Based on 12 Month Planning Process

#12

Celebrate your engagement with a “Dutch” dinner or engagement party with family and very close friends

Decide on your wedding theme/ or colors

Find and book your pre-wedding party venues, ceremony and reception a venue/s

Hire a wedding planner to help you get the most out of your budget

Try out bridal gowns and purchase or start the designing process 

Hire a great Photographer (not a place to save, hire the best one you can afford.) 

Compile your guest list

Decide on your wedding party or not to have a wedding party/bridesmaids/groomsmen etc... its all up to you.

Create a free wedding website many are listed online and attend as many bridal shows and events as you can, you can win some awesome free stuff and get great discounts!

#11

Decide on your Bridesmaid dresses

Book a videographer/ a must for at least the ceremony and reception walkthrough 

Book your caterer

Book your Honeymoon Early so you can pay on the one you want 

It’s good to start on this early with a travel agent because once you pick a destination all you need usually is a $200 deposit and you can pay on it for several months! 1 Elegant Event has an awesome travel specialist who also helps with all of our destination weddings.

Schedule and have your engagement photos. This is a good way to test out your booked wedding photographer before the wedding & to have great pictures for any needed pre wedding printed items or post. 

Meet with Ceremony clergy/ officiant in case you must attend premarital sessions

Decide on decoration ideas (Pinterest is great for gathering ideas) 1 Elegant Event has a great page on Pinterest so be sure to follow us! https://www.pinterest.com/1elegantevent

#10

Taste & Reserve your wedding cake

(Do not book a wedding cake provider unless you have tasted it first, unless you are having an out of the country destination wedding where it’s impossible. I this case we suggest picking a basic flavor or a flavor profile that is popular in that area!)

Send out save the dates as soon as you have a secure wedding date (booked the venue)

Reserve Hotel Blocks early to qualify for group discounted rooms

Began any DIY projects

Reserve any wedding rentals

Purchase anything you need that will come internationally months early in case you need to return, exchange or find another option.

#9

Hire a florist and/or decorator

Hire a DJ, Band or combo

Order anything you need online

Assign your bridesmaids small projects to do, so you do not get overwhelmed. Also, that is one of the jobs of being a bridesmaid, to help the bride when needed.

#8

Reserve Tuxedo’s

Need a recommendation? We suggest Going online to www.theblacktux.com/VIP

You will be prompted to enter our vendor code: 1 Elegant Event

By using this code you will get a real person to speak to and handle your order and will get to try on your tux months in advance and sent back for free!

Order your rings

Reserve your makeup and hair stylist. If they are doing your entire wedding party, be sure to confirm they have enough staff to do everyone that day. On your wedding day, regardless of how prepared you are, you run on a pretty tight schedule and makeup and hair is usually the thing that pushes everything late. Therefore, it is important that they have enough staff to handle doing everyone in the time frame that is allowed. Also be sure to find out in advance if anyone will be available to do touch ups after the ceremony, if not be sure to purchase the face powder and lipstick they will be using on you so you can reapply as needed.

#7

If you plan on buying or renting a house to move in after you get married, this would be a great time to start looking and purchasing. Purchasing a home we recommend Tina Mainer https://www.instagram.com/my.agent.tina

Work on your ceremony and reception layout with your decorator

Order invitations (www.boxedweddinginvitations.com) Tell Adriana you was sent by 1 Elegant Event.

Start working on more DIY projects is needed.

#6

Take a much-needed vacation from all the planning with your fiancé

Work on your real guest list

Work on ceremony program, hire ceremony music

Evaluate your wedding and if you need to make cuts or additions,

this is the time to do it.

If doing your own bar, start buying and storing alcohol weekly (do not open or mix) After the wedding, any unused alcohol bought from Costco, ABC or Military Base can be returned with a receipt and if unopened and the seal has not been broken.

Hire a licensed bartender, and purchase event liability insurance if your venue requires it.

