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10-12 Months Before
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Introduce both families and officially announce your engagement.
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Find out who pays for what and start a budget.
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Create a guest list and manage it with our easy-to-use tool.
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Compare calendars and select a tentative date.
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Choose your wedding party.
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Create a wedding website to share your engagement.
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Consider whitening your teeth for your engagement parties and photographs.
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Conduct interviews and hire a wedding coordinator if applicable.
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Decide if you want premarital counseling.
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Start looking photos of wedding dresses for inspiration.
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Send your engagement photo to the local paper.
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Begin thinking about where you want to honeymoon.
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Visit and book your reception site, and arrange for parking.
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Visit and book your ceremony location, including rehearsal time.
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Create a save-the-date guest list.
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Perfect Planning Tip
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Remember to register for home accents like vases, picture frames, and bowls.
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6 - 9 Months Before
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Alert out-of-town guests of wedding date and/or send a FREE
save-the-date email.
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Find a bridal salon and begin trying on wedding dresses and veils.
Bring stockings, heels, a strapless bra, and a hair clip to
each appointment.
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Get in shape for your wedding gown by starting an exercise routine.
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Get ideas for honeymoon locations and research pricing.
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Start looking at floral designs and interview florists for style and cost.
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Search for menu ideas and start meeting with caterers.
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Research wedding photography and interview wedding
photographers/videographers.
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Get ideas for music and interview bands/DJs.
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Finalize flower and décor ideas, and select a florist. Include
specifics of each floral arrangement in your contract.
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Sign a caterer.
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Order your gown and wedding veil.
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Shop for and select the perfect bridesmaid dress.
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Book your honeymoon!
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Find out if your ceremony location requires liability insurance.
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Finalize contracts with your wedding photographer and
videographer.
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Book your DJ/band.
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Browse and purchase wedding dress accessories, including shoes,
lingerie, purse, and gloves.
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Choose your officiant and discuss ceremony ideas.
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Start thinking about all of your gift registry options.
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Select three hotels in varying price ranges and reserve rooms for
out-of-town guests.
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4 - 5 Months Before
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Start thinking about cultural traditions for your wedding.
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View wedding invitation styles and research proper wording.
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Look at photos to get ideas for wedding cake designs, and meet
with bakers to taste samples.
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Discuss menu ideas with your catering manager.
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Shop for wedding rings.
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Look for the groom’s tux and decide what groomsmen will wear.
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Confirm your bridesmaids ordered their gowns and decide
on accessories.
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Have your mother and future mother-in-law coordinate and select
their dresses.
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Compare pricing, place your wedding invitation order, and book
your calligrapher.
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Purchase your wedding rings and send for engraving if applicable.
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Get ideas for wedding favors.
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Confirm dates for bridal showers and bachelorette parties.
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Make sure you’ve started your registries before bridal shower
invitations are sent.
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Choose your baker and finalize wedding cake.
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Reserve rental equipment such as chairs, tables, linens, tents, etc.
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Research and book your rehearsal dinner location.
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Get ideas for wedding hair and makeup.
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Notify any family or friends whom you would like to give readings,
sing solos, serve as guest book attendant, etc.
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Interview and hire any additional management staff and
babysitters if needed.
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Give your guest list to shower hostesses and check that
your registry has enough items. Update wedding website.
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Consider getting wedding insurance.
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2 - 3 Months Before
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Finalize guest list and submit invitations to calligrapher.
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Book makeup artist and hairstylist.
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Order your wedding favors.
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Candles, baskets, ring pillow… it’s time to start browsing and purchase
wedding accessories!
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Consider signing up for dance classes.
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Schedule your last tasting and finalize menu.
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Find gifts for each other, your attendants, your shower hostess, and your parents.
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Confirm tuxes have been ordered for groom/groomsmen.
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Prep for your honeymoon – do you have everything you need?
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Choose your getaway! Finalize wedding transportation.
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Take care of business: Look into joint bank accounts, insurance, and merging
your money.
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Select your music for the ceremony, cocktail hour, and reception, and review
with musicians, singers.
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Check that there are enough options left on your registry, and update your
wedding website.
