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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A Redditor named trehlo cut a hollow square into the pages of “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince,” then attached a ring inside the hollow section so it rested on top of the chapter titled “The Unbreakable Vow.”
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Whether you’re someone who likes to plan things down to the last detail or you just like to let things flow naturally, you should definitely try to write your own wedding vows. It will be so worth it!
We all wish it could be like the movies, where the bride or groom throws away the paper with all the notes they made and speak beautifully from their hearts, but it’s not that easy when it comes down to standing at the altar with all your family and friends watching.
So why not try a few of these tips in preparation for the big day and let your dream partner know exactly how you feel.
1. Jot down words describing how your significant other makes you feel.
2. Write down your favourite memory with your S/O, and tie it into how you knew you wanted to be together forever.
3. Think about all the qualities your partner has that you absolutely love, and write those down too.
4. Write down any promises you want to make to your S/O throughout the rest of your lives, but try to avoid cliches and keep things realistic.
5. Once you’ve gathered enough notes on your partner and your relationship, you can write your vows in a set format, or try to style it so that you are telling a story.
6. If you and your S/O are planning your vows together, try to set a tone and structure, but don’t worry about being formal. You want your feelings for each other to sound natural and not rehearsed.
7. While you may have endless amounts to say to your partner, you should try to keep it short and highlight the most important things you want to say to them.
8. Your vows are basically a public declaration of your love and promises to your S/O, so if you are struggling to find a way to structure your vows you can look for inspiration online, or even from movies (as long as it’s not too cheesy, unless you like that kinda thing).
9. Once you think you have written your vows the way you wish to say them (this can take you a number of tries), make a clean copy and practice them out loud.
10. If you want advice, and you aren’t worried about your partner knowing what you’ll say, you can even practice your vows with your partner to see if it works.
Image: @vsdartistry // Instagram