Preparing for your wedding can be a joyous occasion and possibly the most stressful event to plan in the world! After all, you want it to go off without a hitch, personalize it to reflect your taste and personality, and make it an event that will be remembered for years to come. This is where a wedding planning checklist comes in handy.
If you do not have a wedding planning checklist, now's the time to create one. It's easy really and it will help keep you organized and scheduled. You will be able to keep track of your comings and goings, as related to the wedding, and be able to check off each item on the list as it gets finished.
A wedding checklist is what most brides follow to keep them on a working schedule that's sensible, flexible and organized. There are many ways to create such a checklist and your checklist will be individualized just for you. For some the list will be quite extensive, and for others, it won't. Depending on how much you've already done, your list will vary from the next bride.
Below is a sample wedding planning checklist. You can personalize it to fit your own life and wedding and plans. This is just something to give you an idea of what you might want to create for yourself.
Wedding planning checklist
Bridesmaids and grooms - Have you selected them yet? Wedding party - Do you have a singer lined up? What about an organist, pianist, ring bearer, flower girl, and any special readings during the service? Gowns/Tuxes - Have you picked out a wedding dress? What about bridesmaids' dresses and tuxes? Photographer - Do you want photos taken before or after the wedding? Church or other facility - Have you reserved a place for the wedding to take place? What about the reception? Newspaper announcements - Photos and info should be sent to your local paper Rehearsal dinner - Who's coming and where are you having it? Gifts for those in the wedding party - Do you want to buy tokens of appreciation? Wedding cake, punch, and other refreshments - Do you have a caterer? Who's making the wedding cake? What sorts of refreshments do you want to serve? Decorations for the church and reception - Are you ordering flowers, decorations, ribbons, and etc? Who will help put decorations up? Equipment rental - Do you need to rent tables, chairs, microphones or any other type of equipment for the wedding or reception? Rings - Have you purchased the rings?
The wedding planning checklist is a great way to keep yourself on track. The above list is very general. It's a good idea to assign tasks to your maid of honor, your mom and even your husband to be. Put everyone to work who is willing. After all, you don't need to do it all yourself.
To make your wedding planning checklist complete, it's good to also put a date next to the item that needs to be taken care of. In this way, you keep to a tight schedule and can feel confident that everything is coming along as planned.
How to Create the Perfect Wedding Planning Checklist
Strategically Planning your Wedding with Wedding Checklist Tips-
The time leading up to your wedding is usually one of the most stressful times of your life. It is stressful in a good way but stressful nonetheless. Because there are so many items that have to be remembered in the midst of all the stress, it is a good idea to create a wedding checklist so as not to forget or overlook anything. And these days, couples have an especially great advantage in that there are many websites which provide a wedding checklist for you.
It all depends on your budget but there are even consultants who can help you plan your wedding and create your customized wedding checklist. But if you hire a wedding consultant, be prepared to pay a significant fee as these professionals do not come cheap. One source reported a wedding consultant making $1,900 to $2,850 USD per wedding. Part of that consultant’s job is to make a checklist so you might save some money by doing your own wedding checklist.
Wedding Checklist – The Really Important Items
Of course everyone will have an opinion as to what is important and what is not important on a wedding checklist but there are some major items that most agree are critical. These are items that are potential showstoppers if overlooked. One item that most do not think about but it is very critical is the wedding budget. If you and your spouse-to-be do not sit down and get a rough idea of what you can spend then you risk running out of money before everything has been ordered and arranged. If you, as a bride, are fortunate enough to have your parents pay the bill, then it would be most thoughtful of you to sit down with them and try to budget the expenses. Your parents will greatly appreciate you for it.
Once you have budget planning as your first item on your wedding checklist, then you can prioritize the other major items that you cannot forget. At the top of the list should be the bridal gown and the groom’s attire. Then next should be the attire for the members of the bridal party. And even before planning the attire of the wedding party should be just deciding who you want to be in your wedding party. Deciding the members of your wedding party is a topic itself because it can get very complicated. The attire portion of your checklist is really important because you are going to have to arrange things like fittings for rentals or if attire is being custom made.
