Steps to Planning a Wedding of a Lifetime

To make your wedding day the individually special event that you want, careful planning is essential. If you have enough time before the date, you can organise everything by creating a schedule that will enable you to ensure certain things are ready, prepared, or organised, over a period of time, which is usually about 18 months to 2 years before your wedding day.

How much planning often depends on the size of your wedding party, of course, but large or small, both types of wedding follow similar planning and you can still schedule quick, basic steps to planning a wedding if you have less time.

Firstly, you should budget for your wedding rehearsal dinner; reception or banquet; catering and cake; clothes and flowers; hairdressers; transport; photographer, printer; rings; and someone to provide music. Next, arrange a meeting with whoever is performing your ceremony to arrange a date and discuss your vows.

Once you know the wedding date, draw up a provisional list of guests, and reserve a venue for your reception as most venues require at least 8 months notice for a small party and a year for a large one. These are the first steps to planning a wedding, the foundation steps.

When broken down, these steps detail the tasks you need to take, step by step. For example, four to six months before your wedding day, you should contact the caterers to decide the menu and service and you should know by now the exact number of bridesmaids/ushers you have.

Any clothes to be rented should be arranged with agreements made for final fittings for no less than 3-4 days before the day. Hairdressing appointments should be made now too for both bride and bridesmaids. This is the beginning of the more detailed steps to planning a wedding. Your invitations, place cards, thank you notes, should be printed now, and arrange your honeymoon too.

Three months before, mail invitations, buy your clothes and wedding rings, and arrange accommodation and gifts for your wedding party. Organize photographers, florists, and musicians. Then, one month before, have your bachelor boy/girl party.