Planning a wedding can be one of the most stressful, but exciting times of your life, there’ll be late nights choosing themes, early morning trips to the shops for décor and weekends spent meeting with suppliers. So, if you’re a bride-to-be and you’re not using a wedding planner, here is the checklist of tasks you need to tick-off to get you started.
Table of Contents
Get a Diary
Even if you’ve got a great memory, trust us when we advise you to purchase a diary. These little books can be as cheap as $10, or you can splurge upwards of $100 for something a lil’ more fancy.
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Agree on a Budget
Whether it is more than $50,000 or less than $10,000 you and your hubby need to agree on how much you are willing to spend on your wedding. Once you’ve picked the magic number, it’s time to start costing out the main aspects of your dream wedding, so you can get an idea on what you can and can’t afford.
Choose the Bridal Party
Another important wedding decision to make with your future groom is how many people you want in the bridal party, then it’s time to pick your bridesmaids and maid-of-honour. Start with friends and family members who you’ve known and loved for the longest – and remember, you want long-lasting friends in the party, not girlfriends who you’ll drift away from in five or ten years.
Start your Guest List
Remember the budget? Keep the dollar signs at the front of your mind when deciding on a guest list – the more people you invite, the more it will eat into your budget.
Get a Date
Now it’s time to pick the date you will celebrating every year for the rest of your life as your wedding anniversary. Timing is important because you don’t want your wedding day to clash with another friend or family member’s wedding day (so, if you know someone else planning their wedding, it might be a good idea to check when they’re planning on having their big day). Also, think about what month or season you’d like your wedding day and finally, check with the major suppliers you’re hoping to bring on board to ensure they have the date free (suppliers like venue, church, photographer and hair/beauty team are generally the best people to ask).
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Throw an Engagement Party
This is an optional extra, but most couples will throw an engagement party once the proposal has taken place to celebrate. However, if you’re planning a quick wedding (ie. 6-9months), it’s not completely necessary to host an engagement soiree, in fact, it can just cost more money that could’ve been spent on the wedding!
Book the Entertainment
You can search for entertainment through word-of-mouth (asking friends and family members if they know anyone), through a directory, or through a wedding expo.
Hire the Photographer
There is no strict guideline here, just make sure the photographer and videographer are open to doing the shoot your way.
Purchase a Dress
This is the most exciting part about planning your wedding and most girls have dreamed of their wedding dress for decades. A good place to start is by researching magazines, websites and Pinterest boards to broaden your horizon and find an aesthetic that suits you.
Launch a Wedding Website
If you’re a tech-savvy bride, consider registering for a wedding website. This website can store all of the details of your big day, be a place to host your gift registry and give guests somewhere to RSVP digitally.
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Wedding Stationery
With all your wedding planning a work in progress, it’s time to send out your invitations! Try different social media websites to find the right design and theme that suits your wedding and personality.
Bridesmaid Dresses
Once you’ve finalised things like theming, venue and your wedding gown, it’s time to pick out a dress for your best friends – the bridesmaids! If you’re finding it too hard to pick one dress that suits all of your bridesmaids’ body shapes, consider letting them wear different dresses, but in the same colour palette.
Plan
If you have a few minutes to yourself and you feel like everything is finalised, relax a little and think about the finish line: your wedding day from start to finish. How do you want your day to go down? When do you want your hair and makeup done by? Try to stick to that timeline as it will help you become less stressed on the day, if you are on track.
Order the Cake
Some cake makers and decorators need your wedding cake order at least six weeks in advance, so don’t leave it till the last minute. Organise to do some cake testing with your fiancé to choose the flavour and turn it into a fun date out together!
Finalise Vendors
With only a few months left till your wedding, you D-day is creeping up very soon. You should’ve already met with (or organised a date to meet with) your vendors including:
- Florist
- Baker
- Photographer/Videographer
- Makeup and hair stylist
- Officiant
- Venue hire management
It’s essential to meet with your suppliers before the big day, so you can be sure you’re both on the same page when it comes to your vision.
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