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Wedding checklist

Work your way through your wedding checklist and choose your wedding rings
Work your way through your wedding checklist and choose your wedding rings

Decide your wedding date and budget

It may seem obvious but if you haven't already, decide the time, date and place of both your wedding and reception. Set out your wedding budget. You must be realistic and ensure the cost is spread evenly – which means not blowing all you wedding budget on the dress! Decide whether you are going for a civil or religious wedding ceremony and contact the registrar or vicar accordingly to arrange and book the venue and service. Determine the number of wedding guests and negotiate the minefield of the invitation list. Consider wedding planners if you think you will need extra help (see ‘Do you need a wedding planner?’).

Moving swiftly on with your wedding planning

• Choose the best man, maid of honour and important guests. • Book the wedding reception venue. • Make the final decisions on the guest list and send out the invitations. Provide as much notice as possible. • Hire the band or DJ, and the photographer. • Choose a caterer (if you intend to have one). • Arrange the honeymoon and book travel insurance and order currency. Remember to book under the name on your passport, not your name-to-be. Let's not have any airport dramatics. • Order your wedding cake. • Organise wedding insurance –important yet overlooked.

Next steps for your wedding planning

• Plan the reception and all the add-ons (seating, decoration, menu and welcome drinks). • Choose wedding rings. • Choose and order the dress and make arrangements for the bridesmaids’ attire –get this über exciting hurdle out of the way so you can refocus on the more mundane tasks! • Groom orders his suit. • Order best man/usher/pageboy suits. • Order any stationary for place settings and choose wedding favours. • Arrange your wedding transport. • Select and order any thank you gifts for particular guests. • Compile the gift list (if you want one) and register it with the chosen store. • Order the flowers. • Confirm arrangements with relevant minsters or officials, including readings and choice of music • Book the wedding night hotel.

Wrapping up the finer details of your wedding planning

• Arrange the rehearsal dinner. • Book hairdresser/beautician/manicurist. • Find out the details of the stag/hen do from the best man/maid of honour. • Write your own wedding vows. • Prepare the wedding speeches.

Scarily close to the wedding day

• Arrange accommodation for any out-of-town guests. • Enjoy the excitement of the final dress fitting. • Arrange the transport for the wedding party. • Call the guests who have failed to RSVP. • Draw up the final guest list. • Give the final figures of attendees to caterers. • Decide on the seating plans. • Enjoy the hilarity of the stag and hen do.

The final countdown to the wedding…

• Choose the music for the emotional first dance. • Buy the bridal accessories. • Have the final rehearsal at the venue. • Collect the wedding attire. • Wear your wedding day shoes in. • Confirm reservations for honeymoon. • Send your place cards and seating arrangements to the venue. • Pack for the honeymoon. • Compile an emergency contact list of all your suppliers. • Reach your target wedding weight!

Your wedding day

• Try not to panic. • Make sure you eat and stay hydrated. • Take a relaxing bath. • Get wed! If you are just about to start on the road to planning your wedding then check out our wedding planning tools, including wedding table planner, guest list planner, wedding budget planner and other wedding planning tools, all designed to ensure your big day goes without a hitch. Read more on getwed.com...
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