The Wedding Planning List: 2 Months Before the Big Day
The big day is drawing near and there are lots of details to take care of. Breaking down the steps into smaller pieces makes them more easy to manage and much less stressful for you! You want to spend time making memories with your family and friends and look back on the planning process is a good light. These are some details that should be taken care of two months before the wedding.
Mail out your invitations.
General rule of thumb: Mail invitations 6-8 weeks before the ceremony, setting the RSVP cutoff 3 weeks after the postmark date. Three weeks gives you time to make adjustments if need be and give the caterers a solid number to prepare for.
Submit a newspaper wedding announcement.
If you’re planning to include a photograph with the announcement, check with the publication’s website.
Enjoy bachelor/bachelorette parties.
Arrange a night out with your closest friends to celebrate your last night before marriage! Most brides aren’t involved too heavily in the planning process so you can relax and enjoy the night without worrying about any details.
Write your vows.
If you are using traditional vows this is one more thing off of your list, but many couples choose to write personalized vows. If you have chosen to write your own, now is the time! If there are any final edits you want to make you will have plenty of time before the wedding.
Send out thank you cards for shower gifts.
You will soon have many more thank you cards to send out from the wedding day, so get the shower thank you cards out now! The people who attended your shower or sent a gift will love to hear you appreciate their gift.
Purchase gifts for parents, attendants, and each other.
This step can often get skipped over with all of the details to plan and remember. Your parents and attendants are important people to thank as they are also helping during the wedding process. Don’t forget about each other! There are many small gifts you can give to each other on the wedding day from an item of jewelry to a handwritten note describing your feelings about the day.
Book your stylist and makeup artist and go for a trial run.
This step gives your stylist a chance to try out some different options and lets you see if your wedding look is exactly what you want for the wedding day. It can also give you an idea of how long the process will take you can better plan your prep time for the wedding day.
Start researching marriage license requirements and name-changing paperwork.
Start with the local bureau of the town you’ll be married in. Often times a town or county will require you to have your marriage license a certain amount of time before the wedding day. You want to make sure you have this information ahead of time so everything falls into place.
Finalize and confirm:
-Wedding vows and readings with officiant
-Shot list with your photographer
-Song list for ceremony, cocktail hour and reception with DJ or band
-Timeline for the reception and who’s giving toasts
-Wedding night and honeymoon accommodations
Keep an eye out for the next wedding planning steps from Waterfront! Check out the Ultimate Wedding Planning Checklist for a complete list of how to plan your wedding!
