Planning for the day you get married can be tricky and overwhelming especially because it is a day that you have dreamt of for most of your life; as a little girl growing up, a teenager in love, and as an adult who is ready to commit.
The average couple stays engaged for 16 months before tying the knot, giving the bride-to-be 16 months to plan her dream wedding and partake in all of the celebration leading up to the wedding like the engagement party, kitchen tea and bachelorette. Sixteen months may seem like a long time to plan but one may underestimate the amount of time and planning that needs to go into planning a wedding. This article will guide you on the planning and preparation for your wedding.
Checklist to complete sixteen months before the wedding is scheduled to take place:
Get Organized.
You can start by getting organized. Get a folder or binder to ensure that all of your ideas, paperwork, lists, checklists, etc are all in one place for you to find when you need. Begin browsing through magazines, leaflets, Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram to start putting your ideas together and getting started with research and budgeting
Workout your budget.
Have a look at what your finances look like, count your pennies and collect your savings and family contributions; once you know how much you can spend you will need to get an idea of how much your dream day will cost.
Choose your wedding party.
Depending on the type of wedding that you would like to have traditionally you need to choose flower girls, ring bearers, a maid of honour, a best man, bridesmaids and groomsmen. This may seem like an easy task but could prove tricky when it comes to choosing between close friends and family. You will notice that once you get engaged everyone in your circle will be wondering and speaking about whose in.
Start the guest list.
When putting your guest list together you need to consider your budget because there will be a price per head, make a headcount database so that you can keep track of wedding invites, RSVP’s, Seating arrangements and thank you notes.
Hire a wedding planner.
If you feel like you need extra help with planning, you may decide to hire a wedding planner to assist but keep in mind that this comes at an additional cost. To keep costs down remember that you can take full advantage of your wedding party to assist you with planning, organizing and support.
Reserve your date and venues.
Reserving the perfect spot is key to achieving your dream wedding. We suggest making appointments to view the site at as many potential venues as possible is crucial because; as they say in business; the location is key. Also, keep in mind that there are plenty of couples planning their weddings and there is no guarantee that you will get the venue you want on the date that you and your partner have decided- book your venue and date as far in advance as possible and remember that the date can influence the price that you will pay for the venue.
Pay attention to detail.
The next step is to focus on creating the wedding you always dreamed of. It’s time to research photographers, florists, bakeries, musicians, and caterers.
Plan the engagement party.
Once all of the wedding planning is done, you can focus on being engaged. If you wish to celebrate your engagement, now is the time to plan the party. You will need a separate budget for the engagement party- one that doesn’t cut into the budget that you have put aside for the wedding.
Checklist to complete eight months before the wedding is scheduled to take place:
Hire the photographer & videographer who will capture every moment.
Would you like to have an engagement shoot before the wedding? Will you use the same photographer and videographer for the wedding and the engagement shoot? Once you have answered these questions, contact the photographers and videographers that you have shortlisted from the initial research and planning that you did. Once you have decided on a photographer and videographer, book them!
Book the entertainment.
You obviously want to keep your guests entertained during the celebration of your union. The entertainment can be anything from a band, DJ or musician – they will be responsible for creating the atmosphere and leading your guests into a state of celebrating. Entertainment is not limited to the music that you will play; you can also have the bridal party perform, or allocate a master of ceremonies to talk your guests through the celebration for example. Once you have decided on how to keep your guests entertained, book them!
Meet up with the caterers.
Decide on the type of food that you would like to serve at your wedding and find a catering company that gives you a taste of the perfect wedding menu.
Say “YES” to the dress.
You will need to go for a few dress fittings before the big day, you want to ensure that the dress fits you perfectly. It is recommended that you go for at least three dress fittings. Remember that if purchasing a wedding gown is out of your price range or perhaps you don’t see the point of purchasing a dress that you will only wear once, there is always the option of hiring a dress for your wedding day.
Reserve accommodation.
Reserve the honeymoon suite for you and your husband for after the wedding. If you are having a wedding which is out of town start booking out accommodation for your guests to ensure that they have somewhere to stay when they attend your wedding. A tip to booking accommodation is to reserve a few rooms and three different places at different price ranges to accommodate for any preference and pocket.
Work on your gift registry.
Take inventory of the things that you have, and add the things that you want or need to your registry. Add at least three different suppliers to the registry list.
Launch a wedding website.
Since we are in the fourth industrial revolution, having a website for your wedding is the new trend. You can use the website as an information hub and send your guests to the website as a means of a wedding invitation or a save the date. Your website can include the date, venue, pictures, a love story, really anything that you want your guests to know.
