• Choose the type of wedding you will have, date and time. Children or no children. Formal or casual. Expensive or frugal. Full bar, limited bar (beer & wine) or cash bar (guests buy their drinks). Plated dinner, buffet or picnic. Marijuana, cigarettes, cigars or none. Discuss the budget, and who will be paying for what. Historically groom’s parents pay for the alcohol at the reception and the rehearsal dinner. Groom pays for bride’s bouquet. Bride’s parents pay the balance. Now, more couples are contributing or paying for the complete wedding and reception and the groom’s family may offer more financial help, so whatever works for your situation. Discuss wedding party and family obligations for attendants.
• Reserve wedding and reception locations. Where will party get ready and how early can they arrive?
• Consider hiring a wedding coordinator or ask relatives or good friends to be your Mistress and Master of Ceremonies. The roles are the same on the wedding day and it is a big job, so ask people with experience on wedding protocol. Older couples are usually best. For a big wedding a bride may ask more than one couple. After they agree to help, make sure they are in on venue rules, photographer, caterer, florist and all vendors. They should also get along with your family and groom’s family as they will guide the day along with your photographer. Typical duties for M & M are helping with getting ready, keeping all on schedule and making sure original clothing and “stuff” is put into vehicles and not left behind, handing out flowers, pinning on corsages and boutonnieres, keeping drinking down, sending people down aisle, making sure get ready areas are clean and neat, first to arrive at reception area to make sure all is ready, discuss with bartenders about not serving under age people, discuss schedule with caterers and make sure all is ready, check table decorations, confer with D.J., check cake, make sure all vendors have what they need, watch crowd for over-served folks and communicate any trouble brewing. Not sure we listed everything, but you get the idea. These are you “go to” people so you, your mother, and your new mother-in-law can relax and enjoy the day.
• Make arrangements with the officiator. Make clear the kind of ceremony you require. Go over their standard ceremony if you can. If you are getting married in a church where you do not belong, understand procedures.
• Select your wedding dress, veil and accessories. Some brides take moms and grandmothers to this important event, along with female wedding party. Be careful about how many people you bring along. Sometimes having too many opinions make the appointment more difficult. Are you considering something borrowed, something blue? Maybe sewing in a memory of a deceased love one? Consider a small hankie for tears to carry under your bouquet.
• Choose the bridesmaids, groomsmen, ushers, and honored roles. Confer with wedding party about attire. Historically female attire takes a longer time to acquire than male attire, so start early by deciding who will stand up with you and your groom. Is your party purchasing their own attire, renting, and are you covering any costs? Are you gifting the jewelry for ladies? Are you buying gifts? If anyone in your party is out of town, are you covering expenses? If you are having a flower girl and/or ring bearer, are you covering those attire costs? Since the Maid of Honor and the Best Man are responsible for planning bachelor and bachelorette parties if you have them, make sure they understand the obligations. Both or either of those parties are not mandatory and can also be planned by another if they want to take up the reins.
• Have a formal photo sitting for invitations, save-the-date cards or magnets and reception guest register. This is a good test to see if you like a certain photographer. You can also judge their work with you two as the subjects. Photographers have historically “run” weddings as they are with you all day and are organized to handle the flow. Their experience is invaluable for a smooth day, so you may want to choose someone who has photographed multiple weddings. Also, experienced photographers will take less time as they have a routine, posing choices and lighting knowledge. Consider a “first look”. The positives of a first look are: Most of your couple, wedding party and family photos can be done before the ceremony. Because those photographs take time, the day is much less rushed. You get two romantic moments. One with the first look and another with your groom seeing you walk down the aisle. Many brides agree that a first look did not take away from the aisle moment, so consider it carefully. Discuss with your photographer how you would like to stage it. Alone? With rest of party and family looking on? Lots of choices.
• Send announcements of your engagement to your fiancé’s and your local and hometown newspapers.
• Meet with the florist, photographer, caterer, videographer, and D.J. or entertainment to discuss budgets and options. Be sure to read ALL contracts before deciding and always ask for 3-5 recommendations. Contact the recommendations before you decide.
• Discuss the guest list with fiancé and your families. Start list of names and addresses. Note special relatives, handicap issues, deceased close relatives and how all are to be handled. Weddings are very stressful so it is essential everyone is on the same page about family.
• Decide on wedding theme and colors. Research invitations and wording/verbiage. Options are on our invitation wording page. If you have decided upon a full bar, nothing is noted on invitation. A limited bar may be listed, and a cash bar should be listed as guests will have to make sure they brought cash. Alcohol is not mandatory.
• Plan reception music. If you hire a D.J., you may want to make a list of Play and Do Not Play for your vendor. Can they take requests from crowd? Go over list to make sure you have the music you want. Confirm your first wedding dance song, the father of the bride with bride dance song, groom and his mom’s dance song, and the full wedding party dance song. Grandparent dances are also very nice to schedule if applicable. Although not mandatory, schedule the bouquet and garter toss.
• Contact a rental coordinator for equipment reservations such as tents, chairs, linens, lighting and wedding party background.
• Discuss with Maid of Honor, parents and in-laws who will host showers.
• Contact hotels to block rooms for out of town guests. Also, consider a hotel room (one of the parents rooms) to house children during reception. Hire a sitter and think about entertainment & food and snacks. This small consideration goes a long way with parents when children are not invited to dinner and reception.
• Do you need a location for the rehearsal dinner or will it be at someone’s home, If there is going to be a rehearsal and a dinner, who is invited? Wedding party, parents, some family, out of town guests? Some rehearsal dinners are small affairs and some have big numbers. Mandatory for formal weddings, but not for casual. Can be hosted by other than the groom’s parents depending upon other factors. Bride & groom have been know to host their own rehearsals as well.
• Book videographer.

PhotoEVO prints Etsy and other purchased templates for invitations, programs, coasters and more. Specialty papers are no extra charge. We also offer periodic sales and invitation packages available everyday.

•  Four months before start researching invitation designs and have all your information to be ready to order. Finalize your excel file if you choose to have your envelopes addressed for both the invitation and reply envelopes. If you are addressing envelopes yourself, purchase reply card address labels. If you are using postcards for RSVP cards, have the printer (hopefully us) print the return address on the card. That should be no extra charge as postcards include printing on both sides. Postcards will take a less expensive stamp than an envelope. Square envelopes have a surcharge from USPS, so if costs are a factor, be sure to check before ordering square invitations. Invitations should be mailed around six weeks before your wedding for locals, but send out of town guests eight weeks before the wedding. You may want to order matching Thank You cards as they need to be send directly after you receive gifts before your wedding.
• Order cake, cupcakes and any food item you are not getting from your caterer. Decide on cutlery for cutting cake. Borrow or buy? Cake topper or cupcake holder. Candy table, dessert table or cakes/pies as centerpieces. Desserts as centerpieces have double use. Venues who require centerpieces are satisfied, guests have nice desserts, and social interaction takes place as guests move from table to table for different desserts. If this is your choice, have D.J. announce that every table is fair game so no one gets territorial about their dessert.
• Order room decorations, programs, menus, floor graphics, selfie banner, coasters and display prints. Coasters that guests can write their names on differentiate their cocktail when leaving the table. Guests put it on the top of their drink for that reason and also so the wait staff do not take it and discard contents. Saves on guests having to order new drinks as often.
• Book transportation for wedding day.
• Check blood test and marriage license requirements.
• Shop for wedding bands.
• Write prenuptial agreement, if necessary.
• Make arrangements for hair, make-up, and nails on wedding day. Have a test hair style with your veil/tiara. You want to avoid surprises on your wedding day.