Are you planning your big day? About 40% of couples rated wedding planning “extremely stressful” in a Zola survey.
You do not need to fall into this statistic. Organizing your planning with a wedding essentials checklist will help you remain cool and collected without worrying you might miss something important.
Keep reading to learn what you need!
Guest List
Who will you invite? For the best wedding, you want the most important people to celebrate with you.
Begin by taking inventory of everybody in your life. Categorize them on a spectrum from essential to non-essential.
Your budget will decide the cutoff point. Remember to take single guests’ plus ones’ into consideration.
Save-the-Dates and Invitations
Once you create a guest list, start writing out invitations. This takes a considerable amount of time, so set aside a few time slots to get this done.
Send a save-the-date about a year in advance to let people know that you plan to tie the knot! About three months ahead of time, send the invitation formally invites people to your wedding.
Wedding Venue
Break this down into the wedding ceremony and reception. For some couples, this happens in the same space.
Decide whether to choose a religious setting, outdoors or right at your reception hall. The space should feel sacred and special to you.
For your reception, choose from different types of venues based on your vision. Visit prospective places and see that they work for your guest list, menu, dancing desires, and more.
Seating Chart
Organize your wedding seating based on their connection to you as a couple. Parents and immediate family will sit closest to the head table.
Coworkers and more distant guests will sit on the outskirts. Try to put people who know each other together so everybody feels comfortable.
Do not seat people together if they do not get along to avoid tension. Make all of this easier by using a wedding reception layout tool.
Theme
Discuss your dream wedding with your partner. If your dreams do not match, compromise to create something special.
Once you decide upon an overall theme, make a list of all the details that bring it together. Order flowers and decorations that fit.
Many people know what they want but have no idea how to create it. Hiring a wedding planner takes serious stress off of the couple.
Bride and Groom Essentials
Choose rings that match your essence as a couple. Order them about three months in advance, sooner if you plan to get them engraved or customized.
Keep your theme in mind when choosing what to wear. Brides, ask your groom what he wants for his tux, so your dress can math, rather than clash with his style.
Write your vows months in advance. Reach into your heart and pull out authentic thoughts and feelings. Make it sweet, but feel free to add in a little tasteful inside humor.
Pick the dress nine months prior to the wedding and then plan alterations about two months before and then a final fitting a couple of weeks in advance. Order the tux six months out, and then schedule a fitting two weeks before.
Double Check Your Wedding Essentials
Create a physical checklist for yourself and break down each element of your wedding essentials. Double-check with your partner and even have an outsider look it over to make sure you did not miss anything important.
Start planning your honeymoon now as well! Learn about incredible destinations on our Travel page!
