Getting engaged can bring in a lot of happiness and excitement. But along with this, there might be a little pressure that comes along too, especially when it comes to sorting out your plans and making decisions for the upcoming wedding.
While some brides find it thrilling to plan their wedding, some may find it a little intimidating, especially considering the number of tasks to accomplish and things to finalize. From picking the date and time, to booking the perfect location, to researching chic wedding ideas, to finalizing the guest count and seating chart, and many more.
To make sure that your big day goes off without a hitch, here are some things that you should have on your wedding planning checklist.
- Timeline Of Activities
The first thing you need to have on your checklist is a detailed timeline and sequence of activities. Part of the whole wedding planning process should involve plotting out important milestones you have to accomplish, as it allows you to stay on track with your schedule before the wedding day.
You can start your checklist by noting down different activities you have to accomplish per month. For instance, a year before the wedding, your checklist should tell you that you must decide on a date already. To be flexible, you can consider 3 dates for your big day. Additionally, you must have booked a wedding venue already too. Since the venue is a critical part of any wedding and considering that some venues get booked easily, ticking this off your list first thing can significantly smoothen the entire wedding planning process.
Another thing to finalize during the earlier period of wedding planning is your guest count. Having a defined guest list allows you to see the bigger picture- are you planning to have a big wedding or just a small and intimate occasion? By pinning down your expected guests, you can better decide on which venue is appropriate for your event. Additionally, this can help you determine the headcount needed to finalize catering and seating arrangements as well.
Then months before your wedding, your checklist should be informing you about making necessary arrangements for your wedding party, bridesmaid dresses, makeup artists and hairstylists, photographers, florists, and more. Additionally, don’t forget about the pre-wedding events too, such as engagement celebrations, shower parties, and your rehearsal dinner.
- Preferences Of The Bride And Groom
Aside from sorting out the timeline of activities and tasks for your wedding, it is also important that you add some personal touches. This allows you to customize the whole occasion according to how you envision your big day to be. You can add your personality by incorporating your preferences. For instance, you can choose a peony wedding bouquet, and a color palette based on your favorite color. You can also customize your wedding cake, depending on your favorite flavor and cake design.
Apart from personalizing the overall theme and motif of your wedding, you can also customize other elements such as music. For instance, are you getting a band or a DJ? If you are opting for the latter, you can note specific genres or even create a playlist you wished to be played on your big day.
However, if there’s no specific preference or wish list coming from the couple, you can list down certain dislikes instead.
- Other Wedding Essentials
Once you’ve already finalized your wedding plans and preferences, sorting out the technical details and aspects of the wedding should come next.
For instance, after deciding on a motif, you can start choosing designs for your save-the-dates and invitations. In this digital age, you can opt for e-vites, instead of printing actual invitations.
Additionally, you can also start listing down items for your registry. Having a registry is a great way to ensure that the wedding gifts you’ll receive are things that you actually want and need. This is not only beneficial to you, but your guests as well.
If your budget permits, you can consider planning and deciding on wedding favors to commemorate your big day. To make it more special, you can have customized gifts to give to your guests, or you can opt for simple tokens such as wine, candles, or indoor plants such as succulents.
Conclusion
Planning a wedding can be an exciting adventure for soon-to-be-wed couples, yet it can be a tedious and stressful process. A lot of things have to be sorted out and finalized and that is why planning the big day as early as a year before can be beneficial.
That said, you can consider the must-haves above to help you on your wedding planning journey.