Wedding planning: 12-month wedding calendar - Essay Example

?Shopping 101: Gown Buying Checklist Shopping for a wedding gown is one of the most exciting phases of wedding planning. Every bride-to-be is excitedthinking about when to start shopping, where to shop and how do to find the right dress. Here is all the information that will help you find the perfect dress for your big day. When to Begin Get started around nine to twelve months before your wedding so that you can devote ample time for the fittings. Wedding gowns are usually custom made and hence, need several alterations before it fits perfectly. No need to panic if you have not started that early; companies also turn around a wedding gown in a short time. In case you have less time, opt for something simple. 9 to 12 Months Before The first step is to think about your style and imagine how your wedding gown would be like. Make a note of the elements that you absolutely do not want in your gown. Understand the lingo related to wedding gowns and decide on a budget for the gown. Browse through the options available on The Knot Wedding Dress Search and decide on a specific style and make notes. 8 Months Before Search for salons that carry the designer and take prior appointments. Once inside the salon, take notes about dresses, designers, prices and gown descriptions. Invite close friends and family to help you make the decision. While you test out the gown, ensure that you cover the essentials such as a starpless bra, control-top panty hose and slips. Be careful about the size so that gowns do not run small. 7 Months Before Narrow down the gown choices and go on repeated visits to the salon. Go both individually and with friends. Find out if the gown has accessories like the veil and try it to see how you look. 6 Months Before Order your gown. When you order, ensure that your receipt has contract points on the designer name, style number or name, size measurements, date of delivery, number of fittings and the cost, total cost of the gown, the deposit and the pending amount. 5 Months Before Remind the salon about the date of delivery. Time to get back to Knot Accessory Search and decide on accessories such as shoes, jewelry, gloves, bags, lingerie and so on. Finish your weight loss plans before the fittings begin. 6 Weeks Before (or once your gown has arrived) Schedule your first fitting along with a sharp-eyed and honest friend. See the whole look by trying out accessories too. 4 to 5 Weeks Before Go for your second fitting to ensure that your gown skims over the toes of your shoes. See if you can walk comfortably and gown stays properly when you move. Schedule fittings until the gown is a perfect fit. Get your maid of honor along with you during the final fitting to make her understand how to adjust it on the big day. Ensure that you have information about the dos and don’ts related to the gown. 3 Weeks Before Fix an appointment to pick up your wedding gown and try it to ensure correct fittings. Go and pick it up. Article 2: Wedding planning: 12-Month wedding calendar Are you newly engaged and have started wedding planning? Then, you must be thinking about the various things-to-do. Here is a month by month preview of the things-to-do that will help you all along. 12+ months before Date: ______________________ Think about your wedding and decide a budget. Think of a wedding consultant and decide on a planning team. Search and book both ceremony and reception venue. Consider the availability of venues, officiant and key guests before deciding on a wedding date and time. Begin writing down the guest list. Check with friends and relatives to set up the wedding party. You can have an engagement party and register earlier for gifts. 8-10 months before Date: ______________________ Time for the bride to start search for wedding gown. Plan the reception food. Search for entertainment options such as violinists, bands, DJs or pianists. Plan floral decoration Search, interview and hire photographer, videographer, DJs and florists. Find out options related to wedding insurance to ensure protection. Block accommodation for visiting guests. Take time out for gift registration. Get information on rental services related to chairs, tables and tents. 6-8 months before Date: ______________________ Hire musicians for the ceremony. Get dresses for the bridesmaids. Plan your honeymoon. If you have your wedding scheduled during a holiday season, its time to send save-the-date cards. 4-6 months before Date: ______________________ Optional: Check for prewedding counseling Time to ready the invitations and buy wedding rings. Get formal clothes ready. Ensure travel documents are updated. Narrow down on a wedding cake designer. 3 months before Date: ______________________ Decide on wedding cake. Book a calligrapher to professionally address the invitations. Enjoy the wedding shower (depends on when hosts plan it). Groom should rent formal clothes. Book transportation for the couple (limousine) as well as for the guests. 