8 To 24 Months Ahead

• Announce your engagement in hometown newspapers.
• Discuss and decide on the atmosphere you would like at your wedding.
• Talk to family and firmly establish a budget.
• Decide wedding size
• Talk to clergy or J.P. and arrange ceremony location and date.
• Find reception location available on your date.
• Plan wedding theme and colors.
• Choose your wedding party.
• Compile your guest lists, collect addresses; set up system to track RSVP’s.
• Contract a photographer.
• Contract entertainment for reception.
• Choose musicians for ceremony.
• Contract a caterer, if necessary.
• Select the bridal dress and all accessories.
• Select bridesmaids dresses and accessories.
• Select tuxes and accessories.
• Register for wedding gifts at a gift registry.
• Choose a bridal consultant.
• Choose a videographer.
• Choose a cake.
• Choose a florist.
• Locate and rent decorative items such as balloon’s, table pieces, etc
• Establish a file system for all paperwork, contracts, etc so that you can make reference to it as you plan the wedding.

4 to 8 Months Ahead

• Reserve accommodations for your out-of-town guests.
• Select and order your invitations and thank-you cards.
• Arrange your honeymoon travel
• Help mothers choose dresses.
• Look for a place to live and shop for home furnishings.
• Arrange transportation from your house to the ceremony, from the ceremony to the reception, and from the reception to the honeymoon night location.
• Order rings and engraving.
• Decide on favors to match your theme.

• Address wedding invitations.
• Collect items to stuff into invitation, including registry cards, hotel information, directions, etc
• Buy enough postage for invitations and RSVP envelopes.
• Purchase gifts for your spouse-to-be and your attendants.
• Plan the rehersal dinner and send invitations to it.
• Have final dress fittings.

• Make hair and makeup appointments for yourself and your bridesmaids.
• Attend showers and send thank-yous.
• Plan a get-together with your bridesmaids to give them their gifts/accessories.
• Collect luggage and clothes for honeymoon.
• Purchase or make ring pillow, guest book, toast glasses, cake knife, etc.
• Arrange for basket or other other location for cards containing money that arrive during the reception.
• Get marriage license.
• Mail invitations.
• Have bridal portrait sitting.
• Consult with the entertainment MC to organize a plan of the scheduled events for the reception.

2 Weeks Ahead

• Plan to change your name on your Social Insurance info, drivers license, credit cards & bank accounts—You will need a certified copy of your wedding certificate.
• Make a seating plan for the reception; write placecards.
• Call all wedding vendors and make final confirmations.

1 Week Ahead

• Pack for Honeymoon
• Pack emergency kit for wedding day, containing a sewing kit, extra nylons, comfortable shoes, hairspray, bobby pins, kleenex, etc.
• Rest and relax – your getting married! Have a massage or a facial – just for yourself and your sanity.