Tips for the bride how to stress fully organise your own wedding
HOW TO PLAN A WEDDING CORRECTLY
As a rule, planning a wedding takes 6 months, and I think this is enough time to please myself. Thus, you will get the opportunity to choose the best from the best suppliers.
In this article, I suggest a to-do list that may be useful to you. You can add or remove tasks necessary for your wedding. If something is irrelevant for your event, just cross it out! For those tasks that matter, try to adhere to the time frame, as far as possible, so that in the end you do not have to make all the preparations for six months, a month before the wedding. Delaying can lead you to a meager choice between a couple of available suppliers, to the biggest margins when ordering printed products at the last moment, and many other unpleasant consequences. This to-do list can be modified to fit your own plan, as it is already formatted in priority order.
The only task that cannot be done in advance is the seating of the guests, as in my experience, the number of guests changes until the last moment.
If you find yourself too busy, consider engaging your friends and family to help you with specific tasks. For example, if preparing compliments from newlyweds for guests is an impossible task, enlist the support of family members, let them do all the “preparatory work”. They will probably be delighted, because they love to be involved in such an important process. In assigning tasks, you always need to know the measure - make sure that you do not rely too much on a particular person so that no one is overloaded and does not fail the task.
TO-DO LIST
First stage.
Approve the budget.
Start compiling a guest list based on the budget you approved.
Choose a venue for your wedding. If you decide to celebrate the wedding, keep in mind that you can lose most of the guests from your list if you choose a place where it will be difficult to get.
Start exploring and visiting selected places. If you are planning a wedding, this is a good time to plan a visit to facilities. You may need to spend several days visiting possible wedding venues and rehearsal venues.
Make sure your passports are in order and get a phrasebook if you are considering options for a wedding abroad. You should also look at the latest news of the selected region to make sure that you have chosen a place for a wedding where there is no civil war and which does not suffer from natural disaster.
Set a date based on the location of your wedding. If you are not tied to a specific date, you can contact the administrators of the chosen place to help you determine the best date for the budget wedding (some places have lower prices during the off-season and on weekdays).
Choose a wedding company (those who help with the organization, bridesmaids, groom's friends, witnesses). Try to limit their number to reasonable limits, especially if your budget is limited. A large wedding company if it has three to five people.
Browse magazines and blogs for inspirational photos. Collect selected photos in the Inspiration section. You can also use a website such as Pinterest to compose a mudboard (Moodboard (English Moodboard - “mood board”) - a visual representation of any project, a collage consisting of fabric samples, drawings, sketches, illustrations, etc.) that set the tone for your wedding.
Start looking for wedding dresses to find out what suits you, which designers appeal to you. If you want to save money on a dress, try searching online for your favorite dresses. Once Wed and Recycled Bride sell used dresses online.
Start picking up wedding rings. You must definitely complete this task in person, and not search through the Internet.
Second stage
Choose a wedding venue and set a date.
Launch your wedding website.
Finish creating a guest list with your families.
Create a text for wedding invitations.
Find out what requirements are in the registry office, where you plan to register marriage.
Choose suppliers through magazines, websites, and as recommended by friends or site administrators for your wedding.
Try to narrow down the list to the three main rivals in each category, then have a conversation with each of the remaining suppliers to determine which one is most suitable for your wedding style, fits into the budget and you like it personally.
Select graphic designers from among the guests and / or invite designers.
Third stage
Hire a photographer! Try to do this as soon as you choose a date, as a good photographer, as a rule, needs to be booked far in advance.
Start looking for bridesmaids dresses. This is often a difficult part of the planning process, since there are no two similar bridesmaids, they all have their own strong opinions about what looks good on their body type, what colors they like, etc. A great way to avoid conflict: give your girls some options and let them decide for themselves. You can also consider sewing custom-made dresses at your local atelier.
Consider outfit options for the groom and groom's friends so that they blend in with the outfits of the bridesmaids and the design of the site.
Get samples of music for guest groups and music for the ceremony, or schedule a meeting with a DJ to discuss your musical preferences.
Find directions for your honeymoon.
Rehearse hairstyles and makeup. Try combining a hairstyle and makeup rehearsal with an evening date or photo shoot.
If you are going to do a pre-wedding photo shoot, schedule it. This is an amazing way to get to know your photographer better and get used to being under the camera lens. This is also a good time to ask for advice and see how your hair and makeup look in photos.
Start picking up wedding departures if you plan to get married away from home.
If you use the accumulated miles to book a ticket, make sure that you book early enough, because, as a rule, such tickets tend to be sold first.
Start picking hotels for you and your guests. Many large hotels will allow you to reserve a block for at least ten rooms.
Fourth stage
Hire a hairdresser and makeup artist for your wedding.
Hire a videographer.
Request invitations and thank you notes. Talk with your designer about the timing of the print production to avoid margins for ordering at the last moment.
Choose a florist.
Hire a lighting specialist if these services are not included in the rental of the selected site, or add custom-made lighting if you wish.
Hire a team of sound engineers to organize the musical accompaniment of the ceremony, live music, and / or DJ if this service is not provided for by the selected venue.
Complete your hotel reservation for your guests. As a rule, hotels give a free cancellation period. Make sure you mark the desired postponement date on the calendar and contact guests closer to that date, as you will not receive answers to your invitations by then.
If your witness (bridesmaid, maid of honor) and the witness (best man) have not yet begun to plan a bachelorette party and a bachelor party, now is the time to do it. In fact, there are no time limits when these activities should take place, so it may be better to coordinate them with the schedule of all participants.