2 months before Date: ______________________ Send out invitations Think and jot down your vows. Shop for gifts for parents and each other. Hire hair and makeup stylist and start trials 1 month before Date: ______________________ Contact the local bureau in the town to apply for a marriage license. Time for the bride to have final fittings. Take maid of honor to learn to bustle the dress. Get the dress home. Check with the bridesmaids to ensure their dresses are ready. Re-check with the various vendors for any last minute adjustments. Finalize the wedding program. Book in-room welcome baskets for guests who arrive from different places. 2 weeks before Date: ______________________ Go through RSVP and contact guests who did not respond yet. Talk about essential shots to both photographers and videographers. Discuss time for portraits and the people who would be included in them. Decide on final song list and hand it over to the musicians. Time for the prewedding hair cut and color for the bride. 1 week before Date: ______________________ Give the final head count to the caterers and remember to include the vendors in the head count. Enquire about extra plates from the caterer. Contact venue manager and inform about extra requests such as table for musicians or arrangement space for florist. Decide on seating chart Get table cards ready with the help of calligrapher. Remind all the vendors about the arrangements. Inform both ceremony and reception venue managers about vendor and set up schedules. Haircut for the groom. Attend the bachelor or bachelorette parties. 2-3 days before Date: ______________________ Bride: Ensure the gown is pressed or steamed Groom: Pick up formal wear and ensure correct fitting. Groom: Check with Best Man and groomsmen about their outfits. Decide on wedding-party positions as well as the processional order. Give table cards, menu, favors, place cars and other items to the site managers. Call all the vendors for final reconfirmation. Confirm pick-up and drop locations and schedule with the transport car rental company. Arrange transport for guests without car as well as airport and train pick-ups. Contact hotel concierge to give welcome baskets along with names and instructions. Day before Date: ______________________ Provide all those involved in wedding planning with an emergency phone number. Confirm payment details with the wedding hosts about any final payments to be made after reception. Night before Date: ______________________ Attend rehearsal ceremony along with wedding party, readers, and officiant at the venue to ease out any confusion. Participate in the rehearsal dinner. Ensure that ceremony accessories such as unity candle, aisle runner, yarmulkes are at the venue. Hand over the marriage license to the officiant. Give out fits to attendants at the rehearsal dinner, especially in case if the gifts are meant to be worn during the wedding. Day of Date: ______________________ Give presents to parents and each other. Hand out the wedding bands to the best man and the maid of honor so that they can hold it during the ceremony. Hand over the officiant fee in an envelope to the best man, to be given to the officiant after the ceremony. Make sure that the venue managers are in touch with your maid of honor/best man or wedding consultant to handle any issues that arise. Introduce the photographer and videographer to a friend or family member so that they know who is who. Postwedding Date: ______________________ Arrange someone to return any rented stuff. Entrust an attendant or friend to take the bridal gown for cleaning and to return the grooms clothes back to the rental outlet. Send thank-you notes to guests, vendors and to people who were particularly helpful during the wedding. Article 3: Wedding Invitation While in the past, sending out wedding invitations was done in the name of the parents of the bride, in today’s world this is no longer the rule. With changed family structures – more families having single or divorced parents, and people living in nuclear families, the concept of sending out wedding invitations has undergone a change. Now, it may be appropriate that the couple send the invitations themselves, or any of the parents of the couple send it. Also, today, wedding invitations are not the simple formal affairs of the past. Instead, people try to be creative, inspirational, emotional and informal with their invitation cards. What is more important is to create an invitation that is attractive and which gives complete and accurate information about the couples’ names, venue, date, or any dress code that may be desirable. It is also a good idea to include a route map for the convenience of the guests. Article 4: Blog Article Senta and Rob’s wedding at the Culver City in the perfectly picturesque Smog Shoppe is an event to remember and relish. The first photos of the wedding at Beautiful Day Photography captured my imagination and I spend so much time staring at them all, simply letting the warm scenes wash over me. Everything at the wedding is perfect. From the vintage cutlery to the old-fashioned brands of cigarettes, everything spells of the personal touch, as these were hand picked by the couple for their special day. Senta and Rob, so much in love with each other, simply look adorable. The charming bride exudes warmth and vivacity, as she goes meeting friends and well-wishers while the groom looks mildly proud of his cute wife. Join me at the gallery to see more pics. Read More