town guests
• Have an engagement party if you wish
• Book honeymoon

4-6 months before the wedding

• Select and order wedding invitations and stationery
• Choose wedding cake
• Discuss menu ideas with catering service
• Arrange for rental items (arches, candelabras, china, crystal, flatware…)
• Buy wedding rings
• Organize groom’s tux and decide what groomsmen will wear
• Make sure bridesmaids ordered their gowns and decide on accessories
• Look for wedding favors
• Confirm dates for bridal shower and bachelorette parties
• Start registry (before sending bridal shower invitations)
• Get ideas for wedding hair and makeup
• Organize helpers (readers, musicians, guest book attendant etc.)
• Organize additional management staff, babysitters etc.
• Give guest list to shower hostesses
• Decide whether you want wedding insurance

2-4 months before the wedding

• Finalize guest list and send invitations
• Select place for rehearsal dinner
• Finalize rehearsal dinner plans
• Finalize menu
• Select music for ceremony, reception etc.
• Book makeup artist and hairstylist
• Check tuxes for groom and groomsmen have been ordered
• Organize wedding transportation (for you and your guests)
• Order wedding favors
• Find gifts for each other, your attendants, shower hostess, parents etc.
• Purchase bridal party gifts
• Purchase wedding accessories (candles, baskets, ring pillow etc.)
• Check registry regularly (there always have to be enough options left)
• Joint bank accounts, insurance, merging of money…
• Start preparations for honeymoon
• Send invitations 8 weeks before wedding date

1-2 months before the wedding

• Have first bridal gown fitting
• Schedule a final fitting for your gown so it can be ready for formal bridal portrait
• Finalize ceremony readings, songs, etc.
• Design wedding programs
• Meet with officiant to finalize ceremony
• Arrange “Bridesmaid Luncheon” and other “Pre-Wedding Parties”
• Write vows
• Set appointment with photographer for your formal bridal portrait.
• Prepare photo and video shot list
• Check requirements for blood test and marriage license in your state
• Discuss and finalize details with wedding service providers

3-4 weeks before the wedding

• Get marriage license (normally no earlier than 30 days before wedding)
• Arrange name change
• Mail rehearsal-dinner invitations
• Meet with stylist to discuss makeup and hair
• Confirm hotel arrangements for out-of-town guests

1-2 weeks before the wedding

• Call guests who have not responded to invitation
• Make final payments for all services that require payment
• Have final wedding gown fitting
• Finalize wedding-day schedule and share with attendants, parents and all vendors
• Pick up wedding dress and make sure all accessories are together
• Reconfirm all wedding plans: ceremony, reception site, florist, photo-/videographer, musicians, DJ, baker, honeymoon
• Give caterer/reception site final head count
• Provide wedding party and out-of-town guests with itinerary and maps
• Prepare emergency kit with needle, thread, safety pins, tape, mirror, etc.
• Give someone at home emergency numbers of honeymoon locations, credit card numbers etc.
• Finalize seating arrangements
• Prepare place cards
• Prepare “wedding box” for ceremony accessories
• Prepare “reception box” for reception accessories
• Prepare wedding favors for transportation
• Complete seating plan for reception
• Confirm all rental and floral delivery dates and times
• Confirm arrival times for attendants
• Pack for wedding night and honeymoon

The day before the wedding

• Prepare payment envelopes, choosing who is responsible for each one
• Hand out assignment lists and checklists to ensure everyone knows their tasks
• Hand out ceremony box to appropriate person
• Hand out reception box to appropriate person
• Hand out favor box to appropriate person
• Give rings to best man
• Gather wedding dress and all accessories
• Get a manicure, pedicure, massage
• Rehearse ceremony with officiant and wedding party
• Confirm flight arrangements for honeymoon
• Compile an emergency list of all wedding vendors with phone numbers

The wedding day

• Try to eat breakfast
• See hairdresser
• Have makeup applied
• Don’t forget rings (if you haven’t given them to best man) and wedding license
• Take a relaxing bath

After wedding

• Get wedding gown cleaned and preserved
• Preserve bouquet
• Write and send thank-you notes
• Complete process of name change
• Finalize gift registry
• Meet with photographer/videographer to finalize albums/video

If you already feel like having a look at some of the best wedding vendors out there, check our recommended wedding suppliers to find what you are looking for from the comfort of your home.

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I learned quite a few things during my wedding planning process. Planning a wedding is like many things in life, you learn by diving in and going through the process. One thing I learned was creating wedding checklists ahead of time can seriously save you money in the long run. Organization makes a huge difference.

When I was going through the wedding planning, I actually started writing my wedding checklist about a year ahead of time. Yes, some couples don’t even know that they are getting married that far in advance. Obviously many weddings are planned as more of a spur of the moment romantic decision. However, if you happen to have the luxury of some additional planning time like I did, you will find you will be pleased with your decision to make wedding checklists.

My wedding checklists allowed me to write the estimated cost and final cost of all my wedding expenses. In fact, the checklist made sure I accounted for all areas of my wedding I might have otherwise forgotten. For example, I was completely on top of many of the obvious wedding planning expenses. I had already thought through decoration, accessories, my dress and makeup (of course), and the photographer and easily checked these expenses off on my wedding checklist.

