Planning a wedding can be a whirlwind. The excitement of being engaged can quickly fade into stress and chaos, especially if you’re leaving no time to wait for the special day. Wedding planners are great for taking some of that stress off your shoulders, but they’re not always affordable, leaving many brides to take matters into their own hands. For go-with-the-flow brides who don’t hire a wedding planner, organising their special day – as exciting as it should be – often plays out to be their worst nightmare. In the scramble of organising guest lists and florists, it can be easy for things to slip through the cracks. Here’s the ultimate wedding checklist for the bride who wants an unforgettable day without the burden of exhaustive planning.
Phase 1: The Non-Negotiables
The easiest way to kick off your wedding planning is to start with the fundamentals. In other words, everything that absolutely needs to be in place for your wedding day to go ahead. You should consider booking the non-negotiables as early as possible – typically, they’re taken care of at least 12 months before the big day. Here’s what you should prioritise first:
- Budget
- Location and Catering – this includes the cake too!
- Guest List – this doesn’t need to be exact at this point; you’ll just need a rough idea of numbers
- Bridal Dress and Bridesmaids Dresses
- Entertainment
- Photographer or Videographer
Phase 2: Admin & Logistics
Phase two of your wedding planning includes all the boring – but absolutely necessary – admin tasks that will make sure everything on the day runs smoothly. It’s recommended to get your admin and logistics organised between 3 and 6 months before your wedding day, factoring in any delays with legal tasks or communication with vendors. Here’s what falls under admin and logistics tasks:
- Guest Invites – to make planning even easier, try digital invitations that save time and reduce paper waste.
- Wedding Officiant
- Gift List
- Wedding Rings
- Transport to the Venue
Phase 3: Final Checks
Phase three is usually the point where you can take a breather. Everything will start to come together and feel like your dream day rather than one big blur in your mind. In the final month of your wedding preparations, your focus should shift to checking in with all of your various vendors to make sure they’re happy and sure of what will happen on the day. Here are some important checks you should make:
- Final headcount of guests who have confirmed their attendance
- A rehearsal or walk-through with vendors – typically this will be for the entertainment, videographers and hair and makeup artists.
- Prepare an emergency kit – make up a small bag of beauty top-ups, such as lip gloss and powder, as well as other necessities like bobby pins and hairspray.
While our easy-to-follow checklist doesn’t cover every detail of your wedding preparations, it highlights the most important things to prioritise. Once those are ticked off, you can focus on the finer points of your wedding with a little less pressure and a lot more excitement.