Bride’s Planning List

This checklist provides some ideas about most of the things you will do in preparation for your wedding. Remember, these are only ideas of things to consider, and many items may not be applicable to you. Some duties apply strictly to the bride and others to the groom. However, the majority of the tasks can be accomplished by BOTH the bride and groom!
Some of the items presented here are obvious and others are little details. Regardless, it helps to manage your time by writing done all the things that need to be done. It feels good to cross things of the list as you go, and hopefully it will help cut down on your stress by realizing how organized you are (as opposed to only looking at how big your list is!). The basic order of events is more important than the exact time-line here, so change the time-line to fit your situation. Just keep in mind that the items listed in the "10 to 12 months prior" category should be done first and as soon as possible if you want to get your first choice in reception location, etc.

10 to 12 months prior -- decide on the basics...

Wedding:

  • Bride's and groom's families need tomeetif you don't already know each other
  • Discuss the style, budget, and financing with your Fiancé and ALL parents.
  • Begin rehearsal budget
  • Start your wedding website
  • Buy planner or good organizer
  • Begin looking at invitations for wedding and/or reception
  • Decide on:
  • Wedding date & time
  • but be flexible until you see how this date works out with the venues you want
  • Type of wedding desired (traditional, unusual, big/small, themed, unity ceremony, etc.)
  • Wardrobe style: shoes/dress/veil/undergarments (need prior to fittings)
  • Participants in wedding party
  • Choose your bridal party and ask them to be a part of your big day
  • Music desired
  • What religion the service will be performed in, if any
  • Make yourpreliminary guest list
  • Location for reception and time,
  • may determine the date due to venue availability.
  • ensure venue accommodates expected guest count
  • Location for wedding ceremony
  • Color scheme for the wedding/reception if desired
  • Vows -- if all or part of vows will be written by bride/groom
  • Photographer
  • Videographer
  • Florist for wedding and reception
  • Musicians for wedding and reception
  • Soloist(s) for ceremony/reception/rehearsal dinner
  • Wedding officiant (minister, judge) -- ask if they want to attend reception

Reception:

  • Begin reception budget and determine how it will be financed

Decide on:

  • Format: buffet, sit-down dinner, pot-luck, etc.
  • Baker (for cake) -- you may want to request additional "side cakes" to ensure that everyone gets some cake.
  • Caterer -- ask if they will make a basket of food for you to take to your hotel after reception

Honeymoon:

  • Begin honeymoon budget and determine how it will be financed
  • Begin looking at honeymoon options with your Fiancé - visit a travel agency or professional specializing in leisure travel

Other Items:

  • Speak with your friends - pick their brains - learn who knows what and who knows who.
  • Living arrangement after you're married
  • Ensure home/renter's insurance covers engagement ring or buy additional jewelry insurance
  • Announce engagement to friends and family
  • Have yourengagement portraittaken
  • Put engagement announcement in local paper
  • Announceyour engagement at a party if you choose to

7 to 9 months prior

Wedding:

  • Begin writing vows
  • Make first draft of invitation list
  • Decide on:
  • Ceremony music (prelude, processional, solos, recessional, postlude, etc.)
  • Invitations
  • If programs will be used, now is the time to order.
  • Contact your attendants and ask if they'll accept the position
  • First meeting with minister/officiant
  • Ask if it matters which version of the Bible (King James, Good News, etc.) you use for the scripture reading.
  • Ask if flower girl can drop flower petals on floor in sanctuary.
  • Ask if you can use your own vows.
  • Ask if guests can throw birdseed or rice
  • Buy:
  • Select and order bride's attendant's apparel
  • Select and reserve men's formal wear (don't forget to get their measurements)
  • Wedding attire accessories such as gloves, earrings, necklace, purse, shoes, cufflinks, etc.

Rehearsal:

  • Discuss the rehearsal dinner with the groom and his family
  • Decide on menu

Reception:

  • Decide on menu and schedule a tasting
  • Decide if personalized napkins will be used -- select them
  • Reserve any rental equipment that you might need such as tent, tables, chairs, linens, china, etc.

