Maine Wedding Checklist
You can get there from here … if you tackle one task at a time!
12 months before...
- Announce your engagement
- Pick a wedding date
- Book your reception venue
- Choose your wedding theme and style
- Come up with a basic budget
- Create a guest list
- Come up with attire ideas
- Meet with wedding consultants
- Start researching vendors
11 months before...
- Select your wedding consultant
- Decide on your wedding theme and decorations for your reception
- Meet with several caterers
- Decide on hiring a DJ or a band
- Determine your ceremony music
- Book your photographer and videographer
- Make a list of photos you want taken
- Research florists
- Reserve ceremony venue and put down a deposit
- Secure parking and transportation for your guests and wedding party
- Shop for your wedding gown
- Choose your wedding party
- Meet with your chosen officiant
- Discuss a honeymoon budget
- Reserve any rental equipment
- Mail save-the-date cards
10 months before...
- Decide on your caterer
- Order your wedding gown
- Obtain permits for your ceremony and reception, if necessary
- Select and reserve musicians and soloists for ceremony
- Discuss attendants’ duties with maid of honor
9 months before...
- Register for gifts
- Decide on your liquor for reception
- Create a reception song list
- Order headpiece, veil, and shoes
- Confirm orders and delivery date for wedding attire
- Research airline, hotel, and rental car for honeymoon
8 months before...
- First gown fitting
- Choose and order bridesmaid gowns
- Select your florist
- Send engagement photo and announcement to local newspapers
7 months before...
- Review plans with your wedding planner
- Discuss groomsmen’s attire
- Select attire for flower girl and ring bearer
- Determine design, wording, font, and paper stock for wedding invitations, table cards, and thank you notes
- Hire a calligrapher
- Determine order of events for ceremony and choose wording for programs
- Select and order wedding rings
- Buy bridal accessories like jewelry, lingerie, etc...
- Choose what guests will throw at the ceremony (rose petals, birdseed, bubbles, etc.)
5 months before...
- Order table cards and place print order for programs
- Finalize honeymoon plans
- Taste cakes and choose a baker
- Place wedding cake order and arrange delivery
- Make reservations for rehearsal dinner and select menu
4 months before...
- Address invitations or have calligrapher do it for you
- Choose vows
- Buy or rent groom’s wedding accessories
- Reserve honeymoon
2 to 3 months before...
- Mail invitations
- Final gown fitting
- Have groom and groomsmen fitted for formal wear and reserve
- Prenup? Meet with an attorney
- Purchase attendants’ gifts
- Make an appointment with your hairstylist for a consultation and your wedding day hairdo
6 weeks before...
- Send rehearsal dinner invites if you didn’t include them in your wedding invitations
- Write thank you notes as you receive gifts
- Confirm playlist with DJ or band
- Purchase gift for your fiancé/fiancée
- Select menu for post-wedding brunch if necessary
- Shop for wedding favors
- Visit your hairdresser and practice wedding-day do
4 weeks before...
- Apply for marriage license
- Confirm floral order and arrange delivery
- Schedule manicure and pedicure for the day before your wedding
- Meet with ushers and assign duties
- Discuss details of the ceremony with officiant
- Determine placement of programs at ceremony
- Arrange for a prep and break area for band or DJ
- Make seating arrangements
- Dry-run with makeup artist and schedule him/her for wedding day
- Finalize details with photographer and videographer
- Finalize honeymoon reservations
3 weeks before...
- Finalize list of reception guests
- Call anyone who hasn’t responded to the invitation
- Send head count to caterer
- Arrange for delivery of decorations
1 week before...
- Pack for honeymoon
- Pick up wedding dress
- Go have your manicure and pedicure
Wedding Day …
- Eat a good breakfast
- Get hair done
- Bring an extra shot list for photographer
- Give wedding rings to best man
- Try to relax and savor every moment!
