Wedding
Planning Schedules Planning Canadian Weddings
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Wedding Planning Schedule / Wedding Planning Checklist
Your Wedding Planning
Schedule
A
complete wedding schedule is a fundamental part
of wedding planning. A good wedding schedule
will keep you on track and organized. We suggest taking a standard
list like the one we have below and expand it even more to help
you stay on track even the smallest of details.
The average wedding takes
six to twelve months to plan. Smaller informal
weddings usually can be planned
within as little as three months. All weddings
are unique in how they are planned and how they turn out. This is why each
wedding is unique and special. Planning
your wedding to express your tastes and interests
will make it more memorable for you and your wedding
guests.
Here is a guideline of some of the things
that may need to be planned for your wedding.
Use your discretion when planning your own wedding.
You may wish to print out our printer
friendly WeddingPlanning
Schedule and personalize it for your own weddingplans.
Use our Detailed Wedding Schedule
to help you plan everything for your wedding.
Remember to leave extra time and never leave things last minute
to allow just enough time. Very rarely does everything go completely
smooth with wedding plans. There are usually
at least one or two things that go astray with wedding
plans. If you order early and make sure things are completed
as soon as possible, you will eliminate a lot of the panic that
can happen with planning a wedding
and it just may give you the opportunity for more solutions to
your problems if you're not under a time crunch.
Organizing your wedding
plans with a wedding planning schedule
will help you in your wedding planning decision
making and will help you organize all the wedding planning
information involved in these decisions. Assisting you
to implement the plans in a time and efficient manner.
Remember, don't put off until tomorrow
what you can do today. Great advice when planning a wedding. It's
very easy to become overwhelmed with the many tasks that are required
on your To Do list as the wedding approaches. You'll be astonished
at all the little details that will need to be taken care of just
before your wedding day as all the planning details all come together
as smoothly as possible. My best advice besides be as organized
as possible, is to do what ever you can when you can.
Wedding Planning Schedule
Six
To Twelve Months Before The Wedding
»
Announce your engagement
to family and friends.
»
Arrange for your parents
and other members to meet together and get to know each
other better before you have to start planning.
»
Discuss the style
of wedding the two of you want. See
our "Your
Wedding Vision" page for ideas.
»
Pick your wedding
date and time. Have a backup date in case your first
date is booked.
»
Discuss wedding
expenses and budget with yourselves and both sets of
your parents. Plan a preliminary budge
and how the wedding expenses will be
shared or divided?
»
Choose your wedding
party and ask them if they will stand up for you.
»
Make rough draft of
wedding guests list. (Those you must
invite and those you would like to invite if possible.
You may wish to ask your parents if there are people
they feel it is important that they attend.)
»
Decide on your colour
scheme and theme for your wedding if
you're having one.
»
Book the location
for your wedding ceremony, the wedding
officiant and the location for your wedding
reception. Discuss the pre-marital conditions with your
officiant if any.
»
Order the bridal gown
and other attire accessories.
»
Order the bridesmaids'
attire.
»
Interview and hire
your wedding professionals such as
the caterer, baker/cake decorator, florist, stationary
provider, photographer, videographer, transportation
provider, invitation printers, decorator for the wedding
reception and ceremony locations, bar tenders, disc
jockey, musicians including organist and/or soloist.
Go over all the details with them.
Pick out your wedding
rings and select the words for the engraving if you
wish to have your rings engraved.
»
Finalize your wedding
guests list, allowing for a few extra people.
»
Select and ask the person you would like
to act as the Master of Ceremonies at your wedding.
»
Order the attire for the Groom and his
attendants.
»
Plan
decorations for wedding ceremony and
wedding reception.
»
Reserve your rentals
for the wedding.
»
Buy your garter, ring
pillow, knives & servers, fountain pen and guest
book.
»
Apply for your marriage
license from the city/town hall.
»
Plan
and upload your wedding website if
you're having one. A website can save you money, time
and frustrations.
»
Register for wedding
gift registry. Many businesses offer wedding
gift registry. See our list of online
wedding gift registry links. We
suggest you register together as a couple either in
stores or online. It helps if you already know the colour
scheme of your home.
»
Reserve your hotel room for your wedding
night.
»
Make all your honeymoon arrangements
and get your passports if needed.
For the wedding guests
that will be traveling a long distance to attend your
wedding, send some accommodation information
from local hotels, motels or bed and breakfast establishments.
»
Book the accommodations for your wedding
guests, and your wedding party members
if required.
»
Book accommodations for yourself if you
need a place to get ready before the wedding.
Decide on any readings for the wedding
ceremony and make arrangements accordingly.
»
Address your wedding
invitations.
»
Mail out wedding
invitations 6-8 weeks before your wedding
date with a reply deadline of 3-4 weeks before the wedding.
Include maps and directions to your places of wedding
ceremony and reception. If you have a wedding
website include the website address.
»
Book the
hair, makeup, and nail appointments for everyone
in your wedding party if needed. Don't
forget to also book the trial run appointments for the
Bride about two weeks before the wedding.
»
Choose and make or buy the wedding
favours for all your wedding guests.
»
Check on all your professionals' progress
and confirm all the arrangements with each of them.
Purchase the decorations if you are doing
them yourselves.
»
Check all the final details with all
your professionals.
»
Have the final fittings for all the women
in the wedding party including the
Bride.
»
Work on the seating
plan if you are using one. Post it on your website if
you have one.
»
Meet with your wedding
officiant to finalize the plans for
the wedding ceremony.
