Need A Wedding Planning Checklist?

The 1 Year Wedding Plan That Helps You Avoid the Stress

You have asked or said yes to one of the biggest questions of your life. And with that one question, come 1,000 more. Planning a wedding can be an exciting, but daunting challenge. There is so much going through your mind that it may be hard to keep track of it all. The team at J&J Tent have engineered a wedding checklist, designed to help you plan your wedding with ease. Take your time, go through the list and start creating a game plan for the big day.

There is also a downloadable checklist for you to use as a Google Doc to store notes online or to print out to take with you at the bottom of this blog.

12 Months Before Your Wedding

The wedding is 1 year out. If you are panicking, stop and breath. You have got plenty of time. Listed below basic items that will help get you started.

• Think about dates
• Find a Wedding Venue
• Start a guest list
  • Google Sheets works great!
• Research the pros
  • Photographer
  • DJ or band
  • Caterer
  • Officiant
• Think about your wedding style
• Pre-wedding counseling?

Remember getting married is not a sprint, it’s a marathon!

You don’t need to overwhelm yourself with everything at once. The best weddings are not planned overnight. While that could be fun, your options would be very limited.

Go ahead and do one last thing right now…

Schedule time every week to make sure the both of you have fun over the next year.  You can get so lost in the planning that you forget how to be a couple. You and your future spouse should be the most important thing to each other.

10-11 Months Before Your Wedding

By now you may have started getting napkins picked out centerpieces…most likely this is not the case. This far out it’s good to start making sure you have knocked out a lot of the big ticket items.

• Purchase wedding dress
• Reserve ceremony / reception venues
• Explore invitation styles
• Book officiant

8-9 Months Before Your Wedding

The date is getting closer and you have probably realized the large amount of work that can go into planing an event like this. But no worries, because we have some more items for you to think about.

• Start to plan honeymoon, what is “Your Couple” style?
  • This does not have to be right after wedding, you can always go later
• Refine guest list
  • No guest list is perfect the first time
  • Consider Budget
• Gift registries
• Meet with decorators and wedding staff
  • Florist
  • Venue operators
  • Caterers
• Pick your wedding party
• Select bridesmaid dresses

6-7 Months Before Your Wedding

Time is ticking but you have accomplished a lot so far. Here are a few more items to work on:

• Decide on makeup/hair
• The wedding cake
• Rental reservations
• Book rehearsal dinner venue
• Meet with officiant to discuss ceremony plans
• Pick Groomsmen’s attire
• Select and purchase invitations.

4-5 Months Before Your Wedding

There are a lot of factors that go into planning a wedding as you have seen. The closer you get the more excited and anxious you become. Don’t lose sight, the special date is getting closer. Here are some more steps that you can take to make sure everything is taken care of.

• Start to finalize decisions
  • Flowers
  • Food & Drinks
• Make music playlists for DJ
• Schedule dress fittings
• Book Honeymoon

3 Months Before Your Wedding

If you are flustered stop and breath. You are so close. I know it may seem like a lot but you can do it. With that here are some things to work on in month 3.

• Write vows
• Buy Wedding Bands
• Finalize Honeymoon plans
• Check the checklist

2 Months Before Your Wedding

Almost there, here are a few more items to accomplish

• Mail wedding invitations
• Apply for marriage license
  • This license is only valid for 90 days, so you will have the plan to get married within that window
• First dress fitting
• Purchase
  • Party gifts
  • Cake topper
  • Garter
  • Flower girl accessories
• Seating arrangements
• Send DJ wedding song list
• Touch base with vendors
  • This is highly recommended, a simple phone call or email will do

1 Month before your wedding 

You are in the final stages. Next you will need to make sure you:

• Pick up marriage license and wedding rings
• Confirm with vendors and hair/makeup professionals
• Final dress fitting
• Break in wedding shoes
• Make place cards for guests
• Delegate Wedding Duties
• Self Care Day

The day before

It’s the day before and you may be going crazy from trying to fix last minute items. While we know those items are important, here are some things that are proven to help weddings go right.

• Get plenty of rest
• Photographer
• Put items in the car
• Check Checklist

Your Wedding Day

It’s finally here and your brain is running a mile a minute trying to make sure everything is going right. Before you walk down that isle make sure these items have been taken care of:

• Don’t freak out
• Bring a pair of comfy shoes
• Have your toiletries ready
• Check on the other half
• Write a love note
• Take veil and dress out of the bag early to avoid wrinkling

After the Wedding Day

The title should say after you have enjoyed time with your spouse and gotten to be together as a married couple. Because this list is not something that you should rush to do.

• HONEYMOON…Come on?  Wasn’t it worth the wait?
• Return all clothes
• Thank You notes
• Pick out wedding album
• Wedding ring insurance
• Review wedding gifts
• Registry or website
• Have dress cleaned
• Get your name changed (if you want to)

Got questions as to setting up a dream wedding ceremony or reception? Call us at 919-977-3691 or connect with us today!

Downloadable Checklist

FIll out this form to get a link to the google doc that you can print off or make a copy and add it to your google drive.

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