Your wedding planning timeline is a marathon, not a sprint. Here’s how to stay sane and make sure everything – from the big stuff to the tiniest detail – gets ticked off your list.
12+ MONTHS BEFORE
1. Create a wedding file or make a Pinterest board to keep track of all your ideas and inspiration.
2. Work out your budget.
3. If you’re going to hire a wedding planner, do that now.
4. Choose your date and reserve a venue (one of these is likely to depend on the other).
5. Book the venue for your reception, if it’s going to be different to the ceremony venue.
6. Choose the wedding party.
7. Start planning your guest list.
8. Book your officiant.
9. Choose and book an MC (see tips on page 40).
10. Have an engagement party, keeping in mind that anyone invited to this should also feature on your wedding guest list.
9-12 MONTHS BEFORE
1. Order your dress or book a designer.
2. If they’re not included in your venue hire, choose a caterer.
3. Book your DJ or entertainment (including ceremony musicians).
4. Research and hire a photographer and videographer.
5. Book your florist.
6. Reserve accommodation for out-of-town guests and pay deposits.
6-9 MONTHS BEFORE
1. Meet with your officiant to make sure you have all the necessary paperwork covered.
2. Have invitations made.
3. Send out save-the-dates.
4. Start organising bridesmaids’ dresses, groomsmen’s suits and flower-girl outfits.
5. Start planning your honeymoon (including renewing your passport and getting any required vaccinations).
4-6 MONTHS BEFORE
1. Fit and purchase your rings.
2. Do tastings and order your cake.
3. Buy your wedding shoes (and start taking them to dress fittings).
4. Book your hairstylist and make-up artist.
5. Plan the big-day timeline.
6. Start choosing the playlist.
7. Contact rental companies for anything your venue isn’t providing, from seat covers to fancy Portaloos.
8. Book the venue for your rehearsal dinner.
9. Compile your registry.
3 MONTHS BEFORE
1. Finalise the menu.
2. Finalise the flowers.
3. Order wedding favours, if you’ll have any.
4. Choose people to give toasts
5. Buy your wedding lingerie.
6. Make your vendors aware of the day’s schedule (they may have helpful feedback).
7. Hire wedding-day transport.
8. Book your spa treatments for the week of your wedding.
2 MONTHS BEFORE
1. Send out invitations.
2. Meet with your photographer to discuss specific shots, locations and people to be photographed.
3. Do a trial hair and make-up run.
4. Have menus and programmes printed.
5. Write your vows.
4 WEEKS BEFORE
1. Make a list of your RSVPs and follow up with anyone who has not yet responded.
2. Make a seating chart and have place cards printed.
3. Have your final dress fitting. You should bring along your maid of honour so she can learn specifics such as how to lace your corset or bustle your train (we’re not kidding).
2 WEEKS BEFORE
1. Let your venue contact know about any special vendor requests, such as additional power outlets for the DJ or refrigeration for the cake.
2. Send your DJ your final playlist, including any songs you definitely don’t want to hear.
3. Have your pre-wedding haircut and colour.
4. Wear in your wedding shoes.
5. Stock the bar.
THE WEEK OF
1. Give venue and caterers a final headcount.
2. Confirm times, dates and final details with every vendor.
3. Hand over programmes, menus and place cards, and any hired or DIY decor, to your reception manager.
4. Delegate wedding-day and post-wedding tasks – someone to be in charge of getting your gifts home, someone to handle rental returns while you’re on honeymoon.
5. Pick up your dress!
6. Make sure the bridesmaids’ dresses, groomsmen’s suits and flower-girl attire are ready to go.
7. Pack for your honeymoon.
8. Make final payments to vendors, and prepare cash tip envelopes for waitstaff on the day.
9. Organise snacks and drinks for the dressing rooms.
THE NIGHT BEFORE
1. Rehearse the ceremony with your wedding party, immediate family and officiant.
2. Introduce the manager of your reception venue to the best man and maid of honour, or whomever you’ve delegated as the go-to person for any questions or problems during the reception.
THE BIG DAY!
1. Give the wedding bands to the best man and maid of honour.
2. Eat breakfast, stay hydrated and don’t rush!
Image: Unsplash
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Classic black dress shoes aren’t your only footwear option. Here are 5 wedding shoes for men to suit any attire. Keep things fresh by opting for a shoe in brown or grey instead of classic black.
1. BROGUES
A low-heeled shoe with sturdy leather uppers and perforated and serrated edges. These come in a variety of styles but the most popular is the semi-brogue, which features a decorative toecap.
2. LOAFERS
A slip-on shoe that often sports a tassel or leather strap across its upper (it’s then known as a penny loafer).
3. ANKLE BOOTS
Widely worn by both men and women, ankle boot styles range from shoe boots, which skim the ankle, to Chelsea boots, which fit closely around the ankle, and even boots that cover the lower part of the calf.
4. SANDALS
Open footwear with straps over the instep and sometimes also around the ankle. Not to be confused with the flip-flop, which is best reserved for other less formal occasions.