However, there were items I had completely overlooked. When I put together my wedding checklist I realized I had left out some items I just didn’t know about, because I had never planned a wedding before. I would have totally forgotten the rental equipment, the chairs, tables, technical equipment and tents if it hadn’t been for my wedding checklist. When I compiled the list, I realized these items would have never crossed my mind. I was able to look into these rentals a year in advance, and this advance time allowed me to shop for the best prices. If I had forgotten about the rentals, and tried to negotiate these rentals at the last minute, it would have cost me a lot more money. You know that stores always love to hike up prices on last minute shoppers.

As obvious as it sounds, many couples actually forget to budget for their honeymoon! I know it sounds crazy. However, when I saw “honeymoon” on my wedding checklist it was a real eye-opener for me. Everyone knows you can really cut down on travel costs by booking in advance. Through arranging our hotel and flight, we were able to save at least a thousand dollars on the total cost of our wedding.

I know for a fact that if I hadn’t seen “honeymoon” on my wedding checklist, there would have been no way I could have remembered to go ahead and pay for it months in advance. As a result, we very likely could have eaten up our honeymoon budget on last minute wedding planning expenses. Again, my wedding checklists saved the day by reminding me of all the important parts of wedding planning that should not be overlooked.

If you liked this article about checklists, feel free to use any of the wedding checklists we have at your disposal on the left.

Or check our Recommended Wedding Suppliers to find some of the best wedding vendors in quality and price from the comfort of your home.

So, the time has finally arrived. You and your partner have decided to tie the knot. Before deciding who should plan and organize your marriage ceremony and wedding celebration, one of the most critical things is for both parties to be on the same page about what the events represent and symbolize. Having a joint definition will help you establish a joint vision of how you want the day(s) to unfold and how to best go about arrangements.

Most people would love to have a wedding planner take the stress of planning their wedding off their hands – especially if the celebration is to be quite elaborate. Others like to keep the event intimate with every detail taken care of by the couple itself. And, well, let’s be honest. There is the third scenario: you would like to have an elaborate celebration but can’t afford a wedding planner, so you’re left doing it yourself. Truth be told, the last was the category we fell into.

While my partner and I seemed to be on the same page, knowing him a little better now than I did then, I’m sure he would have passed on numerous elements, but chose to humour me and my desires, knowing that I was the stereotypical girl who had dreamed of meeting her Prince Charming and having a most elegant wedding. Having learned from the experience, this is why a unified understanding and vision is quite important. In order for us to have the wedding I dreamed of, we ended up doing pretty much all of the planning and organizing ourselves. I was lucky I had a tremendously patient fiancé and very “hands-off” relatives, but it doesn`t surprise me that some couples end up breaking off the engagement during the planning phase.

Here is our list of advantages and disadvantages to planning your own wedding:

Advantages of Planning Your Own Wedding

You can take full credit for the event.
You have full ownership of everything.
You add a personal touch to everything.
You get to know each other (and each others’ families) better.
You can assemble a good, solid team that can assist and decrease the stress.
You can explore your individual and joint creativity.
You can produce a very unique, unconventional event.
You can assemble wedding checklists to help keep you on track.
You can save money.
You may overpay a professional for things you could have done yourself.

Disadvantages of Planning Your Own Wedding

You may blame each other for mishaps.
You may not have time to do everything yourself.
You may not have the flawless event you had hoped for because you relied on others.
You and your families can get on each other’s nerves.
You may not have as many resources as professional planners .
You may have to deal with glitches and crises yourself on the day of the ceremony/celebration
You may have to deal with not only yourself and getting ready, but also managing the behind-the-scene glitches.
You may miss out on organizing something if you haven’t had it on your list.
You may not get the quality that you would like.
You may go over budget, unaware of the overall costs.

That having been said, if you are set on having a professional do your planning and organizing, but can’t afford it, maybe you need to scale down your celebration or put it off until finances allow.
But if you prefer to plan your wedding yourself, make yourself a favor and make the process easier by using wedding checklists.

You can also have a look at our Recommended Wedding Suppliers to find some of the best wedding vendors in quality and price from the comfort of your home.

You may heard that the average cost of a single wedding is around $27,000..
Now get ready for this one.
Can you believe that the average cost of a SECOND wedding is around $12,000?
In other words, the first timers (probably without any experience) spend more than twice of what the second timers spend.
That tells me that having experience can save you more than $10,000.

Of course, there may be other factors like number of guests and wedding qualities. But I guarantee that experience and know-how’s are the main factors.

If you want to know how you can save $1,000’s or even $10,000’s for your wedding, I strongly recommend that you read Erica Yoon’s Amazing Wedding Planning guide. She has saved over $10,000 on her wedding and reveals just exactly how she did it.
And she will also layout the process in easy to follow step-by-step so you can duplicate the process.

For more information… visit her website or start planning your wedding with useful checklists.

You choose whether you want to spend $27,000 or $12,000.

Have a look at our Recommended Wedding Suppliers to find some of the best vendors in quality and price from the comfort of your home.