Honeymoon:

  • Finalize honeymoon itinerary and book all lodgings/transportation/event tickets

Other Items:

  • Decide if a bridal registry is desired and what items would be on it (if so, register with not less than 3 well known registries)
  • Decide on china/crystal/flatware/cookware patterns for bridal registry
  • Reserve block of rooms at nearby hotel for out-of-town guests (good thing for fiancé to do)
  • Make list of attractions/things to do (in town where wedding is) to include with directions
  • Get directions to wedding site, from site to reception, and from site to rehearsal dinner
  • Check passports/visas
  • Check with your doctor to determine immunizations required for foreign countries
  • Mail save the date cards to out of town guests
  • If you are choosing to have your wedding at home, begin any improvements or landscaping work necessary

4 to 6 months prior

Wedding:

  • Prose/poetry/scripture readings for ceremony
  • Readers for ceremony and ask if they'll accept the position
  • Final guest list for wedding and reception
  • Buy invitations and announcements
  • Calligrapher to address wedding invitations or do it yourself as soon as they arrive
  • If roses will be given to the mothers at the end of/during the ceremony
  • Meet with florist to choose amount and type of flowers for ceremony and reception and any other accessories (ex. pew bows, candelabras, etc.)
  • Chauffeurs and other wedding transportation (carriages, boats, hot-air balloons)
  • Bridesmaid dresses
  • Order wedding bands
  • Decide on wedding band inscriptions
  • Buy basket for flower girl
  • Buy pillow for ring bearer
  • Plan details with organist or other entertainment.
  • Make/print directions and map for ceremony and reception to include with all wedding invitations
  • Ask mothers if they want to wear a flower corsage or carry a single flower instead and inform florist

Rehearsal:

  • Make/print maps to rehearsal dinner to include with rehearsal dinner invitations and send to groom's mom (if his parents are hosting rehearsal dinner)

Reception:

  • Buy/order favors for guests
  • Choose decorations such as candles, flowers, center pieces, arches, etc.
  • Flavor(s) and style of wedding cake
  • If a groom's cake is desired; if so, choose flavor and style and inform baker
  • Final music selection
  • Sign up fordance classes.
  • Suggest taking dance lessons and thinking about a first dance song.
  • Plan details with organist or other entertainment.
  • Organize the purchase of liqueur and wine for the rehearsal, wedding and after-party if the hall or caterer is not providing it.

Other Items:

  • Make appointment for bridal portrait
  • Have the first fitting of the wedding gown. Be sure to have the appropriate undergarments and shoes
  • Make hair/nail appointment for bridal portrait
  • Begin review of details with all of your wedding professionals.

2 to 3 months prior

Wedding:

  • Mail wedding invitations and send either your preplanned special itinerary for early arriving out-of-town guests or an activity sheet from area chambers-of-commerce
  • RSVP date should be 3-4 weeks before the wedding date
  • Invite out-of-town guests early!
  • Mail information to out of town guests concerning hotel accommodations and transportation
  • Select babysitter for wedding ceremony and reception
  • Meet with officiant to discuss service and counseling requirements
  • Decide on:
  • Vows and memorize (if necessary)
  • How attendants will process and stand at ceremony
  • Program layout (or have a printer do it)
  • The "something borrowed, ...blue, ...old, and ...new" to wear on wedding day
  • Soloist's song(s) and get soloist's approval to perform them
  • Length of bridesmaid dresses
  • Hosiery color/style and shoes for bridesmaids
  • Where bride and attendants will get dressed (at home/hotel or ceremony site?)
  • Where groom and attendants will get dressed
  • Be sure you know what is required to get a marriage license in your state

Buy/Order:

  • Flower girl dress
  • Mothers' dresses
  • Pre- & post-wedding party clothes you might need
  • Sixpence for shoe (check with local coin dealer)
  • Wedding rings or bands
  • Invitations
  • Programs

Rehearsal:

  • Decide on rehearsal dinner seating arrangement with fiancé and the mothers
  • Buy rehearsal and rehearsal dinner clothes
  • Bride buys gifts for bridesmaids, parents, fiancé, personal attendant
  • Groom buys gifts for groomsmen, parents, fiancé, ushers
  • Buy gifts with fiancé for Mistress of Ceremonies, Host/Hostess, soloist, guest book attendant, etc.
  • Buy gift for your fiancé

