How to plan a wedding: a step-by-step checklist and tips

Are you ready to start planning your dream wedding? With many decisions to make it's natural to feel a mix of excitement and overwhelm. From finding the location to crafting invitations and selecting the perfect dress every detail matters. To ensure that your special day is flawless and stress free it's crucial to approach the process with preparation. This comprehensive checklist will serve as your guide leading you through each step of the wedding planning process and helping you stay organized, along the way. So lets dive in and make sure that everything is absolutely perfect, for your day!

Step 1 - SET A BUDGET

Setting a budget is an important first step in planning, without a set budget it is very easy to go beyond your financial limits.
So review your budget and first determine the total amount you are willing to spend on the wedding, then break it down into smaller categories such as venue, wedding attire, vendors, etc.

Basic tips at this stage:
- Decide on the amount you can afford to spend on your wedding.
- Track your expenses by creating a spreadsheet to monitor expenses throughout the planning process.

 

Step 2 - SET THE DATE AND CREATE A GUEST LIST 

If the date can be decided easily, then everything is much more complicated with the guest list. Very often, it is difficult for the bride and groom to decide on the guest list, it can be restrictions regarding the venue, how comfortable everyone will be. The format of your wedding is also important because you can have a small wedding where only the closest people will be. Also, the question about children at the wedding often arises.

Basic tips at this stage
- Make a priority list of guests at your wedding.
- If you have doubts about some guests, ask yourself: will this guest create a special atmosphere at your celebration, how often have you communicated with this guest over the past year?
- Decide whether you want children to be at your celebration.
- Don't forget to include in your list "Plus one" who will be with your guests.

 

Step 3 - CHOOSE THE VENUE AND THEME

Choosing a wedding theme is a step that will facilitate your preparation for it, understanding the basic colors and style will make it easier for you to make decisions about the details that will be present at your celebration. Having a theme of the wedding, it will be easier for you to understand which venue will be the most optimal for you. On the contrary, understanding which venue you have already noticed, you can adjust the style of the wedding to it. For example, you know where in your city there is a wonderful garden or park where you could hold a wedding, in this case, a rustic or botanical theme with elements of vegetation in the decor may be suitable for you.

Basic tips at this stage
- Based on your budget, identify 3-5 places that could fit your wedding theme
- Contact representatives of these venues and determine if they are available for your date
- Make an appointment, inspect these places and ask about all the conditions necessary for the wedding, including the minimum and maximum number of guests, budget expenses, etc.

Step 4 - BOOK VENDORS.

Vendors are the main pillars on which your wedding will stand. They are the ones who will create a wonderful atmosphere for you and your guests and will guarantee that your day will be perfect without any interruptions. That is why the choice of vendors should be approached very responsibly. Talk to them, determine what they offer, compare the best options and be sure to sign contracts with them.

The main vendors that are usually required for weddings
- Catering services
- DJ/music band
- Photographer/videographer
- Florist/decorator
- Hair/Makeup artist
- Officiant/pastor

Basic tips at this stage
- Discuss all the details with the vendors, and explain your preferences and styles. For example, for a DJ or band, provide a list of songs that should not be played at your wedding, if you have one. For the photographer and videographer, provide a list of important photos and moments to capture. For other vendors, prepare photos of what you would like to receive. This would greatly facilitate your cooperation with vendors and bring the desired result from this.

 

Step 5 -  PLANNING THE CEREMONY AND RECEPTION 

Not all venues have enough space to host the ceremony. Therefore, you need to keep this in mind as well. It is important to decide on the style of the ceremony (traditional, religious, civil, etc). Maybe you want to come up with some funny features at your ceremony, such as a funny unconventional exit of the bride and groom or choose a funny ring bearer at the wedding.
The reception is the main opportunity to celebrate your wedding with your loved ones. This is a part of the wedding during which you will get unforgettable emotions, but the preparation for it is quite voluminous and has important details. Basic steps to organize a reception:
- make a plan for seating guests.
- discuss table and hall decoration with a florist or decorator.
- choose the menu, drinks and cake design
- think of entertainment for guests.

Basic tips at this stage
- Of course, it will be easier for you if the ceremony and reception are in nearby places, so you can reduce transportation costs. But if you have chosen places between which there is a considerable distance, then don't forget about transport for guests.

