Weddings are fun, but putting together a wedding planning checklist? Not so much. Between drawing up guest lists, booking vendors and finalising those centrepieces, the days leading up to your wedding will demand skillful decision-making. But with the right strategy, you could get ahead of most sticky situations. Whether you’re planning an intimate home wedding or a lavish affair in Tuscany, we suggest you bookmark this wedding planning checklist to bring your wedding vision to life.
1 YEAR OUT
Factor in the budget
The first step? Crunch some numbers. Your ballpark budget will establish your boundaries and help you navigate subsequent decisions, from the scale of the festivities to the size of the guest list. This is the time to decide if you’ll pay for the wedding or your families will, so ensure that all stakeholders are part of this critical stage.
Enlist a wedding planner
Getting a planner on board before securing a venue will be invaluable. Research to recommendations, the expert can help you establish expectations with yourself and your vendors, suggest destinations that align with your vision and connect you with trusted vendors. Ensure your planner is able to stick to the cost commitments and help you stay organised.
Lock the destination and venue
“As soon as you block the wedding date, you need to secure the destination and venue. Some locations get booked a year in advance. Your décor, theme, catering—they all depend on the backdrop. In a sea of options, pick a space to which you have an emotional tie—a bucket list place or a favourite spot that holds sentimental significance,” says wedding architect Pritie Jain of Bling Mushrooms.
9 MONTHS OUT
Get the team together
Select your decorator, photographer, DJ, hair stylist, makeup artist, henna artist, caterer and cake artist. Book your ensemble of experts as soon as the venue is confirmed—talent gets commissioned surprisingly early.
6 MONTHS OUT
Start shopping
“Ideally, a bride should start curating her trousseau at least six months in advance,” says designer JJ Valaya. “Any bespoke or customised piece warrants sufficient time. This window will give you time to solidify intricacies like embroidery and fabric swatches, and avoid last-minute hiccups. Brides who don’t have this leeway must also consider three months as an absolute cut-off for a custom creation.”
Plan your honeymoon
Your honeymoon is likely to be the most lavish holiday you take as a couple. Given that you’ll be simultaneously planning the nuptials, you need to plan the post-wedding getaway in advance. Get moving at least six months before the wedding to settle on a destination and begin booking flights, accommodation and experiences.
3 MONTHS OUT
Choose the overall theme
Pull out your Pinterest vision boards. “But don’t blindly follow trends,” warns Jain. “The idea should be for all elements to be stitched together as a story, from invites to apparel. Select the palette for various events, zero in on the themes and think of all the ways you can infuse meaning and your personality into the décor and design. A whimsical garden mehndi to a glamorous soirée inspired by The Great Gatsby—the options are endless.”
Plan your last hurrah
What could be more vital than a pre-wedding party before you give up your single status? Whether you want to paint the town red in Ibiza or relax at a spacation in Bali, every bride deserves a send-off. While planning a timeline depends on how easy or elaborate you want the trip to be, three months in advance is a good rule of thumb to follow when it comes to blocking everyone’s calendars and making bookings.
2 MONTHS OUT
Decide the decor
“When it comes to colours and flowers, you cannot skip the sampling stage which needs to be done at least 45 days in advance,” says Jain. “The palette can never be fully understood until seen physically and placed precisely. At this point, your decorator will also handhold you while choosing between, say, roses and hydrangeas. This stage will ensure all the elements—from the tablescape to installations—are in line with the theme and your brief. You can alter all aspects at this point, but not on site.”
Pencil in trials and tastings
While you might have curated the menu months in advance, the tasting, layout and the discussion of service should be done now. If you want a glimpse of how your glam will look before you walk down the aisle, it’ll pay to book a trial session with your hairstylist and makeup artist at the same time. It’s advisable to carry your outfit and a few accessories with you.
Schedule your visa appointment
Settled on a 14-day jaunt in the jungles of South America? Or can you only make time for a long weekend in Vietnam? Sure, the time it’ll take to secure a visa depends on the destination, but it’s imperative to schedule that appointment and do the legwork for prerequisites sooner rather than later.
1 MONTH OUT
Apply for court registration
There’s no denying the sanctity of rituals, but it is also legally required to register your union. Couples must give notice of the intended marriage to the marriage officer 30 days before their wedding date.
Go for the final fittings
“The first fitting usually should take place about a month before the wedding day. It’s important to bring your shapewear and shoes on the day of the trials in case any alterations are required. The final appointment should be no later than two weeks prior to the ceremony,” says Valaya.
Original article appeared on Vogue India
