On your wedding day, you want everything to be picture perfect, after all, you only get one wedding–hopefully! With such a big day ahead of you it can be difficult to plan out all the details. There’s no better way to keep track of everything than with a wedding planning checklist.
The average cost of a New Zealand wedding is $35,000, which is no small price to pay, so it’s important that every detail is in place. In this article, we will go through a simple wedding checklist to ensure you don’t forget anything.
Whether you have yet to set a date or have a few months until you say I Do, it’s always a good idea to begin planning. Let’s get started.
Simple Wedding Checklist
Planning a wedding can be a daunting task, on average couples spend 14 months planning their wedding. Although wedding checklists can be as long as a veil train, it doesn’t have to be such a difficult task.
For easy planning, we broke this simple wedding checklist into time frames. Let’s dive in and start checking things off!
12 Months or longer ’till I Do
Although it can seem that your nuptials are a lifetime away, it’s never too early to start planning. From picking the date that you will celebrate forever to booking a venue, it’s time to get to work.
Decide on a wedding budget. It’s time to discuss if anyone is contributing to the wedding and if so, how much.
Pick your wedding date and decide on a venue. We’ve paired these two together because they go hand in hand. Often if you have your heart set on a specific venue, it is best to be flexible with your date and vice versa.
Mail out save the date cards. People get busy. You’ll want people to mark your wedding date off on their calendars.
Compile a guest list. Start with the essential people that must attend and grow the list from there.
Assemble your team of wedding professionals. Think about if you want to hire professionals to run the show or if you will DIY it. People to consider: wedding planner, photographer, videographer, caterer, florist, and musicians.
Choose your wedding party. If you are having bridesmaids, groomsmen, flower girls, maid of honors, now is the time to pick the crew and ask them.
Once you’ve got the essentials down, you are ahead of the game. Let’s move on to some smaller details.
9 Months ’till I Do
Now we are getting into crunch time, and this is the most important time to start the bulk of the wedding planning.
Purchase your wedding attire. Don’t forget about the veil, undergarments, and “Something Old, New, Borrowed, Blue.” Decide on bridal party’s attire. Some brides like to choose bridesmaid dresses that your girls will wear again and again for any occasion.
Send out wedding invitations. Once you get RSVPs, you can tailor the guest list.
Order the wedding cake. Justifiably the best part of wedding planning is the cake tasting.
Book Appointments. From hair to makeup to the spa, start booking all your consultations and treatments.
Plan your honeymoon. Statistics show that Hawaii is the #1 favoured destination for honeymoon couples. Where will you go?
You’re on a roll, let’s keep planning.
3 Months ’till I Do
At this point, you’re a wedding planner pro. Let’s check off the 3-month to do list.
Buy the rings. It’s a good idea to get insurance on them too.
Get alterations. If you’ve enlisted yourself in a fitness regime, it’s likely you’ve lost some weight for the wedding. Make sure your dress fits perfect.
Buy gifts. It’s common to give out wedding favours to your guests and give gifts to your wedding party.
The wedding is just around the corner, but there are still things left to do.
1 Month (Up Until the Night Before) ’till I Do
Not too much longer now; with a month or less to go, it’s now time to tie up any loose ends.
Three Weeks Before
Confirm. With the wedding approaching soon, it’s time to call all the suppliers to double check that everything is on schedule. No one wants a last-minute call on their wedding day saying that they double booked the caterer.
Finalize details. Confirm the seating charts for guests, the wedding speeches, and reception menu based on the guest list.
Arrange the wedding rehearsal. It’s a good idea to invite the bridal party and even some family and friends to dinner afterward to celebrate.
The Week Before
Break in your shoes. This is a crucial step in ensuring your wedding day and reception is enjoyable. Grab a pair of thick socks and a hairdryer and break those babies in.
Get your hair cut/coloured. This kind of maintenance is something you want to do close enough to the wedding but with enough time to fix your hair in case something goes horribly wrong.
Create your wedding emergency kit. Be sure to include the contact number for all of the vendors and hand it over to the best man or your maid of honor.
The Day Before
Mani & Pedis. Now’s the time to grab the girls and hit the salon for a last minute manicure and pedicure to ensure you look your best for your wedding photos tomorrow.
Relax. Take time for yourself to journal, meditate, or read. Enjoy this last moment before the big day.
Sleep. Hopefully, sufficient planning with this checklist will have you stress-free and off to bed early.
It seems like a lot now, but if you take this checklist, step by step, you’ll be a stunning bride in no time. Before you know it, the stress of planning your wedding will be over, and you’ll be a newlywed.
Time to Start Planning
The big day will be here before you know it and it’s time to start planning to ensure that getting hitched goes off without a hitch. Use this simple wedding checklist and keep your wedding nerves in check. We thought of everything, so you don’t have to!
For more inspirations for your wedding, check out Baby’s Breath Bridesmaids blog and follow us on Instagram @babysbreathbridesmaids.