I arranged a list according to a timeline of what you ought to be checking on as the wedding gets closer. Start your planning immediately in order to ensure you have a flawless day.
Do It Yourself Wedding Planning Checklist
| Start a wedding folder. | Buy a big folder to store all of your plans in. You can also start a computer file to type instead of handwriting everything. |
| Pick your wedding party | Figure out which guys and girls are going to be in it and who will be paired up with whom. Ask those people as soon as you have everyone picked out. |
| Distribute contact info | Once the bridal party has been finalized you should print everyone’s contact information on paper and send it to each person in the party. This will help alleviate stress with some of the planning. They will easily be able to get ahold of one another for bachelor or bachelorette party information as well as any other questions. |
| Begin making your guest list | This will change as your plans develop. Start one right away. You will remember more people as time goes on that need to be invited. |
| Pick a month but not necessarily the exact date | You can narrow down the exact date once you see what wedding venues are available. |
| Come up with a budget | Figure out what kind of price limits you have. Talk to any parents who might be involved in planning the wedding and see if they were thinking of picking up any of the tab. |
| Go shopping for a wedding venue. | Wedding venues will be deal breakers. You might be really picky about where the reception is going to be held. You might have limited options based on the number of guests. These places book up fast. Don’t wait to do this. Decide early. |
| Check with your church | If you are going to get married at a church you need to make sure it is available at the time and date you are hoping for. You will need to check with your priest or minister also. |
| Set a date in stone | Once you have selected the venue for the reception and the location of the ceremony based upon what is available, then it is time to set the official date. |
| Send out save the date cards | Send out save the date cards to all of your wedding guests. |
| Find and select rehearsal dinner location. | |
| Make a list of expected rehearsal dinner attendants | I think it is also nice to invite the out of town guests to the rehearsal dinner. |
| Shop for wedding invitations | |
| Send out the invitations at least 2 months prior to the wedding date. | Give people plenty of time. It is the courteous thing to do. Other people are probably better long term planners than you. As soon as the date and location are set in stone you should be working out the invitations. |
| Immediately begin compiling list of RSVPs. | |
| Pick out wedding rings and get them ordered. | |
| Find and hire a caterer | If your wedding venue isn’t catering the food, then you will need to find one to handle that aspect. |
| Find and hire bartenders | If your caterer or wedding venue isn’t taking care of the liquor, then you had better find someone to handle it. |
| Go shopping for a photographer | Make sure you look at samples of their work. |
| Go shopping for a DJ or band. | If you hire a DJ, he will probably take care of coordinating the wedding reception chain of events such as announcing the wedding party and announcing the dances. If you hire a band, you are going to have to hire someone else to handle the microphone at your reception. Ask the wedding venue if they can recommend anyone. |
| Go shopping for a florist to handle the flowers. | You don’t have to make every decision about the flowers until a month before the wedding. You should begin looking much earlier though. They will give you good ideas. |
| Coordinate wedding shower plans with anyone involved in it. | Make a list of invites. Select a venue, etc. |
| Register for wedding gifts at a few places. | Make sure you register somewhere practical that has fairly inexpensive gifts. You don’t want people to feel like you are forcing them to spend a lot of money. |
| Reserve a block of hotel rooms for out of town guests. | Hotels are usually pretty accomodating about this. They want your wedding guests’ business. |
| Wedding website | If you were planning on doing a website with all your details, then now would be the time to do it. |
| Shop for limousine if you want one. | |
| Shop for wedding dress and bridesmaid dresses | |
| Shop for tuxedos | |
| Decide where the wedding cake is coming from. | Then order it. |
| Pick a date for the guys to get sized for their tuxedos | You should do this more than a month before the wedding. |
| Shop for wedding favors | |
| Shop for and select gift packages for bridal party. | |
| Arrange for people to do readings in church | |
| Get your marriage license. | |
| Talk about honeymoon plans | |
| Decide on hair for wedding day | Make necessary arrangements with hair dressers or spas. |
| Make a checklist of final things to check on the week before the wedding. | |
| Create a list of actual wedding day activities | Create a schedule for where you each have to be at what specific times. This is a major stress reducer. |