Reception:

  • Decide on:
  • How many disposable cameras should be purchased
  • Disposable camera poems
  • Reception layout (i.e. how many tables, chairs, etc.)
  • Reception seating arrangement if it's a sit-down dinner
  • Who will put suitcases in limo at reception
  • Reception music (1st dance, father/daughter dance, mother/son dance, etc.)
  • Reception food
  • Who will return the groom's tuxedo to the rental place
  • Order/timing of events at reception (cake-cutting, garter toss, etc.)
  • Buy/Order:
  • Roses/birdseed packets/bubbles/etc.
  • Disposable cameras for reception tables
  • Guest book and pen
  • Wedding cake knife
  • Monogrammed napkins for reception
  • Throw and keepsake garters

Honeymoon:

  • Buy lingerie
  • Buy honeymoon clothes

Buy/Order:

  • Wrapping paper for gifts
  • Postage stamps for invitations, response cards, and thank-you notes

Schedule/Confirm Appointments:

  • Bridal portrait
  • Hair/nails for bridal portrait
  • Hair/nails for wedding
  • Groom's hair appointment
  • With your hairdresser (a trial run for next month - also good for your bridal portrait)
  • With your hairdresser (final)
  • With a makeup artist for the day of your bridal portrait
  • First wedding gown fitting
  • Second wedding gown fitting
  • Last meeting with minister/officiant

Other Items:

  • Mail/take music to soloist
  • Give soloist's music to organist (if he/she is accompanying)
  • Plan the post wedding brunch if you are going to have one
  • Sign up to donate ceremony centerpiece to flowers for Sunday's service, if desired
  • Get bridal portrait taken
  • Make rough draft of list of duties of all involved (Mistress of Ceremonies, etc.)
  • Get addresses of all people on invitation list
  • Ask groom's mother if she wants rehearsal dinner invitations and/or place cards matching invitations
  • Set date with fiancé to get marriage license and check restrictions on how long it's valid prior to wedding (60 days in Ohio)
  • Get blood tests/physicals for marriage certificate if required (not required in Ohio)
  • Get any immunizations you will need for the honeymoon
  • Go over rough draft of duties with all involved in wedding
  • Put invitation to wedding ceremony in church newsletter
  • Get wedding bands inscribed
  • Call to inform all people who need to be at rehearsal
  • Make itinerary of wedding day for all involved
  • Choose songs for video (background music for intro/pre-wedding)
  • Ensure formal-wear shop has all tuxedo measurements
  • Finalize catering, bakery, floral arrangements (be a little flexible)
  • Finalize arrangements for any rental items you may need
  • Candelabra & other silver pieces
  • Special decorative screens & archways
  • Special lighting (particularly if part of the event will be outside or in an unique area where normal lighting may not be possible)
  • Get final order of prelude and processional music from organist

4 to 8 weeks prior

Wedding:

  • Get marriage license with Fiancé (make sure it won't expire before wedding)
  • Pick up wedding rings.
  • Have final fitting of gown & bridesmaid dresses.
  • Contact newspaper regarding wedding announcement
  • Show final program to officiant and organist to check for accuracy
  • Decide on:
  • How gown will be preserved
  • How bouquet will be preserved
  • How to affix sixpence to shoe
  • Who will be in the limo (i.e. just newlyweds or attendants/parents too??)

Rehearsal:

  • Plan rehearsal & rehearsal dinner.
  • Order flower arrangements for rehearsal dinner tables if desired
  • Box and wrap all gifts for attendants, etc.
  • Ensure groom's mom has addressed/mailed rehearsal dinner invitations if his parents are hosting it
  • Reconfirm rehearsal events and rehearsal dinner reservations
  • Formally invite wedding party and guests to the rehearsal dinner

Reception:

  • Print disposable camera poems
  • Ensure band/DJ has equipment/music needed to play your chosen reception music Be sure to check on the music yourself. If you assign it to someone else, it's more likely to be a great disappointment.
  • Decide when items needed at reception (toasting glasses, etc.) will be taken there

Miscellaneous:

