Free Wedding Checklist - Quick Checklist

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Free Wedding Checklist:

Free Wedidng Day Checklist

So you're engaged! Congratulations!

Now you're ready to plan the wedding. You're searching the Internet to learn what things you should do and when. While looking for a free wedding checklist, you're probably getting overloaded with lists---usually long lists with many items on them that you probably don't need. No matter which list, the marriage itself is the only thing on the lists that is not dispensable!

Just a few tips to get things going:

Taking three to six months to plan instead of ten months or so will make it easier to leave out truly unnecessary things, making for a less stressful and less expensive wedding. Some very nice weddings have been planned within a week (no mailed invitations for those).
Sit down and figure the foundation first: how much you can afford to spend (don't put you or your parents in debt for the wedding; a well-planned affordable wedding is just as pleasing).

The following free wedding checklist is a fairly small list---in this economic day and age (and probably before that) most people don't want, or can't afford, a lot of the items on a lengthy list. Some people want to hire experts to get most things done; others want to do pretty much everything themselves. This list offers the basics for both groups.

This list is not a step-by-step list. It is a free wedding checklist with helpful hints at each point, and it emphasizes the areas that you need to think about. Which area to focus on and when to focus on it---the timeline---will be for you to adapt to your circumstances. Once you have made decisions, you obviously have to follow up on them---reserve rooms, hire people to do such-and-such a job, pick up your wedding dress, etc. These things are not included in this free wedding checklist.

What you should do first after your engagement:

__ Announce your engagement:

To your parents---yes, right away!
To your friends---some right away. E-mail and/or a free Website (or blog) are economical ways to spread the news. Some couples have had Websites that highlighted parts of the courtship, the proposal itself, and the planning stages up to the wedding itself (the groom usually does this---the bride is too busy!).
Place an announcement in your local paper; if the two of you are from different locations, place it in a newspaper in each location. You may want to choose a photographer at this stage, and they can usually take care of this announcement for you---with a picture, of course.

__ Remember that the wedding and reception take less than a day; the marriage---if you keep your promises---is "'till death do us part." Keep your focus on what's important.

__ Determine who is paying for the wedding and how much you can spend; consider splitting the costs between the bride, her family, the groom, and his family.

__ Make audible promises to yourselves, to your families, and to your intimate friends that you will not spend more than you budgeted---and keep that promise!

Based on that promise:

If money is not an issue, and you aren't able or don't want to figure this all out yourselves, hire a wedding planner that is willing to do most of the work. But you will still have to have multiple consultations, make your guest list, etc. But a good wedding planner will have her own checklist, and will tell you what you need to do each step of the way, so you can probably stop right here.

Things to do regarding The Wedding itself

Location and Guests

__ Keeping the budget in mind, decide what kind of a wedding you will have: Casual or formal? (Casual is easier and usually less expensive.) Daytime or evening? Secular or religious?

__Decide where to have the wedding. In most areas a church will be the most reasonably priced for an indoor wedding. A park or someone's yard is, of course, the least expensive, but you then must have an alternate plan if the weather is not suitable.

__Set the date and time. In fact, set two or three in case an essential feature is not available.

__ Choose and book the person who will officiate.

__ Depending on where the wedding will be held, determine the number of guests you may invite.

__ Make your guest list. This is seldom a one- or two-evening job. Allow enough time to be thoughtful about it. When there are differences of opinion as to who should be invited, don't allow yourself to extend the list beyond the number you can afford. Some folks send an invitation for the wedding only, and then include a small card in some of the invitations inviting them also to the reception.

The Ceremony

__ Choose your music and musicians---and yes, don't forget the budget. Contact and book the musicians. It always pays to have several choices in mind to ensure you will find someone available at the time you need them.

__ Buy the wedding rings (although the bride's may have been purchased with the engagement ring).

__ Determine if you are going to write your own wedding vows.

The Wedding Party

__ Decide who you want for bridesmaids, groomsmen, ushers, flower girl, and ring bearer. Determine if they will pay for their own outfits, or if this will be part of the wedding budget.

__ Contact the bridesmaids, groomsmen, ushers, and parents of the flower girl and ring bearer to be sure they will be available and willing. Get sizes for dresses, and measurements for the groomsmen.

Clothing

__ Shop for your wedding dress, veil, gloves if you're having them, and shoes. This sounds like the most fun part, but it can be exhausting---especially as you are keeping your budget in mind. One family decided to pick the wedding dress first, spend as much as they dared (even more than they planned) and then cut other expenses to keep within the budget. Another bride chose to wear her mother's wedding dress, making a few alterations that changed the whole character of the dress. An occasional bride makes her own dress.

__ Pick out what the ladies will wear. Many bridesmaids have made their own dresses (or had someone else make it). Many bride's families have made bridesmaid and flower girl dresses. A few brides have even taken care of making them herself.

__ Pick out the groom and groomsmen's tuxes or whatever they are to wear.

Invitations

__ Contact out-of-town guests about the date in plenty of time for them to make arrangements to come---don't wait until time to mail invitations. A phone call is the most personable, but letters or e-mails are fine, too.

__Choose your wedding invitations. Nowadays many couples make their own using their computer and perhaps a small ribbon, etc. Card-makers, too, can make lovely invitations.

Flowers (consider flowers for both the wedding and the reception altogether)

__ Meet with several florists, caterers (if you have chosen this option), compare prices (be sure to compare all with your budget). Some brides choose to make some or all of their own arrangements using silk flowers or, when the season is right, flowers from their yards or those of family and friends.

__ Choose your music and musicians. Contact and book the musicians. It always pays to have several choices in mind to ensure you will find someone available at the time you need them.

__ Meet with wedding cake designers/bakers to choose your cake (have a tasting if possible!). Some brides make their own cakes or ask family members or friends to make them. There have been some beautiful amateur wedding cakes with silk flowers and ribbons instead of frosting designs. You can even use real flowers---the cake helps keep them fresh!

Pictures

__ If you didn't already choose a photographer when announcing your engagement, you will need to choose one and decide what they should photograph. Remembering your budget is very important here!

Things to do regarding the reception

__ Decide what kind of reception you want. The options range from catered meals, potluck dinners, to just wedding cake, mints, nuts, coffee and punch.

__ Decided where you want the reception to be (close to the site of the wedding simplifies logistics).

__ If you are doing the reception yourselves, determine what you need to buy or rent and make necessary reservations. If it is to be a potluck, arrange for someone to oversee that. In fact, for anything that is not being catered, it will be helpful to have a friend or relative oversee it. Just be sure to check with them at intervals to be sure they have everything under control. Some brides have seen to all of the decorating, making flower arrangements, other table decorations, wall decorations, etc. One bride wanted chocolate kisses wrapped in blue. She bought some blue foil, and with friends cut it into squares and re-wrapped hundreds of candies.

Things to do for the rehearsal dinner

__ Decide who is going to host the rehearsal dinner (traditionally the groom's family). Give the hosts the guest list for the dinner. Be willing to help with plans should you be asked.

Other things to consider

Transportation:

__ Make plans for transportation for the bridal party to the wedding, the reception, and back again.

__ Make plans for the same transportation for the bride---the groom usually fends for himself with his groomsmen.

Gifts:

__ If you are going to register for gifts, do it in plenty of time for early shoppers to consider what you need. Many couples and/or guests don't like registries, but they are used more and more with fewer gifts needing to be exchanged because of duplicates.

__ Buy gifts for the wedding party, your parents, and one another. Homemade gifts are appropriate.

Most important of all

__ Have a blessed and happy "forever after."

Thank you to Mary Lou Derksen for this Free Wedding Checklist.

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