PLANNING GUIDE
BRIDE'S CHECKLIST
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- Shop with your fiance for your engagement ring.
- Announce your engagement to family and friends.
- Research sites and availability for the wedding ceremony and reception.
- Decide whether you will plan the wedding yourself or hire a consultant.
- Meet with and confirm availability of the person who will preform the ceremony.
- Set a date for the wedding.
- Prepare and send your engagement announcement to your local newspaper.
- Create a budget and determine who will pay for what.
- Reserve locations; making deposits and returning contracts according to terms specified.
- Determine the style of your wedding (formal, semi-formal, informal).
- Determine the size of your guest list.
- Ask both families to draw up their tentative guest lists.
- Select members for your wedding party.
- Meet with your hair stylist to discuss your best colors and wedding “look”.
- Decide on your wedding’s color scheme.
- Select your dress, headpiece, and accessories.
- Shop for bridesmaids’ dresses.
- Interview the professionals who will help with your wedding and contract for their services:
- Photographers
- Videographers
- Caterers
- Bakers
- Florists
- Musicians
- Rentals
- Schedule initial fitting for you and your bridesmaids.
- Check out special transportation choices such as a horse and carriage or special limousines.
- Choose invitation and stationery.
- Discuss honeymoon plans with your fiance. Pre-book honeymoon, if possible.
- Follow-up with key professionals who will help you with your wedding and contract for their services.
- Photographers
- Videographers
- Caterers
- Bakers
- Florists
- Musicians
- Rentals
- Locate hotels, and put a temporary hold on a block of rooms for out-of-town guests to make reservations.
- Make menu selections with the caterer or chef.
- Choose the wedding cake and groom’s cake.
- Decide on song selections with musicians.
- Sign up for dance lessons.
- Begin flower selections for bouquets, corsages, boutonnieres, and room decoration.
- Proofread invitations before they're printed.
- Register for gifts at you favorite stores.
- Find out how to get a marriage license.
- Select wedding rings.
- Apply for passports, if needed for your honeymoon.
- Send thank you notes for shower gifts.
- Decide whether or not to hire a calligrapher to handle invitation writing.
- Visit your dentist for a teeth cleaning/whitening.
- Address and stamp invitations.
- Send out invitations.
- Discuss rehearsal dinner plans with groom’s family. Schedule wedding rehearsal.
- Meet with your clergy.
- Double-Check all details with wedding vendors.
- Make salon appointments for yourself and bridesmaids for the day of the wedding
- Arrange for wedding day transportation.
- Finalize honeymoon plans.
- Shop for honeymoon wardrobe.
- Meet with the wedding guild chairperson from your church if you are planning a church wedding.
- Get forms for name change.
- Send change of address for to post office, if necessary.
- Prepare wedding announcements to be mailed, if appropriate.
- Purchase gifts for the wedding party.
- Purchase grooms gift.
- Record wedding gifts as they arrive, and write thank you notes.
- Attend final dress fitting.
- Select a guest book.
- Ask a friend to handle the guest book at the wedding.
- Make arrangements for flowers and gown preservation.
- Call guests who haven’t responded.
- Double check final details with vendors.
- Try out the hairstyle and makeup for your wedding day.
- Plan a seating arrangement for reception.
- Prepare reception place cards.
- Discuss ceremony seating with the best man.
- Prepare and send wedding announcement to newspaper.
- Check to be sure you have all the details:
- Ring pillow
- Cake knife
- Toasting goblets
- Favors for guests
- Flower petals or confetti for guests to throw
- Directions from church to reception
- Invite bridesmaids out for a luncheon.
- Pack suitcases for honeymoon.
- Confirm logistics of getting flowers to the preservation artist.
- Compile a list of guests you want photographs of for your album, give one copy to consultant and one to photographer.
- Have your nails and hair done.
- Attend the rehearsal and dinner.
- Get a good night’s sleep
- Have your hair and makeup done for the wedding.
- Enjoy the day and give yourself plenty of time.
- Affairtoremember.com
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