Wedding Planning Checklist

Jen Carter, owner of My Wedding Blog, offers a free wedding planning checklist to help you to plan a wedding. The handy planner covers everything between the wedding day back to what you should be doing nine to twelve months in advance (that’s when you announce the engagement and pick a date).

The checklist suggests that color scheme and outfit planning start at the six-nine month’s mark, along with such details as music, video, flowers and caterer. By four to six months in advance, Carter says to finalize the guest list and start on honeymoon arrangements, as well as arrange for invitations and register for gifts. I love the little details she includes, such as “Start to break in shoes”. Who would think of this in advance with all the flurry of tasks and excitement over the event?

By two to four months before the happy day, you should be looking into licensing requirements, ordering decorations, transportation and flowers. This is the time to mail invitations, then keep records of the gifts received and send thank-you notes (not after the wedding).

Further scheduling tips are offered for six-eight weeks, the week of the wedding, rehearsal day, and finally The Big Day when, mainly, you show up at the appointed place and time. The website also provides tips on everything associated with weddings from Anniversary to Video and links to other useful sites.