»
Make the arrangements for your rehearsal
and rehearsal dinner. Make reservations at the dining
location if needed. Notify all people involved of the
details.
»
Make the final plans
for your transportation to the location for photo taking,
wedding ceremony and reception locations
and to your honeymoon night location. Make sure there
is enough room for everyone involved.
»
Place your wedding announcement
in your local newspaper.
Pick up the wedding
gown and store it appropriately.
»
Put together "Something Old, New,
Borrowed and Blue" if you are choosing to do this.
»
The Bride has her practice hairstyle
and makeup appointments for the wedding day. Have any
appointments for waxing, facials and any other esthetics
done.
»
Confirm all your honeymoon plans, pick
up travelers cheques and flight tickets if needed.
»
Follow up with your wedding
guests who have not responded yet. Get your family and
friends to help you call them if needed.
»
Make your seating
plan and place cards if needed for
the reception.
Men have their appointment for their
attire alterations.
»
Arrange for house sitter and care for
any pets while you are away on your honeymoon.
»
Arrange for someone to take the wedding
gown to be cleaned and preserved after the wedding.
(Be sure to tell them about any dirty spots on the gown
and what made the spot after the wedding
so it can be cleaned properly.)
Check-in with, and confirm all the details
with all your professionals.
»
Give your seating plan
and final wedding guest count to your
caterer. Take in consideration any special dietary needs
or allergies of guests that have replied yes.
»
With liquor licence, buy the liquor and
wine for the wedding reception if not
provided by reception location.
»
Assign your attendants
and helpers jobs for the wedding day.
Include all the details of where and when things should
be done. Be specific and write the details down.
»
Write your wedding day
schedule if you're doing one. Give a copy to your professionals,
your parents and to all your wedding
party. Include the time events are scheduled for and
the addresses.
Make a checklist for the wedding
ceremony and the reception of things that need to be
done and items that need to be taken to the locations.
»
Pick up all the men's
attire. Check the sizes and make sure nothing is
missing and everything is functioning like zippers and
buttons.
»
Wrap the presents for your attendants,
your parents, and your partner.
»
Arrange for your wedding
gown to be cleaned and preserved while you are on your
honeymoon. Make sure you tell the person in charge of
this task if you have spilled anything on your gown
on your wedding day. They can tell
the cleaners so it will be taken care of appropriately.
»
Wrap the wedding cake
if you are handing out pre-wrapped cake.
»
Break in wedding shoes
-Wear only around the house with socks, be careful not
to scuff shoes.
»
Plan any meals needed
for the wedding party before the wedding
on the wedding day.
Wedding rehearsal and
rehearsal dinner are usually planned
for this day.
»
Decorate and setup the location of the
wedding reception if you are doing
it yourself and you have access to the location.
»
Decorate your place of ceremony at the
rehearsal if possible.
»
Make up your Emergency
Anti-Panic Bag.
»
Finish packing for your honeymoon.
»
Make a rental list for the person returning
rentals and a cleanup list for the person in charge
of the reception cleanup.
»
Take your marriage license to the rehearsal
for your wedding officiant.
»
Bring any money or cheques in envelopes
for anyone who needs to be paid before the day of wedding
to the rehearsal such as the officiant and/or musicians
if they have not already been paid.
»
Give the gifts to your attendants, your
parents and/or to each other at rehearsal party if you
wish.
»
Have manicure done if you don't have
enough drying time on wedding day.
»
Ensure everyone's cell phones are fully
charged for wedding day.
Give extra time for getting ready. Try
to be ready for the wedding at least 1 hour earlier
than planned. Between make-up, hair,
transportation, getting dressed, flowers, traffic, visiting,
someone forgetting something, photographers and videographers,
you may loose more time than you think. You're better
off circling the block for awhile, than being late for
the wedding ceremony.
»
Have flowers delivered to need places,
this includes bouquets, boutonnieres and corsages.
»
Give your wedding rings
to the appropriate persons, Maid of Honor, Best Man
or the person in charge of the ring pillow.
»
Give your Best Man sealed envelopes with
payment for any professionals that have not been paid
already.
»
Finish
packing for your honeymoon. Pack your luggage, honeymoon
tickets, and passports. Have everything taken to the
hotel or wedding reception location
so you don't have to go back home for them.
»
Take the marriage licence
to the wedding ceremony if it wasn't
taken to the rehearsal.
Decorate and setup the place of your
wedding ceremony and reception if it
was not done yet. If your location has more than one
wedding going on in the same day, you
may have to decorate and setup at the last minute. Make
sure if you have to do this you have arranged for enough
help to get the job done on time. You may need to arrange
for someone to take decorations down at the place of
ceremony immediately after the wedding.
»
Give your gifts to your parents if it
wasn't done at the rehearsal party. Have someone delivery
the present to your spouse-to-be when he or she is getting
ready for the wedding if you haven't
already given it to them.
»
Get lots of sleep and don't forget to
eat and drink enough water. You don't want to pass out.
Take care of yourself so you can be at your best.
»
Move your engagement ring to your right
hand.
»
Have everyone dressed and ready at least
1 1/2 hours before the wedding for the photographer
to take pictures.
A
complete wedding schedule is a fundamental part
of wedding planning. A good wedding schedule
will keep you on track and organized. We suggest taking a standard
list like the one we have below and expand it even more to help
you stay on track even the smallest of details. 
planned and how they turn out. This is why each
wedding is unique and special. Planning
your wedding to express your tastes and interests
will make it more memorable for you and your wedding
guests.