Total Guide to Weddings: The Wedding Countdown

If you're getting well and truly stuck into planning your dream wedding, then here's our fantastic wedding countdown plan, courtesy of TGtM's favourite wedding planner Natalie Lovett.

All Weddings are different in terms of the time available to plan, and some parts of the organisation work hand in hand together, but the following guide will give you a starting point:

One Year to go…

• Decide on your preferred wedding date and time
• Work out your available budget – including your honeymoon and add a 10% contingency
• Decide on the 3 most important elements of your Wedding Day and the 3 least important elements and agree on them together – this will put you in good stead on the planning side of things and will encourage you to stick to your budget
• Decide on approximate number of guests – both day and evening
• If you are hiring one, meet with your Wedding Planner
• Start your venue and supplier research
• Book your wedding and reception venue / marquee / caterers and confirm your wedding date and time
• Start thinking about a theme
• Book your florist
• Book your photographer / videographer
• Go wedding dress shopping!

Nine Months to go…

• Choose your attendants, including Best Man, Bridesmaids, Flower Girls, Page Boys and Ushers
• Wedding Dress to be on order
• Choose your Groom’s and attendants outfits
• Book your DJ / Band
• Select / design your wedding stationery – not forgetting your order of service, table plan, place cards, menu cards and thank you notes
• If you have chosen to, send your Save the Date cards
• Arrange your wedding transport
• Book all other wedding entertainment e.g. Magician

Six Months to go…

• Book your honeymoon
• Organise your wedding cake
• Choose and order your wedding rings
• Decide on, and confirm your ceremony choices including music and vows
• Look into make up artists and hair stylists

Three Months to go…

• Send your invitations
• Decide on, and order your wedding favours
• Ensure arrangements for your Hen and Stag Do’s are in full swing
• Make sure your hair stylist and make up artist are booked
• Confirm your flower choices

Six Weeks to go…

• Chase up outstanding wedding invitation responses
• Buy gifts for your attendants

Four Weeks to go…

• Have an in-depth meeting with your venue to confirm final details, suppliers involved, timings of your day and advise final numbers
• Confirm playlist / first dance song with DJ / Band
• Pay final balances
• Collect wedding rings
• Suit fittings
• Bridesmaid fittings

Two Weeks to go…

• Final dress fitting and collection
• Finalise seating plan and send to venue / caterers
• Make up artist and hair stylist rehearsals

One Week to go…

• Keep venue / caterers abreast of any last minute changes to numbers etc
• Start beauty treatments
• Run through your plans and iron out any niggles that you have – go with your gut instinct on this one, if you have any doubts or worries, even small ones, sort them out now
• Book and collect your currency / travellers cheques for your honeymoon
• Wedding rehearsal
• Dress rehearsal including all jewellery and accessories

Day Before…

• Speak to all suppliers to reconfirm all wedding plans – even if you only spoke to them the previous day, this will allow you to relax and allow the experts to take over
• Lay out your dress and accessories ready…including your Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed, Something Blue…
• RELAX and enjoy your last day of single status!

GET MARRIED and have a whale of time! Go away on your honeymoon with treasured memories!

On return from your Honeymoon…

• Write and send thank you cards