The Most Comprehensive Wedding Planning Checklist Ever!
At White Sparrow Barn, it seems we are forever creating a checklist for one task or another. But we are not complaining; creating a thorough checklist before diving into a task makes all the difference!
Keeping that in mind, here’s the mother of checklists we have compiled to take care of everything for your wedding – from guest lists to wedding shoes, we hope this makes your planning a breeze.
Twelve to Nine Months Before
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Begin leafing through bridal, lifestyle and food magazines for inspiration and start a wedding binder or folder.
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Envision your wedding and work out a budget. Establish your top priorities – where to save and where to splurge.
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Pick your wedding party, who do you want by your side at the altar?
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Compile your preliminary guest list.
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Assemble your planning team. Hiring a planner can make things easy.
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Find a venue for your ceremony and reception and reserve the dates.
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Research for an all-star vendor team starting with an officiant, caterer and photographer/ videographer.
Eight Months Before
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Continue interviewing and booking vendors and when you hire one make sure to put everything in writing.
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Create your gift registry and launch a wedding website.
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Book the DJ/Entertainment for your ceremony, cocktail hour and reception. Attend gigs of potential acts to see if you like them.
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Book the caterers; start looking for one now and hire by early next month.
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Think about, shop for and order your gown and schedule time for at least 3 fittings.
Seven to Six Months Before
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Select and purchase your wedding invitations.
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Start planning your honeymoon.
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Allow at least six months’ time for the bridesmaids’ dresses to be ordered and sized.
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Send out your save-the-date cards.
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By this time you will have figured out what your wedding palette will be so you can go ahead and book a florist.
Five to Four Months Before
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Book the rehearsal and rehearsal dinner venues.
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Ask for samples of finished invitations and tweak them to suit your needs.
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Attend several tastings then select and order your cake since some bakers require a long lead time.
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Bring your bridal shoes on your first dress fitting so your dressmaker and adjust the length of the gown.
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Make a few appointments with your local hair and makeup artists to try them out.
Three Months Before
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Since food and flowers are affected by the season, now is the right time to finalize them.
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Ask the loved ones you would like to give a toast at your reception.
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Finalize what you would like to have read at the ceremony and whom you wish to do the readings.
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Finalize the order of the ceremony and the reception.
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Purchase the rings now so you will have time for resizing and engraving.
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Send out first drafts of your event schedule to vendors which will give you time for feedback.
Two Months Before
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Meet with all vendors to confirm date, deposits and details.
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Send out invitations 6 to 8 weeks before the ceremony.
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Publish a newspaper wedding announcement and include a photograph!
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Enjoy a bachelorette party with your girlfriends.
One Month Before
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Enter RSVPs and meal choices into a database.
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Obtain marriage license and complete name change documents.
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Send out your rehearsal dinner invitations.
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Have your final dress fitting. Bring along your bridal shoes and accessories.
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Assign seating and create a seating chart or place cards.
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Write your vows.
Week of the Wedding
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Give your final head count to the caterer and all venues hosting wedding related events.
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Pick up your gorgeous wedding dress.
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Break in your new wedding shoes.
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Now is the time to book a spa for facial or massage.
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Reconfirm arrival times and finalize the wedding timeline with the vendors and the wedding party.
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Figure out final payments and tips for vendors and put them in clearly marked envelopes.
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Start packing for your honeymoon.