The Wedding Planning List: 8-10 Months Before the Big Day
Breaking the wedding planning tasks into smaller pieces can help relieve some stress and make the planning memories more enjoyable. You will want to look back on this time and remember shopping for your wedding dress, choosing bridesmaid dresses with the girls, and all of the great cakes you had the chance to taste!
The wedding date is getting closer! Here are 6 steps to tackle 8-10 months before the big day.
Bride: Think about, shop for, and order your gown.
It’s the day so many brides dream of, the day you get to pick out your wedding gown. Before you head out to shop, take a look online or in magazines to see what style of wedding dress you prefer. When you get there the consultant will most likely ask you what kind of dress you have in mind including style, fabric, and color. This will give them an idea of what dresses to bring you. You don’t have to make the decision alone! Bringing one to three supportive people along can be helpful for some brides. Often brides will bring their mother, father, sibling, future mother-in-law, or bridesmaids to give a second opinion if they get stuck between two dress choices. Now comes the time to order your dress. It is important to order your dress in this timeframe to ensure there is enough time for the dress to come to the salon and for alterations to be made so everything is perfect for the wedding day.
Research and book your wedding professionals.
Do some research for wedding professionals in different areas before making a decision. There are different price and style options for each one, so take time to evaluate price versus quality and choose the one that suits your taste the best.
- Hire the DJ/Entertainment for your ceremony, cocktail hour, and reception
- Select a wedding photographer.
- Decide on arrangements for your floral designer
- Do tastings for your wedding cake
- Discuss the style and wording of your invitations with the stationer
Research and reserve accommodations for out-of-town guests.
The guests coming into town for your wedding will appreciate the extra effort you put into reserving a block of hotel rooms. Weddings can be unknowingly scheduled on the same day as a large city event leading to full hotels and guests left searching for a room outside of town. Take time to do a little research. Many hotels offer discounted rates when you reserve a certain amount of rooms for the wedding guests, and sometimes there are other perks included with that for the bride and groom as well.
Launch a wedding website.
A wedding website creates a “one stop shop” for people looking for details about your wedding. You can post information about your wedding party, location, gift registries for the wedding and the shower, and give guests an idea of the overall theme and attire required. Most importantly, this is where you can list travel information and accommodations for people who don’t know the area.
Shop for bridesmaids dresses.
Get your girls together and spend the day choosing bridesmaid dresses and discussing wedding plans! Have an idea of what you would like your bridesmaids to wear before you shop. Do you like long or short dresses? What material suits your wedding’s theme best? Should they all wear the same dress in the same color? Although it is not always possible, it is best to have each bridesmaid try on the dress to see which styles look best on each body type. You may find that the dress you had in mind doesn’t work well for every bridesmaid and need to adjust your plans accordingly.
Register for gifts.
This can be a fun piece of the planning process for you and your spouse to do together! Pick three places that sell items you can use around the house or you would like to use to spend time together. For example, you might choose to register at a kitchen supply store to get pots and pans and kitchen gadgets, but you may also want to register at a sporting goods store for camping equipment so you can spend time together camping on the weekends. It is helpful to make a list of things you want or need ahead of time so you don’t end up forgetting things as you walk through the stores. You can also register online at many stores if that is an easier option for you. Many of the in store registries and all of the online registries can have the gifts shipped to you. This can be a great option for out of town guests or guests that can’t make it to the wedding but still want to send a gift. Last but not least, don’t forget to add your registries to your wedding website!
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!
