18 Months Before
- Set wedding date. Have standby dates ready.
- Determine your wedding style and budget.
- Get recommendations for wedding sites and service providers. Start attending wedding shows and scouting for locations.
- Book venu. Some months are particularly popular. eg, August to January, so you'll need to book early.
- Begin a diet/exercise regime and start getting into shape.
- Start a folder with sections for dresses, suits, flowers, etc to file away ideas. Make a checklist and check off as items get done.
- Start reading bridal magazines and check out bridal salons.
12 Months To Go
- Book a wedding planner if you need/want help
- shop for your wedding bands
- Select your bridal party attendants, bridesmaids, etc. Assign them their duties.
- Shop for florists, makeup artists, planners, favours, etc.
- Settle your wedding stationery design if yours is custom made
9 Months To Go
- Book wedding date with ROM, church or Justice of Peace.
- Confirm venue if you haven't done so. Discuss menu.
- Buy wedding bands
- Organise entertaintment. Ask for vendors' quotes and plan your music selection.
- Confirm salon, dresses and suits. Book hair and makeup.
- Shop for bridesmaids' and groomsmen's outfits, and your accessories such as heels and jewellery
- Compile the guest list with your fiance and both parents
- Enquire about wedding car rentals
- If you're having a church ceremony, plan the programme and get quotations from vendors.
6 Months To Go
- Confirm all vendors for music, invitations, flowers, etc. They can begin work.
- Reserve rooms for overseas guests
- Confirm menus and liquor
3 Months To Go
- Finalise guest list and start planning seating arrangements
- Confirm transportation for yourself and out-of-town guests
- Send reminders for venues and solemnisation officiant.
- Research and book photography/videography packages
- Confirm all wedding decor ideas, bouquets, centrepieces
- Send out invitations for out-of-town guests
- Discuss different looks with hair and makeup people and go for trial runs. Confirm looks.
2 Months To Go
- Send out local invitations
- Confirm that out-of-town guests have received invitations and settled accomodation details
- Choose thank-you gifts for attendants
- Organise seating arrangements
1 Month To Go
- Chase late RSVPs, finalise guest list and seating arrangements
- Confirm that your gowns and those of your bridesmaids will be ready on time
- Prepare fees or hongbaos where applicable, eg for officiant, and your "sisters" and "brothers".
- Start breaking in your shoes so they won't pinch on the day
- Fix a date for a church rehearsal (if you are having a church ceremony) two weeks before the wedding. Notify attendants.
- Confirm all other arrangements that have not been finalised.
2 Weeks To Go
- Have your church rehearsal or run through the day's duties with attendants
- Collect dresses
- Enjoy your Hen and Stag dos
- Arrange for bridal flowers to be sent to your home early
1 Week To Go
- Finalise all minor arrangements that haven't been done, eg Has your partner passed the rings to teh best man?
- Arrange for a bridesmaid to accompany and help you on the day - this takes the stress off you
- Give all payments to the best man; leave him to pay the respective people
- See if you and your fiance can get away for a day spa - pamper yourselves with a few luxurious treatments.
- Rest and relax so you'll both look great on your big day
On The Day
- Let your chief bridesmaid or planner take charge of everything, which includes reminding the other attendants of their duties.
- Relax and enjoy you wedding day!
Realise that alot of things haven't been done! If we count down, we only have about 2 and a half months to settle ALL things. Phew. Stressed.
Need to do the following:
- Design and print invitation cards (look at the checklist - we are supposed to have already sent out cards to the overseas guest! No wonder his relatives are complaining.. hehe)
- Confirm guest list and dinner seating arrangement - THE BIGGEST HEADACHE.
- Plan and prepare church wedding - Order of Service, caterer, tentage...etc. Even the table cloth for the reception table is not ready!)
- Powerpoint slide show
- Shop for parents' clothes. Its quite tough to dress mum up - she's conscious of her big size so can't wear sexy gowns, cheongsams look TOO old... sigh. Dads are easy, just buy new shirt and rent the suits!
- Renovate our new house. Now still getting quotations from various contractors.
- Brief all our friends about their duites!
My advice to all friends who plan to get hitched some time soon... START EARLY! :)
