By: Aleksander Pichkur
Ideally, a wedding is a one-time event, so everything at it should look, sound, smell, and taste great. Every detail, from the location to napkin patterns, takes a lot of planning. After all, there wouldn’t be so many wedding romcoms if things were too easy. To make this day truly special, you’re going to need some free time, imagination, and a strong will to stay sane when it’s all over.
Some couples put a lot of effort and money into making their wedding memorable and still manage to mess something up because of poor planning. Let’s not repeat their mistakes and make sure the best day of your life lives up to your expectations. So here’s a basic guide to planning a perfect wedding.
Start with a checklist
Before you begin planning your every step, you should think over your action plan in detail because rash decisions can cost you a lot. Make a checklist before taking actions. Any process is a set of consecutive steps: misplace one or two, and the whole plan will begin to crumble.
A checklist will let you look at your wedding from another perspective, picture it as a project, and understand what steps to take next. Besides, you need a checklist for budgeting. With a cost estimate, you’ll see that the same budget can be distributed differently.
Firstly, study the wedding process itself; conduct a so-called marketing investigation. There are probably couples that have already used some of your ideas at their weddings. Check out their stories; find out what difficulties they faced, how they planned their celebration, and how they solved problems. About six months before the wedding date, start making up a list.
Six months before the wedding
One of the most important relationship rules says that all major events in a couple’s life should be planned well in advance. Why should you start so early? To avoid 90% of troubles that come with the lack of forethought. Time flies, so don’t wait too long.
– Pick a date for the solemn event.
– If you’re planning a trip right after the wedding, check if the tickets are available. Plus, you can get them at a nice discount when booking them in advance.
– Contact agencies that provide wedding services in your city to compare the prices, so as not to waste precious time before the wedding.
– Check if some of your friends and family can help you with preparations.
– Make an approximate guest list.
– Get a gym membership to make sure you’ll look great.
– Make a cost estimate.
Three months before the wedding
It’s time to apply for official registration of your marriage. Take your time to celebrate this occasion with your significant other. Once it’s done, proceed to the next part of your to-do list. Three months before the appointed date you need to:
– Pick a church for the wedding and discuss the details of the ceremony with the priest.
– Start looking for a wedding dress. If you can’t find one, consider ordering an individual design.
– Buy wedding rings.
– Choose your best man and bridesmaid and make sure they’re ready to do their part.
– Finalize the guest list.
– Start printing invitations and searching for a banquet hall.
Two months before the wedding
The less time you have, the more troubles pop up. When there’s only two months left, you should start taking care of details.
– Find a professional photographer and cameraman.
– Find an entertainer to keep the guest busy (if needed).
– Start learning the first dance and pick the song.
– Order the wedding cake.
– Plan the bride’s hair and makeup.
– Start sending out invitations.
– Order a wedding convoy (if needed).
Two months before the ceremony, you should begin looking for a groom’s suit, and the bride’s dress should be ready by this time. If you doubt you can make it in time, consider hiring a wedding agent.
One month before the wedding
When there’s one month left before the ceremony, the banquet hall and menu should already be approved, and all the details of the interior of the banquet hall should’ve been bought. The last few weeks are critical – go back and recheck everything you’ve already done because soon, there won’t be time left to change or fix something. Here are the final preparations:
– Discuss photo shoot locations with the photographer.
– Order a wedding bridal bouquet and groom’s boutonniere.
– Contact all guests and make sure they’re coming.
– Browse through the wedding script with the entertained (if you have one).
– Buy all the missing accessories for the bridal outfit.
– Invite friends to a party.
– Think over activities for the second wedding day (if scheduled).
A few days before the celebration, take care of small details, like champagne bottles for a photo shoot, make a seating plan for the guests, put your new shoes on and walk in them for a while, check the weather forecast, etc. When the day comes, stay cool because you know you’ve planned everything, and it will work just fine. Just don’t forget the rings.
