Six Months to a Year Before Your Wedding
How to Plan for the Big Day and What Decisions Should be Made Early
Jul 20, 2009
After the groom pops the big question, it would be nice for things to just fall into place on their own for the wedding day. But this is reality, where it might just rain at an outdoor wedding, or an adorable nephew might just swallow a ring.
What can keep the bride's sanity throughout the planning process is breaking up the endless list of tasks into an order based on importance and necessity. One year to six months before the wedding, many things can be decided that will reduce stress later in the planning process.
Choosing a Date, Style, and Formality for a Wedding
Before anything else can be determined, a date should be chosen. Once a date has been set, choosing a style and formality will become a bit easier. Choose a style of wedding that fits the personalities of both the bride and groom, and similarly choose the formality of the wedding based on the same criteria.
Determine whether the wedding will have a classic formal, formal, semi-formal, or informal dress and theme. It is often helpful to discuss color schemes and themes for your wedding at this time.
Determining a Wedding Budget and Deciding Who Will Pay for What
Before rushing off to the stores, it is important to create a set budget and price range for each major wedding purchase. Who will be buying the wedding dress? Who will be paying for the honeymoon? The reception? Be sure to discuss funds with each contributing party before shopping and choosing items that might be out of a person's price range.
Reserving a Chapel or Church and a Reception Hall for Your Wedding
Now is the time to explore different churches, chapels, or other places you might want to get married in. Keep in mind that you should make reservations as soon as you decide on a church and reception hall because they often fill up a year or more ahead of time.
Choosing Your Wedding Party
After choosing a date and other basic wedding details, you should ask all honored guests to save the date and take part in your ceremony. Other than parents of the bride and groom, these often include bridesmaids, groomsmen, and ushers.
Buying the Wedding Dress
Begin looking for wedding dresses early to ensure ample time to find the right dress and for alterations before wedding pictures. Remember that there are rarely refunds on wedding gowns, so be certain of the dress before purchasing.
Once you do find the perfect gown, be sure to order immediately because special ordering a dress from a factory can take five or six months, and if you find your gown on the sale rack or in a store where the dress might not be available again, purchase it that day. Keep in mind that most stores require at least a 50 percent deposit at the time of purchase.
Choosing Bridesmaid Gowns for the Wedding
Bring only one or two bridesmaids when looking for gowns to avoid an overload of opinions. Once you have chosen the color and style of dress, bring all the bridesmaids in to be sure sizes and styles will work for each person. Place the orders for the gowns and any accessories at the same time to ensure identical dye lots.
Choosing a Photographers, Musicians, and Catering Companies
It is appropriate to begin interviewing photographers, videographers, musicians, and catering companies for the wedding and reception early. Shop around for each to find the best quality, price, and reliability. Be sure to demand samples of previous work before signing a contract or paying a security deposit as these are often nonrefundable and binding regardless of date change.
Compiling Guest Lists for the Wedding
Now is the time to make preliminary guest lists for the wedding. It is a good time to overestimate and write down all possible guests, later eliminating guests based on size limits. Begin by making two lists: yours and his. Follow these initial lists with two more: your family and his family. Then, eliminate name if necessary and decide if each invite is allowed to bring a guest.
During the six months to a year before the wedding, you might want to throw an engagement party to celebrate the engagement with friends and family. It is also an appropriate time to send your engagement announcement to the local newspaper.
Although planning a wedding can be stressful, it is also an exciting time of decisions and decorations, so be sure to enjoy the process of choosing things you like for your big day.
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