Fifth stage
Complete the preparations for all your wedding dresses, including your wedding dress, bridesmaids dress, groom suits, and groom's friends. Make changes to the schedule as needed and start picking up accessories.
Book a transfer for guests, taking into account any possible trips around the city, and the fact that it will be a weekend. If the chosen date coincides with the time of the graduation parties, make a reservation well in advance to be sure of the priority of your order.
Think of gifts to each other. Do not forget to surprise the chosen one during the preparation and on the wedding day - it will fill with emotions and defuse the atmosphere.
Book rental chairs, tables, tents and textiles (tablecloths, chair covers) if the site does not provide these services.
End the discussion of floral design for the ceremony and reception with your florist. You should also talk with the florist about rented chairs, tables and textiles to get a professional opinion and make sure that they will be in harmony with the floral design.
Sixth stage
Sign the invitations or give them to the calligrapher. You can also order invitations with a designer print and digitally signed to save your time and nerves.
Order a wedding cake. It is important to combine the design of the cake with the other components of the wedding style, the decision on the design of which is mainly taken at this moment, at this point.
Order programs if you plan to print them in the printing industry. If you marry outdoors, take into account any vagaries of nature that may affect the course of the event (for example, if it is really windy, you should not plan to leave the printed programs on each chair without something that will not allow them to fly away). Also order signs, menu cards, accompanying cards, cards with table numbers and any other printed matter.
Complete your wedding compliments if you make them. This is not necessary if you have ready-made welcome packages for guests - it is up to you.
Attend dance classes with your fiancé if you plan on dancing to impress.
Plan your breakfast after the wedding if you want to spend it (second day). Usually the most convenient place for this is the hotel where most of the guests will stay, or your home.
Seventh stage
Send invitations.
Submit your marriage application (individually in each city / country).
Choose gifts for everyone who helps with the organization.
Select the oath texts for the ceremony. Consider passages from stories, poems, and poems that you like and mean a lot to both of you.
Choose music for the ceremony. Check the duration.
Select the appropriate songs for the reception, for example, for the first dance and the dance of the father and daughter, and at the end select a list of songs with a DJ and / or group.
Refine the list of frames with the photographer and / or videographer. Write down what, whom and when.
Decide what is needed for your image of the bride (place accents of beauty: manicure, extensions, painting, etc.) for the bride and guests of the wedding (girlfriends). Be careful not to choose something that you have never tried before. This means that if you never pluck your eyebrows, you should not start doing this the day before the wedding.
Arrange a bridesmaids lunch. This is a great chance to discuss the details of the wedding day and give gifts to girlfriends.
Eighth stage
Contact guests for answers to invitations.
Start working on a seating plan for the wedding and decide whether you will number tables and assign a place for each guest (more formally) or simply number the tables (less formally), so guests themselves will find a place at the appointed table.
Sign the accompanying cards and seat cards at the table (or hand them over to the calligrapher).
Wear your wedding shoes at home. It concerns both of you!
Find someone to look after your home while you are away for your wedding and / or honeymoon.
Decide whether you want to relax in the spa and sign up for the spa yourself or with your girlfriends.
Distribute and discuss all responsibilities and responsibilities for all parts of the event with girlfriends, friends, family members and the wedding coordinator.
Ninth stage
Discuss all remaining details with the suppliers of the products and other suppliers, including the final number of guests, which will also affect the reservation of wedding equipment (chairs, tablecloths, etc.) and the number of flowers ordered.
Take the finished wedding dress.
Confirm the order of the entire transfer for wedding guests and for your personal needs.
Visit your hairdresser for pre-preparations for your bridal style, such as cutting and dyeing your hair.
Let your loved ones and families know your honeymoon’s route, passport details and credit card information in case of emergency.
Rehearse the ceremony and invite everyone who is involved in it: who is walking along the aisle, standing at the altar or giving a speech - should be present. If the ceremony venue is not nearby, you can rehearse at a more convenient location. The most important thing in this process is to make sure everyone understands where, from where and with whom they are going, understand any musical signals, as well as what they will say during the ceremony.
Take finished printed products: programs, menus, etc.
Complete the seating plan and prepare (print) the accompanying cards and / or cards with seat numbers.
Pack for your honeymoon if you are leaving right after your wedding. Prepare tips and envelopes for settlement with suppliers.
Email wedding weekend itineraries to all guests.
Tenth stage
Look through all the details of the site, seating arrangements, rental equipment, music and transfers and do not forget to confirm this information, as well as any special details to your suppliers.
Transfer welcome booklets and / or welcome gifts to the hotel rooms where guests will be staying.
Visit the beauty salon for the final preparations of your look.
Send reminders and thank you notes to everyone involved in the wedding event.
Take part in the rehearsal of the ceremony with the guests to “run through” the timing, placement, docking according to the schedule (schedule).
Have a rehearsal dinner and enjoy! This is a great way to start celebrating your wedding weekend.
Prepare gifts for your guests, the groom and your family members.
Important dates to be noted on the calendar. Include, but not limited to:
- Bachelor party
- hen-party
- Bridesmaids Lunch
- Rehearsal ceremony
- Confirmation of the reservation (dates of arrival-departure) to the hotel
- Prepayment
- Determination of the final number of guests
- Flight Information
- Hotel reservation term for guests
- Sign and send invitations
- Meetings with suppliers
- Making interim payments
- Current seating
- Site visit
- Spa treatments
- Transfer Information
- Go to places (where the wedding will be)
- Wedding day