#5

Register for gifts:

I suggest one higher end retailer such as Dillard’s, one mid-range retailer such as Bed Bath & Beyond and one lower end such as Walmart or Target. People want to buy you gifts, so make it easy for them to find stuff in all price ranges for every budget. We suggest making sure all the items match. (They maybe different brands but make sure they match from all the stores you register at.) Our reason is because, regardless of what store it comes from, when you get it to your home, you have a cohesive look instead of a bunch of random items.

Hire any extra vendors you considered, if there is room in your budget.

(such as photo booth, candy station, coffee bars, late night snack food truck etc…)

Work on the rehearsal dinner, even if it’s a spaghetti dinner at your parent’s home it’s always nice to have one for the bridal party and close family to meet. (this is traditionally paid for and planned by the groom’s parents, but that is not always the case so be sure to find out early so no one is surprised.)

#4

Meet one last time with all vendors. Check your contracts and details. Spoken word commitments are nice but, if it’s not written down on the contract or invoice it may not happen on your wedding day, not because they did not want too, they do lots of weddings and they may have simply forgotten.

#3

Mail Invitations. 

Be sure to weigh them to get correct postage at post office

Because many invitations take more than one stamp. Do mail them, 6-12 weeks before your wedding.

Non destination wedding RSVP’s should be due 2-4 weeks before your wedding date.

Get attire alterations and wedding accessories, be sure this is done before your bridal portraits which are usually taken 2 -4 weeks before your wedding. Ask your photography for your exact date if that is in the package you purchased.

Assign table seating. (at least for VIP tables) If you are not having a sit-down plated dinner with more than one food option, this is an unnecessary step, you do not need to assign everyone a particular seat, they WILL move eventually where they want to anyway, lol. For one food option, food stations, or buffet style catering, you then only need assigned table seating for VIP guest tables and the bridal party to ensure they have a good seat when they arrive after taking pictures.

Make sure all bridesmaids dresses are in and fitted properly

Finalize and confirm special song selections and play lists with ceremony and reception musicians and DJ.

Work out in detail ceremony and reception flow with your clergy.

#2

Refresh your wedding registry especially if you have had a few wedding showers

Work on RSVP’s

Finish up all DIY projects, purchase 2 garters, unity ceremony selection, ring bearer items, flower girl basket or item, guest book and pen, cake knife set, toasting glasses, custom disposable wedding cake or bar napkins, wedding gift card container, schedule wedding bouquet preservation, any custom wedding signage, wedding gift for your fiancé and bridal party.

Schedule wedding rehearsal with officiant and your Day of Coordinator

Pay off all your vendor balances at least 30 days before your wedding for a more peaceful last month.

If you haven’t already, move in your new place together or at least move most of your stuff in your new place. Do not leave all of this to happen after the wedding, you will not be that motivated, and your stuff will be at your old place or parents for months after.

Last Month!

Confirm suits sizes, that they paid them, and availability/ men’s clothing arrangements.

Begin packing for honeymoon, don’t buy too much new stuff, you know you will shop their too, lol.

Pick up your wedding dress from alterations and break in your shoes.

Confirm rehearsal arrangements with bridal party, send them an email, or send your DOC, 1 Elegant Event your bridal party email addresses and we can email they out reminders for you.

Contact wedding coordinator with final guest count estimate. 

Schedule time to drop off favors, place cards, seating chart etc to your wedding coordinator.

1 Day Before

•Complete packing for honeymoon, prepare to check into your hotel.

•Take some time to relax at some point during the day and think about something besides the wedding.

•Drink plenty of fluids—and avoid sodium.

•Attend the rehearsal

•Get to bed early and get some rest.

Day of the Wedding:

• Eat a good breakfast with family and friends.

(I suggest ordering a delivered meal to dressing location from Panera Bread its good, neat, easy because they bring everything you need and disposable)

• Enjoy any pre–wedding primping. 

 Relax and enjoy your day!

To schedule a Wedding Planning Consult, 

Destination Wedding Consult, 

or Month of Coordination Consult,  

please fill our out our website's contact form and submit 

or email 1ElegantEvent@gmail.com 

Happy Planning!!!