  • Confirm all transportation for all events (including honeymoon)
  • Record gifts as you receive them and send thank-you notes
  • Check registries to make sure shower gifts and/or early wedding gifts have been marked off as purchased
  • Open joint checking and savings accounts
  • Change beneficiary to fiancé for will and life insurance policy
  • Inform car/home/renter's insurance of marriage (discounted rates may apply)
  • Plan the bridesmaids' party & confirm the location & instructions
  • Have bridal portrait taken
  • Send local paper and wedding publications your announcement and photograph
  • For your own peace of mind, personally touch base with every key professional you have been working with on all your upcoming events
  • Submit request lists to your musicians, photographer and videographer
  • Address announcements to mail on your wedding day

Other Items:

  • Prepare all the necessary forms for name /address changes on social security card, credit cards, bank accounts, post office, driver's license, etc.
  • Arrange to move belongings to new home
  • By the last day of Week 2 plan a day to be alone with your family

2 to 3 weeks prior

Call/confirm any guests that haven’t returned their RSVP.

Prepare yourrehearsal dinner and wedding night speeches, toasts and/or thank yous.

  • Write down a list of people you would like to thank publicly before or after the toast. Her parents should be at the top of the list, then your bride, your parents, Best Man, groomsmen.

Decide on:

  • Personal wedding morning itinerary (time to wake up, time to leave for wedding site, etc.)

Buy/Order:

  • "Thank-you" flowers to be sent to parents after the wedding

Other Items:

  • Submit wedding announcement to local newspaper for publishing day or weekend of wedding
  • Pay all balances due and remaining security deposits
  • Groom's hair appointment
  • Be sure your shoes are broken in
  • Finalize seating plan; write place cards
  • Make welcome baskets for out of town guests
  • Affix poems to disposable cameras
  • Print:
  • Programs
  • Rehearsal dinner maps (extras in case guests forget map that came with dinner invite)
  • Final list of duties for each person involved
  • Itinerary of wedding day (copies for all at rehearsal)
  • Readings and spare copies
  • List of reception dances for MC/band/DJ
  • Final meeting with:
  • Florist - overview and give map to ceremony and reception sites
  • Give final table count to florist
  • Reception hall/caterer - overview and tell them names of florist, band or DJ, and baker (just in case!)
  • Give final guest count to reception facility and/or caterer
  • Videographer - overview, give music and map
  • Photographer - tell him/her about any specific pictures you want, choose album style and color, and give him/her map
  • Musicians & Entertainment - overview of times & special songs, be sure they have map
  • Rental services
  • Chauffer/transportation -- confirm directions and times (don't forget plans to get to airport)
  • Seamstress -- final wedding gown and attendants fittings
  • Travel Agent -- confirm honeymoon reservations
  • Confirm:
  • Final nail/hair appointments
  • Hotel reservations for wedding night
  • Hotel reservations for attendants

1 week prior

Wedding:

  • Create a wedding day schedule with your fiancé
  • Make bride's emergency kit.
  • Pick up wedding gown and veil
  • Take marriage certificate to minister/officiant
  • Wedding party men (groom/fathers/ushers) to pick up tuxedos
  • Practice vows.

Rehearsal:

  • Verify with attendants rehearsal and rehearsal dinner time and agenda
  • Confirm delivery of flower arrangements for wedding rehearsal dinner
  • Fiancé to double check rehearsal dinner plans

Reception:

  • Fill out first page of guest book
  • Finish centerpieces for guest tables at reception if it's a last minute duty (i.e. need fresh flowers, etc.)

Honeymoon:

  • Finish packing for honeymoon
  • Confirm reservations/flights for wedding night and honeymoon
  • Arrange for mail to be held at post office
  • Have stores where you are registered hold deliveries

Buy:

  • Traveler's checks for honeymoon -- check with travel agent to see if you need foreign currency

Other Items:

  • Check final details with all your wedding professionals - early in the week
  • Make a list of everything you need to bring to wedding and gather all items
  • Order snack/food tray for pre-ceremony meal
  • Give (or attend) the Bridesmaids' party
  • Prepare final payments for service providers who need to be paid on the wedding day
  • Obtain crisp bills from bank for gratuities and put them in labeled envelopes and seal
  • Schedule two days prior to the wedding as a free day - and a day to visit with a few close friends.

1 day prior