5. MONKS
Also called monk-straps, these dress shoes sport a buckle and strap instead of laces and can be found with cap toes, as brogues, and in both suede and leather.
Images: Pinterest
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Flowers (and more recently, a flower theme) have been a part of wedding ceremonies for as long as we can remember. It is believed that in certain European countries women would carry bouquets to mask the scent of not having bathed for a few months.
Nowadays, florals are a huge part of the decor and, of course, the bridal and bridesmaids’ bouquets. Typically, florals fit into your specific wedding theme or colour palette, or your entire theme can revolve around your flowers and other natural elements.
So how should you choose your floral arrangements? We have 7 easy steps to help you create the floral setting you’ve always dreamed of.
FIRST THING’S FIRST
Decide on your budget and whether you want to go big or small. If florals fall into your theme, you’ll want to set aside a larger portion of your budget to them.
GET INSPIRED
Try to research designs or arrangements you want to see at your wedding, while still keeping an open mind and have at least two extra options. Pinterest is a great app for finding all the inspiration you need!
RESEARCH
While looking for inspiration, you should also start to familiarise yourself with the kinds of flowers you want to have at your wedding, whether they’re in season, and their basic information. It will really benefit you when you meet with a florist and you understand the terminology.
FIND A FLORIST
Before picking a florist, make sure you research their work and pricing to ensure that you go with someone whose style will match your desired theme. Also keep your options open here, and make several consultations with different florists to get a feel for what would suit you best.
BOUQUET
If you or your fiancé plan to carry a bouquet, make sure that this is your starting point, as it features as a big element on the day. You ideally want the bouquet to match the wedding dress, and can design your flower arrangements from there.
SCENTED
When picking your flowers, you also need to consider whether you want scented florals or not. The idea of a lovely sweet scent in the venue seems tempting, but it may affect some of the guests. When you send out your invitations, ask guests to let you know if they have any allergies so that you can avoid any unpleasant experiences on the day.
PLAY MATCHY
While not everything has to be perfectly coordinated, it is elegant to match your flowers to your wedding style. Whether it be formal, playful or mystical, flowers can really emphasize the atmosphere you want to have on your big day.
“A flower cannot blossom without sunshine, and man cannot live without love.” – Max Muller
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You’ve got each of your big day invitations signed, sealed, and ready to be delivered to the final destination in one pretty little piece — that’s the hope, at least! After spending a few months working on your stationery, you probably feel like you know everything there is to know about those paper products. But before you head to the post office to ship out your invitations, there are a few major thing you need to consider that may have never crossed your mind. So, without further ado, here are five things to do to make the most of your mailing.
1. Tissue paper inserts aren’t just for good looks. While placing tissue paper between the layers of your stationery suite can increase your costs, it also helps prevent the ink from smudging. If you chose to use a darker colored ink on your invitations or you went with thermography, your cards could rub together as they make their way through the mail. If it’s not too late, add a bit of tissue paper to ensure your pretty paper arrives in pristine shape.
Photo Credit: Esmeralda Franco Photography on Wedding Chicks via Lover.ly
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2. Square invitations require more postage. Due to the abnormal shape, square envelopes require more postage to mail. While this isn’t a huge monetary difference (about 20 cents per card, depending on the size) you can easily cut a couple of extra dollars by opting for a regular ol’ rectangular envelope. If you’re looking for other ways to save on your invitations, opt for an RSVP postcard rather than a traditional mail-in response card, as the cost of a postcard stamp is less than a normal stamp.
Photo Credit: Ben Q Photography on Wedding Chicks via Lover.ly
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3. Never lick the adhesive to close your envelopes. To avoid having one of your precious invites open en route, reinforce the closure method on your envelopes by using glue or some other super strong adhesive. Licking is not only hard on your mouth (the taste! paper cuts!), it also doesn’t guarantee the package will arrive in one piece. For a pretty touch, add a sticker or piece of washi tape, but don’t rely on these things as the main closure method. They can fall off or catch on other items during delivery.
Photo Credit: Katelyn James Photography on Grey Likes Weddings via Lover.ly
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4. Always take your cards inside the post office. For extra peace of mind (and to avoid risking your invitations having to battle the elements), never drop them off in a street-side mailbox. If you hand them to a person at the post office directly, they are less likely to get damaged in transit, and you can ensure you’ve done everything correctly, from the postage to the writing of the addresses. This is an especially important step if you’re using vintage stamps — they can be tricky!
Photo Credit: Pat Moyer on Inspired By This via Lover.ly
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5. Ask the post office to hand cancel your stamps. Instead of letting the post office run the invites through a machine-operated sorting system (which marks the envelope with thick lines in the top right corner and may damage the envelope in the process) ,ask them to “hand cancel” your invitations. This means that they’ll use a special ink stamp to mark your invitation, and they’ll sort it by hand, reducing the risk of the damage. While some post offices refuse to do this, most are flexible if you pop in during a slow time.