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Finalize rehearsal dinner plans and order rehearsal invitations, menus, table
numbers, escort cards, and any other stationery accessories.
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Mail invitations eight weeks before your wedding day.
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1 - 2 Months Before
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Have your first bridal gown fitting. Remember to bring stockings, shoes, the appropriate bra, hair accessories, jewelry, a camera, and your mom or best friend.
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Finalize ceremony readings and songs, and review with performers.
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Order liquor/beverages not handled by caterer.
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Meet with your officiant to finalize the ceremony, including attendant formations.
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Begin writing your vows if applicable.
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Begin writing thank-you notes for bridal showers and early wedding gifts, and update your registry at the same time.
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Research where to get your marriage license.
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Prepare a photo and video shot list, naming important family members and guests.
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Schedule the bridesmaids’ luncheon and buy attendant gifts if you haven’t already.
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Begin whitening your teeth for your wedding day.
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Consider liability insurance for your reception location.
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3 - 4 Weeks Before
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Finalize your jewelry, which may include something old, something new, something borrowed, and something blue.
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Prepare a must-have shot list for your wedding photographer and videographer.
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Finalize your “must play” and “don’t play” music lists and review with musicians.
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Practice your first dance wearing your bridal shoes.
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Design and order your wedding program.
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Confirm honeymoon and travel arrangements, and give loved ones your itinerary in case of emergency.
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Call guests who haven’t RSVP’d.
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Pick up your wedding rings.
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Get your marriage license, typically no earlier than 30 days before the wedding.
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Research how to change your name.
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Mail your rehearsal-dinner invitations.
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Purchase small candles, candies, and mints for your guest powder room.
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Meet with your stylist to discuss and test the perfect makeup and hair for your bridal style.
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1 - 2 Weeks Before
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Have your final wedding gown fitting.
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Finalize your wedding-day schedule (including receiving-line order) and share with attendants, parents, and all vendors.
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Confirm all of your beauty appointments.
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Confirm pick-up times, schedules, and addresses with your wedding-day transportation.
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Pick up your wedding dress and make sure all of your accessories are together.
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Pick up the groom’s outfit, make sure it fits, and gather all of his accessories together.
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Finalize your vows for the ceremony.
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Get your hair colored and trimmed (don’t wait until two days before the ceremony).
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Confirm final headcount.
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Give final attendance numbers to vendors and confirm final date/time for deliverables and pick-ups after wedding.
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Pack for your wedding night and honeymoon.
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Create a “wedding box” to gather your ceremony accessories (marriage license, candles, ring pillow, basket, guest book) and assign someone to transport.
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Prepare a “reception box” for accessories such as guest books, cameras, toasting goblets, cake toppers, etc., and assign someone to transport.
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Prepare all of your wedding favors for transportation to reception venue and assign someone to move them.
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Finalize your seating arrangements (making sure you involve both sets of parents) and submit to caterer.
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Prepare place cards.
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Confirm dates/times/locations for all photo and video sessions the day of the wedding.
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Confirm dates/times/locations with all vendors.
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The Day Before
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Prepare a list of payment envelopes – including tips – earmarking who is responsible for distributing to vendors.
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Hand out assignment lists and checklists to ensure everyone knows their tasks, including person responsible for transporting gifts.
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Hand out ceremony box to appropriate person.
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Hand out reception box to appropriate person.
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Hand out favor box to appropriate person.
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Assign someone to mail your announcement cards.
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Gather together your wedding dress, accessories, and bridal emergency kit.
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Get a manicure, pedicure, and massage.
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Rehearse ceremony with officiant and wedding party.
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The Wedding Day
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Your day has arrived! You may be nervous, but try to eat breakfast and drink plenty of fluids.
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Take a lavender bath – it’s very relaxing.
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Be sure to wear a button-down shirt for your hair and makeup appointments.
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After the Wedding
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Get your wedding dress cleaned and preserved.
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Preserve your bouquet.
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Write and mail your thank-you notes.
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Complete your name-change kit.
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Check into your store’s bridal registry completion program.
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Meet with photographer and videographer to finalize albums/video.
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