Checklist to complete six months before the wedding is scheduled to take place:
Select & purchase invitations.
If you aren’t sending digital invites and would prefer to do it the old-fashioned way, you need to give your guests at least 6 months’ notice of your wedding and even more if you are planning to have a destination wedding.
Honeymoon.
Your honeymoon is for you and your beloved to enjoy by yourselves, make the most of it and book a romantic honeymoon. Nowadays, newlyweds like to travel the world on their honeymoon but have a look at your budget and what you can afford. If you do decide to travel abroad for your honeymoon you and your partner need to make sure that your passports are up to date and that you have applied for a visa if need be.
Bridesmaids dresses.
You will need at least six months to find what you are looking for, order or make the dresses and have the bridesmaids fit them.
Meet with the professional who will be conducting the ceremony.
Dependant on your religion and the type of ceremony you want you will need an official to marry you and your partner. You need to ensure that you have the correct paperwork and the official documents for the ceremony.
Send “save-the-dates” to your guests.
You want to give your guests a ‘heads up’ so that they can make sure that they plan attendance at your wedding. Your “save-the-dates” will go out before you send your wedding invitations.
Make provisions for structural and electrical necessities.
Take into consideration portable toilets, lighting, extra chairs, and covering for an outdoor wedding in case of thundershowers. You need to look at the logistical requirements and make provisions for them.
Make an appointment with a florist.
Book a florist. At this point you should have a good idea of the type of wedding you want, you should have a few numbers of florists already gathered in your ‘wedding file’ its time to contact one and book them so that you can rest assured that your wedding will be filled with a bouquet of beauty.
Organize transportation.
Book transportation for you and your wedding party to the wedding venue.
Planning a timeline of the day.
Plan the schedule of events for the day of the wedding from the ceremony, to the reception, to cutting the cake, the first dance etc.
Checklist to complete five months before the wedding is scheduled to take place:
Start getting the wedding invites ready to send.
Ask the creator of the invites for the final draft and review them.
Get your wedding cake sorted.
Shortlist a few bakeries and try out a few sample flavours. Once you have decided on the flavour and design of the cake make sure to book the bakery.
Shop for your wedding shoes and start your dress fittings.
It is advisable to take your wedding shoes with to your fitting so that you can properly visualize your appearance for the day of your wedding. The height of the shoes will also determine whether the dress needs to be taken in.
Book appointments with hair and nail professionals.
Look for ideas on hair and makeup looks, you can find them in bridal magazines, on social media platforms and in catalogues. Ladies usually have a hair and beauty technician that they stay loyal to but for those who don’t have the number, ask people you know for referrals. Once you know what you want to schedule the trials and the service for the day of the wedding.
Choose your music.
Think about the type of music that should be playing to kick-off the party and the celebration.
Checklist to complete three months before the wedding is scheduled to take place:
Purchase or order wedding favours.
If you plan on giving your wedding guests wedding favours, you need to think about what you would like to get them and select a supplier that can organize them for you. Order your wedding favours so that you know that they will arrive in time for the wedding.
List the people who will be giving toasts.
It is important to know how many people will be giving a toast so that you have an idea of a timeframe. This is the point that you ask these people to prepare something for you.
Sort out the wedding bands.
It is getting closer to your wedding day; it is time to purchase wedding bands!
Checklist to complete a few weeks before the wedding is scheduled to take place:
Last dress fitting.
It’s the last time to make sure that your dress fits perfectly.
Finish up with final payments.
Finalize the last few things in preparation for the big day. I hope that at this point you have stuck to your budget as best you can.
Assign the seating for your guests.
You know how complex and complicated family feuds can be, knowing the ins and outs of your family you want to keep those who don’t get along apart.
Write your vows.
Now that most of the planning and preparation is done you can actually focus on enjoying the day. But first, it is time to write your vows.
Join in the union.
Its finally time for you to walk down the aisle, after months of planning the day has finally arrived and you can relax and enjoy every minute of it.
Vonve Bridal Couture.
Vonve Bridal Couture is a bridal boutique which keeps a beautiful collection of designer wedding dresses suited to make you feel just like a princess on your special day. The collection of wedding dresses that is kept at Vonve Bridal Couture is renowned due to the focus they have on innovation, style and fashion. Their dresses are unique, made from quality fabrics and have a great fit.
Looking for the perfect wedding dress for your special day? Contact Vonve Bridal Couture for a fitting.
Check out our awesome website for all you need to know: https://vonvebridal.co.za/.
