Checklist

9 – 12 Months Before Your Wedding
1. Select a wedding planner to help you avoid wasting time or money.
2. Begin thinking about the type of wedding you want to have. (Formal, informal, seated, buffet, afternoon or evening, etc.)
3. Throw an engagement party for your friends and family to announce your plans to marry.
4. Confirm ceremony date, time, and site with Officiant.
5. Set a preliminary budget.
6. Set the date.
7. Select attendants.
8. Reserve the reception site.
9. Select and book caterers, photographers, videographer, florists, musicians, and other service providers.
10. Begin compiling guest list.
11. Select wedding dress, headpiece, and bridesmaid dresses.
12. Start thinking about your honeymoon.

6 – 9 Months Before Your Wedding
1. Attend premarital classes.
2. Choose and order your dress accessories.
3. Order your wedding cake.
4. Register for china, gifts, etc.
5. Shop for a new home or apartment.

6 Months Before Your Wedding
1. Place deposits and sign contracts for wedding services.
2. Choose bridesmaid dresses and accessories.
3. Choose flower girl dress.
4. If traveling, make sure your visas and passports are up to date.
5. Complete honeymoon plans with groom.
6. Discuss rehearsal dinner with groom.

4 Months Before Your Wedding
1. Verify that the wedding gown, bridesmaid dresses, and flower girl dress have been ordered.
2. Make sure addresses for guest list are up to date.
3. Order invitations, announcements, and any other personal stationery.
4. Choose and order formal wear for groom and attendants.
5. Make sure all out-of-town male attendants have submitted their measurements to your formal wear provider.
6. Verify that both mothers have selected and ordered their dresses.
7. Investigate requirements for medical test and other records for your marriage license.
8. Design a map to direct guests to the ceremony and reception sites.
9. Complete registering.
10. Shop for trousseau.

2 Months Before Your Wedding
1. Schedule final fitting.
2. Finalize bridal registry.
3. Confirm ceremony details with your Officiant.
4. Finish addressing invitations and announcements.
5. Finalize wardrobe for showers, pre-wedding parties, and honeymoon.
6. Shop for gifts for bridal party.
7. Shop for accessories, such as shoes, stockings, garter, purse, cake knife, candles, and guest registration book.
8. Choose wedding rings and arrange for sizing and engraving.
9. Plan your bridesmaid party, luncheon, or tea. Provide them with a list of responsibilities and your expectations on the day of the wedding.
10. Schedule an appointment with your hairdresser and make-up consultant.
11. Finalize and verify all details with service providers directly or through your wedding planner.

6 Weeks Before Your Wedding
1. Mail invitations.
2. Confirm all attendants have been fitted for formalwear.
3. Set rehearsal and communicate time, date, and place to appropriate parties.
4. Make final menu decisions.
5. Discuss wedding photo shots with photographer and videographer.
6. Send announcement to newspaper.
7. Attend your Bridal Shower.
8. Write thank you notes for gifts.
9. Select readings and special passages for ceremony.

2 Weeks Before Your Wedding
1. Pick up wedding gown and confirm its fit and condition.
2. Take care of blood and medical tests, and marriage license requirements.
3. Finalize musical selections for the ceremony and reception.
4. Finalize seating chart for reception.
5. Print reception place cards.
6. Provide caterer with final head count.
7. Finalize timeline with your wedding planner for the day of the wedding.
8. Finish addressing announcements to mail on the wedding day.
9. Attend your Bachelorette get-together.
10. Prepare gift baskets or special notes of thanks to be delivered to your selected guests rooms.
11. Break in wedding shoes by wearing them around your home.
12. Write our toast for wedding reception and rehearsal dinner.

1 Week Your Before Your Wedding
1. Pick up wedding rings.
2. Give final guest count for the reception to your caterer.
3. Practice applying make-up for the wedding day, if doing on own.
4. Confirm details with all service providers.
5. Verify all bridesmaids and groomsmen have picked up their formalwear.
6. Confirm that all attendants know when to arrive at the rehearsal, rehearsal dinner, and wedding ceremony.
7. Confirm honeymoon plans.
8. Make a list of names and pronunciations for the Best Man to mention in his introduction, if appropriate.
9. Cancel newspaper and mail for while you are away.
10. Pay upcoming bills that will be due while you are away.
11. Pack honeymoon and purchase traveler’s checks.
12. Arrange to move belongings to new home.

1 – 2 Days Your Wedding
1. Review any special seating arrangements with ushers.
2. Groom to pick up formalwear.
3. Make sure marriage license is in hand.
4. Check all final details with caterer, florist, musicians, etc.
5. Manicure, pedicure, and spa as you like.
6. Confirm transportation.
7. Arrange for your wedding planner to receive an envelope of tips and fees for distribution to clergy and vendors.

The Night Before Your Wedding
Sleep, sleep, and sleep some more. You have the biggest day of your life ahead of you. You want to look and feel your best. Make sure to make time with family, especially parents to share memories of times gone by and to say thank you. Take photos of your last hours at home as a single person. Take some quiet time for yourself. Close your eyes and visualize every step of the coming day. This will relax you and help prevent unforeseen incidents.

The Morning Before Your Wedding
Have a small meal before leaving for the wedding. Don’t bring too many personal items that you have to worry about later. Stay calm. If you run behind schedule, take a deep breath and remember that the ceremony will wait for you! Your family and friends want to see you shine and not be frazzled because you are running late. Relax and let your happiness carry the day.

Countdown to "I Do"
2 Hours Before "I Do"
Groom, Best Man, and Groomsmen begin dressing.
45 Minutes...
Ushers arrive at the wedding site, pick up boutonnieres and programs, go over seating plans, and wait at the entrance for guests to arrive.
30 Minutes...
Pre-processional music begins playing, final check of marriage license, Mother and attendants leave for the wedding site, and ushers begin seating guests.
20 Minutes...
Groom and Best Man arrive, Father (or Bride’s escort) and Bride leave for the ceremony site.
5 Minutes...
Parents of Bride and Groom are seated according to wedding type and traditions.
1 Minute...
And now the moment you have been waiting for! The Officiant stands ready and the ceremony begins!! Your guests now rise to watch you make your entrance!!!
Smile! This is your moment!!!

After the Honeymoon
1. Report name and address changes to Social Security (Call 1-800-772-1213 or visit www.ssa.gov) and appropriate agencies and companies (i.e. driver’s license, utilities, etc.)
2. Preserve your flowers.
3. Preserve your gown.
4. Send thank you notes to your guests.