The Too Legit to Quit Guide to Planning Your Wedding
You’re engaged! Woohoo!! Now how the heck do you plan a wedding?! We are sharing the checklist that we give our brides to help with their day. So open some wine, relax, and let the planning begin!
12 months
-Pick a date: If getting a certain photographer or venue is most important to you and you are flexible with the date, then contact them first and pick a day that fits with their schedule.
-Create a budget you feel comfortable with and discuss with any family members that may contribute
-Knock out those heavy hitters:
Book your venue
Book your photographer and schedule engagement pictures (many include these in their wedding packages)
Book your coordinator
-Create guest list
-Decide on wedding party
11 months
-Plan/book honeymoon
-Book your florist
-Book your DJ
-Book your caterer
-If you plan to have one, throw your engagement party
10 months away
-Go dress shopping: This may take you a couple trips to find “the one” so give yourself ample time. Many dresses will take a few months to get in and you don’t want to be stressing over its arrival! Discuss the dress timeline at each boutique you visit.
-Decide where you and your new groom will stay on the wedding night, book a room if necessary
-Block out hotel rooms for guests
-Book your makeup and hair team
-Decide on overall colors or theme for the day. Pinterest is a great way to get all your inspiration pictures together and then can easily be shared with your coordinator.
-Send save the dates
9 months
-Propose to your bridal party!
-Meet with your minister/priest/rabbi and make sure any courses or prep work you need to do before the wedding is started as some religions have special customs.
8 months
-If you haven’t done so already it’s time to order your dress!
-Order bridesmaids’ dresses
7 months
-Create your wedding website. This is the perfect spot to include hotel room block information, link your registries, or introduce your wedding party. Use this as a tool to give your guests a glimpse into what the big day will be like.
-Create your registry! Remember you are not limited to household items and there are numerous places that you can register for honeymoon activities if you know where you will go.
6 months
-Bachelorette party: String out your events! Keep the celebration going all year long by not piling all your parties right on top of each other at the very end.
-Go suit shopping with your fiancé
-Order ensembles for flower girl and your ring bearer
-Talk to a bakery and order your cake or desserts
-Purchase wedding bands
-Start collecting décor. Many rental companies will have additional decor and if you plan to hire a coordinator they often have an inventory as well, but if you have very specific tastes it’s best to start shopping!
5 months
-Hire a calligrapher to handle any signage for the day. This could include welcome signs, guestbook, dessert table, bar, nametags, etc. These elements will be sprinkled throughout the event so having a cohesive look is best.
-All DIY projects. Start these early!! I know it looks easy when you pull up those YouTube videos but we all know that’s not always real life. Give yourself time to do it a few times if needed
4 months
-Order wedding invitations and thank you cards
-Schedule a cake tasting (usually one aspect that you can easily convince your Groom to help with)
-Discuss rehearsal dinner with your in-laws or whoever is putting it on: send out invites, reserve restaurant, purchase any décor needed
-Reserve any transportation needed for bridal party from church to reception, or for bride and groom at the end of the night
3 months
-Purchase gifts for family members and your bridal party
-Prepare invitations (lick, seal, stamp)
-Create timelines for ceremony and reception and give them to whoever has been put “in charge” of setup and to your vendors as well. If you plan to hire a coordinator they will take care of this aspect and ensure your day is executed flawlessly.
2 months
-Send invitations
-Alter dress if needed
-Alter bridesmaids’ dresses if needed
-Buy accessories: jewelry, shoes, undergarments
1 month
-Plan a meeting with your coordinator to discuss any last minute details and go through the timeline
-Final dress fitting!
-Bridal shower
-Finalize seating chart if you plan to have assigned seating
-Finalize music for all the “moments” of the wedding- ceremony, wedding party announcement, first dances, etc.
-Makeup & hair trials
*If you are even thinking of dying or cutting your hair, do it NOW, not the week of, just in case things go south
-Give every section of your day and layout a box (guestbook table box, cake table box, box going to church, box going to where the girls get ready in the morning, etc etc) Walk through your day in your head multiple times, fill these boxes with whatever each might need. And we mean everything, down to a sharpie for the guestbook table and tissues for the ceremony. Throughout the next month these boxes will fill up and you will be certain not to forget a thing!
2 weeks before
-If having out of town guests stay with you, use this week to get your house clean and in order so when guests arrive you’re not scrambling (i.e. fresh towels, clean toilets, stocked wine rack)
-Final walkthrough with coordinator to discuss layout and flow of the day
-Pack for honeymoon
-If you have a coordinator, at this point, they will take over all vendor communication and will ensure that all i’s are dotted and t’s are crossed.
1 week before
-All beauty appointments: nails, hair, tan
-Check your layout boxes
-Rehearsal dinner night before
-Take care of your mental and physical health: eat well, stay hydrated and take time to relax- take a bath, journal, have a glass of wine, anything to settle you down before the chaos of the big day begins!
Day of
-Most importantly: delegate! Take full advantage of that bridal party.
-Pour yourself a large glass of champagne
-Take time throughout the day to stop and take it in. The day moves so quickly and it’s hard to keep yourself grounded in the moment. Every now and then just stop and look around and take in all the people there to celebrate you. Look at the decor you’ve spent months collecting, the vendors working to put it together after all your conversations, and most importantly your groom waiting for you at the other end of that aisle.
-Now it’s time to GET MARRIED!!!