Wedding Planning Checklist: Getting Started! Part 7

This is one part of several in a series.  

To view the first post, see Monday, June 22nd.

To view the previous post, see Wednesday, July 1st.

To view the next post, check back on Tuesday, July 7th.

Here is my typical wedding checklist.  You can use it, edit it and rearrange it to fit your personal needs:

Party on!

Suzanne

Suzanne The Party Girl

love is a small word. we make it BIG. TM 

Wedding Checklist a  2 Months Out:

Guest List and rsvp	Continue tracking rsvps as they come in.
Guests	Draft seating plan for ceremony and reception.  Suzanne can help you with this.
Guest List and rsvp	Make a list of ceremony seating or pew cards to print, if doing.
Guest List and rsvp	Make a list of reception seating chart, escort cards or place cards to print, if doing.
Bridal Party	Confirm that each bridesmaid has received her dress.
Ceremony	Review ceremony details with your officiant.
Ceremony	Distribute copies of selected readings and songs to ceremony participants.
Marriage License	Apply for a marriage license.
Music & Dancing	Send photo shot list to photographer and do/do not play list to band/DJ.
Toasts	Write your wedding speech/toast.
To Bring	Prepare bride and groom toiletries and extra essentials (socks, nylons, comfortable shoes, spare shoes in case of breakage, etc.) for day-of wedding.  Suzanne will also have an emergency kit with her.
To Bring	Give any purchased or hand made items to Suzanne so she may assemble guest room gifts for out-of-town guests and/or packaged favors for guests.
To Do	Start breaking in your wedding day shoes (both bride and groom).
To Purchase	Purchase comfortable end-of-night shoes (or flip flops).
Optional	We can also purchase flip flops for your guests to be placed near the dance floor for their comfort.  These items will coordinate with your decor color scheme.
Optional	If it will be chilly or warm, we can purchase pashminas or fans for your guests’ comfort.  These items will coordinate with your decor color scheme.
Health & Beauty	Attend a hair and makeup trial and remember to take pictures of yourself.
Health & Beauty	Schedule a haircut appointment for the groom for the week or two before the wedding.
Health & Beauty	Schedule a facial or any waxing for yourself one to two weeks before the wedding so any breakouts can clear up.
The Dress	Find something old, new, borrowed and blue, and sixpence in the shoe, if doing.
The Dress	Attend final dress fitting.
The Rings	Pick up your wedding rings and try them on.
Paper	Send seating and place cards to calligrapher, or begin to write/print them yourself.

Wedding Checklist a  2 Months Out:

The Dress	Pick-up wedding dress from bridal salon.  Ask them to press it.  Hang it up when you get home in a secure area with lots of room.  (Don’t let your dogs or cats get to it, but inside a closet isn’t good unless it won’t be crushed.)
Groom	Have groom and groomsmen pick-up their tuxedos.
Misc.	Ask your cleaning service to help clean your home to prepare for visitors a few (apx. 2) days before the wedding.  If the wedding is at your home, schedule your service to clean two days before the wedding, touch up the  morning of the wedding and return the day after the wedding.
Organization	Work on wedding day timeline and contact list for vendors and bridal party.  (Suzanne will type up a timeline and send to you to review.  Then, we will email vendors the timeline and hand out a timeline to your bridal party at your rehearsal.)
Health & Beauty	Confirm wedding day beauty appointments.
Organization	Confirm wedding day details with all vendors. (We will do this for you.)
To Bring	Pack for honeymoon.
Gifts	Deliver guest room gifts to hotel. (We can do this for you.)
Bridal Party	Assign day-of responsibilities to attendants.
The Dress	Arrange for someone to send your wedding dress to a preservationist. (We can do this for you.)
Caterer	Finalize catering menu so menus can be printed.  If doing a menu based on Farmer’s Market availability, your menus will need to be printed the week of your wedding by a printer as opposed to being engraved, or, our calligrapher can create one menu per table.)
Invitations	Follow up with your guests who have not given you an rsvp. Your coordinator can also contact them.  You will need to give your caterer the final head count two to three weeks in advance of your wedding date.
Reception Venue	If you are staying overnight at a hotel connected to your reception venue, ask your reception venue if they have refrigerators and can store your extra wedding cake after the ceremony.  If they can’t do that for you, request for a mini-fridge to be delivered to your room.
Cake	Ask your cake baker to bring extra cake boxes for your cake.  Ask for smaller boxes if you are storing your cake in a mini-fridge.