Wedding Checklist: 6 Things to Do 12 Months Before Your Wedding
Your wedding day is booked. This can be a stressful time, but it really doesn't have to be. With some planning, you can make sure everything is ready well before the date. It's time to use a wedding checklist.
12 months before your wedding, you want to make sure the following items are checked off your list.
The wedding budget is the most important thing to set at this stage of the game. You need to know how much money you have available to spend. Don't rely on having the money in the back come the day of your wedding. A lot of things will need paying weeks or months before the date.
Ideally you should have saved up before you set your date. If not, look at your current savings and your ideal saving plan. What will you have together within the next six to nine months?
Create your wedding budget, split it up across the different areas of your wedding, and make sure you stick to it!
You don't have to do the wedding plan yourself. There's always the option of hiring someone else to do it for you. Make sure this is included within your wedding budget.
There are plenty of benefits of hiring a wedding planner. Even if you don't end up using one, at least consider it 12 months before your wedding.
If you're not hiring a planner, put together your wedding team. Know who will help you source venues, vendors, and more.
This is the perfect time to put together your wedding guest list. Decide who you would really want to come to your big day, including parents, grandparents, siblings, and close friends. You don't need to invite all friends and family members. It really will depend on the size of your wedding.
Write down your list. Sit together for this part of the wedding checklist to determine who you would both like to be there. Put a list of "must have" guests, "preferred guests," and "would like" guests. You can then divide the people up and create your full guest list based on the space and budget you have available.
If you only have a wedding budget for a small guest list, keep it small. Don't push your budget to the point where you're in financial difficulties.
Those who you would like to be in the wedding party need to be asked now. Make sure they can take the day off work, especially if you're having a Thursday, Friday, Sunday, or Monday wedding.
This is the point to find your wedding venues. Source where you will hold the wedding, where the parties will be, and other venues you would like. We opted for a church wedding and then wedding breakfast and evening do in a hotel. Many people I know opted for wedding and reception within the same venue as they aren't religious.
Make sure your ideal wedding date is booked before you send out any invites! You don't want the embarrassing moment of changing dates on your guests closer to the time.
Save the Dates are for just that. They tell the people you will send invites to in advance, so they can save the date. Don't just send out save the dates to everyone you would like to be there. Send them out to the people you will definitely send invites to. It's rude to not send a wedding invitation afterwards!
There are many ways that you can send out save the date cards. Many people will now do it online. We made our own and then had invitations professionally done. Another option is a quick text message or email. It's completely up to you.
Finally, start a scrap book or Pinterest board of ideas. You'll come across inspiration from all sorts of places. While you're not focusing on the smaller details right now, that doesn't mean you have to ignore them when they come up.
When looking through bridal magazines, cut out images of wedding dresses, favor ideas, color schemes and more. Use Pinterest to get some ideas together for wedding invites and ways to make your wedding the event of the season. With everything in one place, you'll find it easier to find the ideas again when it comes to looking at the smaller ideas.
That's your wedding checklist for 12 months before your wedding. Other things will wait a little bit longer. Just make sure you have this organized and the rest will start to fall into place.
12 months before your wedding, you want to make sure the following items are checked off your list.
#1. Create your wedding budget
The wedding budget is the most important thing to set at this stage of the game. You need to know how much money you have available to spend. Don't rely on having the money in the back come the day of your wedding. A lot of things will need paying weeks or months before the date.
Ideally you should have saved up before you set your date. If not, look at your current savings and your ideal saving plan. What will you have together within the next six to nine months?
Create your wedding budget, split it up across the different areas of your wedding, and make sure you stick to it!
#2. Consider a wedding planner
You don't have to do the wedding plan yourself. There's always the option of hiring someone else to do it for you. Make sure this is included within your wedding budget.
There are plenty of benefits of hiring a wedding planner. Even if you don't end up using one, at least consider it 12 months before your wedding.
If you're not hiring a planner, put together your wedding team. Know who will help you source venues, vendors, and more.
#3. Start the wedding guest list
This is the perfect time to put together your wedding guest list. Decide who you would really want to come to your big day, including parents, grandparents, siblings, and close friends. You don't need to invite all friends and family members. It really will depend on the size of your wedding.
Write down your list. Sit together for this part of the wedding checklist to determine who you would both like to be there. Put a list of "must have" guests, "preferred guests," and "would like" guests. You can then divide the people up and create your full guest list based on the space and budget you have available.
If you only have a wedding budget for a small guest list, keep it small. Don't push your budget to the point where you're in financial difficulties.
Those who you would like to be in the wedding party need to be asked now. Make sure they can take the day off work, especially if you're having a Thursday, Friday, Sunday, or Monday wedding.
#4. Book the wedding venues
This is the point to find your wedding venues. Source where you will hold the wedding, where the parties will be, and other venues you would like. We opted for a church wedding and then wedding breakfast and evening do in a hotel. Many people I know opted for wedding and reception within the same venue as they aren't religious.
Make sure your ideal wedding date is booked before you send out any invites! You don't want the embarrassing moment of changing dates on your guests closer to the time.
#5. Send out the Save the Date cards
Save the Dates are for just that. They tell the people you will send invites to in advance, so they can save the date. Don't just send out save the dates to everyone you would like to be there. Send them out to the people you will definitely send invites to. It's rude to not send a wedding invitation afterwards!
There are many ways that you can send out save the date cards. Many people will now do it online. We made our own and then had invitations professionally done. Another option is a quick text message or email. It's completely up to you.
#6. Start a scrap book
Finally, start a scrap book or Pinterest board of ideas. You'll come across inspiration from all sorts of places. While you're not focusing on the smaller details right now, that doesn't mean you have to ignore them when they come up.
When looking through bridal magazines, cut out images of wedding dresses, favor ideas, color schemes and more. Use Pinterest to get some ideas together for wedding invites and ways to make your wedding the event of the season. With everything in one place, you'll find it easier to find the ideas again when it comes to looking at the smaller ideas.
That's your wedding checklist for 12 months before your wedding. Other things will wait a little bit longer. Just make sure you have this organized and the rest will start to fall into place.
Comments
Post a Comment