The only localized countdown to your big day

12-18 Months Before

- Announce your engagement to family and friends
- Arrange for parents to get together
- Discuss your budget with your parents if they will be contributing
- Choose your wedding date
- Interview and choose a wedding planner, if desired
- Choose type of reception venue and tour facilities with their wedding planner

Resort
Bed and Breakfast
Restaurants and Banquet Facilities
Vineyards and Alternative venues

- Reserve reception venue
- Choose ceremony venue

If being married in a church or synagogue or other house of worship meet with appropriate person to discuss ceremony and pre-marital classes

If being married at reception site contact potential officiants

- Discuss guest list to get an approximate head count
- Have engagement photo taken
- Announce engagement in local newspaper
- Shop for gown

6-12 Months Before

- Choose wedding party
- Order wedding gown
- Choose theme (if desired) and research appropriate decorations and favors
- Select caterer, if needed
- Create a personalized wedding website to share info with friends and family
- Enroll in gift registries
- Reserve blocks of hotel rooms for out of town guests
- Shop for attendants dresses
- Choose a photographer
- Choose a videographer
- Choose a floral designer
- Choose musicians and/ or vocalist for ceremony and cocktail hour
- Choose a DJ or band for the reception
- Mail save-the-date cards- include your wedding web-site
- Start planning honeymoon

4-6 Months Before

- Order wedding invitations, thank you cards, napkins, etc
- Choose a baker for your wedding cake
- Hire transportation for wedding day
- Finalize guest list
- Shop for wedding rings
- Order bridesmaids dresses
- Reserve hair and make-up professionals
- Choose a tuxedo and have wedding party and family members fitted
- Reserve any necessary rental equipment
- Arrange rehearsal dinner or if possible delegate this task

Restaurant/ Banquet Facilities
Bed and Breakfast/ Inns
Vineyard and Alternative Venues
Resorts

- Choose who will be performing readings of other special functions during wedding
- Provide your guest list to your shower hostess along with registry info and website info
- Consider signing up for couples dance classes
- Book a room for your wedding night

2-4 Months Before

- Research marriage licence requirements for your state and start the process
Research how to change your name
- Meet with banquet manager or caterer to finalize time line, menus, wine and during selections, etc
- Select music for ceremony and reception
- Finalize services with your wedding professionals

baker, florist, photographer, tuxedo, videographer, wedding planner, transportation, rental company

- Purchase thank- you gifts for attendants, parents and each other
- Purchase or construct welcome baskets
- Choose favors as well as other theme related decorations. Need help?

Ask your florist, wedding planner or bridesmaids for help

- Order wedding rings

1-2 Months Before

- Mail invitations (6-8 weeks before weddings)
- First bridal gown fitting
- Choose jewelry and or accessories for bride as well as attendants
- Hair and make-up practice run
- Have programs printed
- Finalize ceremony readings and music
- If reciting unique vows, start composing
- Stay caught up on thank you notes for showers and early wedding gifts
- Plan bridesmaids luncheon
- Research potential insurance policy changes

2-4 Weeks Before

- Plan reception seating
- Confirm times and locations with all wedding professionals
- Make final payments to necessary vendors
- Final dress fitting
- Write rehearsal dinner toast
- Prepare place cards
- Confirm honeymoon arrangements

1 Week Before

- Give banquet manager or caterer final head count
- Confirm your wedding day schedule with attendants, parents and all other principals
- Confirm schedule, pick-up times and addresses with wedding day transportation
- Arrange for cake knife, toasting glasses and other important items to be transported to the appropriate place
- Place any fees due on the wedding day in labeled envelopes
- Do last minute beauty treatments
- Place all wedding related accessories together, such as: guest book, ring bearers pillow, candles and licence

Assign someone to transport this

- Place all reception accessories together, such as: guest book, favors, cameras and toasting glasses

Assign someone else to transport this

- Pack for honeymoon
- Day Before
- Confirm assignments with involved family and friends- provide them with an assignment list
- Get together gown, accessories, emergency items
- Get appropriate beauty treatments (no facials, face massages or waxing this close to the big day)
- Rehearse the ceremony with officiant, wedding party and family
- Enjoy rehearsal dinner

Your Wedding Day

- You've done a great job of planning
- Don't sweat the small stuff
- Relax and have a great day

After the Wedding

- Preserve your bouquet
- Return tuxedos
- Write thank- you notes
- Get your gown cleaned and preserved
- Complete bridal registries
- Follow up with photographer and videographer