Step 6 - FIND YOUR PERFECT ATTIRE 

In fact, an important criterion for choosing wedding clothes is comfort. During important moments at your wedding, you would not really want to be distracted by a dress that, for example, is too tight or worry that something may fall out or be visible from under the dress. Therefore, it is important that you feel confident in your outfit, and what it will be also depends on your theme at the wedding. It can be both a restrained minimalist white dress and a voluminous one embroidered with lace, it all depends on your preferences.

Basic tips at this stage
- Start choosing outfits in advance about 9-8 months before the wedding date. Schedule a few fitting sessions during this time so you can change your outfit if needed.
- Don't forget about accessories - shoes, jewelry, underwear
- Bring a spare pair of shoes you've already worn, this will make your big day a lot easier if the new shoes are uncomfortable.
- Don't forget about the clothes needed for the rehearsal dinner, bridal shower and other celebrations related to the wedding. 

Step 7 - CHOOSE YOUR WEDDING PARTY

Think carefully about the choice of wedding party. These are the people who will be with you from the beginning and until almost the end of your big day, so they should be close and reliable people, among whom you can share some of the responsibilities regarding the wedding.
The main list of roles at the wedding:
- Maid of Honour
- Best Man
- Bridesmaids
- Groomsmen
- Usher
- Flower Girl
- Page Boy
- Ring Bearer

Basic tips at this stage
- Choose the number of your wedding party based on the size of your wedding and your budget, because these may be additional expenses for clothes, bouquets. etc.
- Create a timeline or wedding day schedule and send it out to your wedding party so they can navigate all the important wedding activities

 

Step 8 - DESIGN INVITATION AND STATIONERY

Wedding stationery can be very diverse, from numbers on the tables of guests to signs and invitations, stationery can emphasize the style of your wedding. It is worth remembering about save-the-date cards, which should be sent 6-8 months before the wedding date, they are optional, but it is customary to do. So that your guests remember this date and don't plan other events on this day. It is important to send invitations with RSVP cards, and in the envelope with the invitation you can put a card to indicate the colors and dress code of the wedding, if any. But the most profitable option for invitations is digital invitations, they are easy to edit and send and do not need to be printed.

Basic tips at this stage
- Also enter information about guests' dietary preferences in the RSVPs card, so that you can plan the menu with your catering service. 

Step 9 - WEDDING RINGS AND MARRIAGE LICENSE

When choosing wedding rings, you should rely only on your preferences, you and your partner's rings can be created in the same style or be completely different, made of different types of metals or have different decorations. You can choose them immediately after the engagement or a few months before the wedding, the main thing is to remember about them and don't forget to add them to your wedding checklist.
Before getting married, you will definitely also need to obtain permission for an official marriage from the government authorities and obtain a marriage license. It is important not to leave it to the last minute of preparation and to submit the documents in advance, at least a week in advance, but also not to submit the documents too early, because then you will have to submit them again.

Basic tips at this stage
- Contact with your local clerk about the documents you need and the marriage license deadlines in your state. Plan in advance the process of obtaining a marriage license.
- Documents you may need: passport, driver's license, birth certificate. In case of remarriage: divorce certificate or death certificate.

Step 10 - ENJOY YOUR BIG DAY

Planning a wedding can be an exciting process and at the same time a daunting task. During the planning process, be patient and be prepared for things to go wrong and that's okay because that's life.
Remember that you have already done the most important thing - you have chosen your life partner. We congratulate you on this and wish you a bright married life. Take some time away from planning and spend time with your soulmate.

What can we advise before your wedding day?
- Contact all vendors and make sure that they have everything ready.
- Create checklists with all the necessary things that may come in handy on your wedding day, such as a bridal suit items checklist, bridesmaid suit items checklist, and more.
- It is important that you don't look tired at your wedding, so try to sleep and rest well before your wedding day.

 

Now you know what you need to plan a wedding, but these are really the basics, and as you plan your wedding, you'll find that you need a lot more things. We didn't raise many issues in this article, such as creating a wedding website, selecting gifts and favors for guests, creating a registry, and more. You can take a look at our blog, where there will be a lot of useful information not only about planning a wedding, but also about planning other life events, and also have a look at our section with digital products for wedding planning, which will be useful for you.

Thank you for your time planning life events - it's SIMPLE!