Other really important items on your wedding checklist include the place of the wedding and reception. These need to be at the top of the list as well because you will probably have to reserve the venues in advance. Next on your list are things like food that will be served at the reception, who you want to perform the wedding ceremony, and what entertainment needs to be arranged for at the reception.
Conclusion: The Overlooked Items
Then there are the items that can be easily forgotten if left off of the wedding checklist. These are items such as the rings, the guest book, the invitations, the flowers, the honeymoon reservations, the attire for the honeymoon, the thank you cards, a photographer, keepsakes for the guests, and music for the reception. The list can just go on and on. One advantage couples have today that may not have been available to their parents is the internet where they can find many sample checklists that can serve as great starting points in building their own customized list. Making a wedding checklist is very important and it is one item you must not overlook.
Wedding Reception Checklist is how to Organize Your Wedding
If you buy a good wedding planner book, chances are it will include a wedding reception checklist. With this handy tool, you can plan everything about your reception, from wedding reception rentals to table decorations. Trying to plan your marriage reception without a wedding reception checklist could be a recipe for disaster and just invites forgetting an important event.
While a wedding reception schedule does not need to be strictly planned out, having an order of events that flows smoothly will keep your guests sticking around. Besides the time for open dancing, the only break in activities should be between the toast and the cake-cutting because to allow time for eating.
After dinner, your reception schedule should move along quickly so the people who have attended your reception can enjoy all of the festivities, including: the cake cutting ceremony, the garter removal, and everything else that is typical of a marriage reception.
With your wedding reception checklist, you can organize your marriage reception rentals and equipment. First and foremost, the reception hall is the most important of decision, unless you have made other venue arrangements.
Wherever you decide to hold your reception, tables and chairs might be another concern on your list of reception rentals. If you are looking for a more sophisticated touch, you can also get linens and seat covers for added accents and styles. Other rentals include a variety of decorations, such as: a decorative arch, a stage and a backdrop behind the head table.
In some cases, you may want to rent table decorations for the reception tables. Since your marriage reception table decorations will be a focal point for the guests at each table, you'll want to have an impressive conversation piece to get people talking.
Creative and unique centerpieces can be an expensive addition to your marriage budget, but some companies specializing in wedding reception rentals have options for marriage table decorations, too. This can be an affordable way to give your reception an added appearance that you spared no expense, even though you may, in fact, be saving money.
Planning a reception is one of the most exciting events in a couple's life together. With proper resources, you can fully enjoy the experience, without getting overwhelmed by the amount of work.
A wedding reception checklist is an ideal tool to help you stay organized and on task. You can get a reliable and comprehensive wedding reception checklist at your favorite marriage planner website or purchase a wedding planner book at your local bookstore.
Wedding Checklist Photography - Wedding Planning Tips
The photographer you choose should be highly experienced in this job. Because while are enjoying this special occasion he is the one capturing it all with his lens. So photography is a must have piece on your wedding planning check list.
You should lay it out to your photographer that what according to you would be most vital moments or what exactly would like to be documented. Add if you plan to have video recordings of the proceeding then both the coordination should be in sync.
Include photography in the wedding checklist
All things need to be discussed elaborately with the photographer and an outline must be given as to what pictures you want more taken or less captured. It is common that pictures of the groom & bride are taken separately before the wedding day arrives. So the photographer needs to be given exact dates when he can come over and take these pictures also the photographer should inform you prior to his arrival so that you are dressed up precisely to occasion.
This synchronization of timings will be fitting to derive desired results. Keep the list of demands within acceptable limits or else the photographer could get bogged down with such demand and lose the plot altogether, all the same a professional should be used to such demands from customers and therefore should not be fussy at all.
Pre wedding pictures, then wedding ceremony pictures, pre wedding pictures, post wedding pictures, photos before and post the wedding receptions and on the arrival and while leaving pictures of the groom and the bride, all the form the basis of wedding photography checklist. Names of important people in your wedding whose photos should be taken should be chalked down and handed over to the photographer.
A full family photo of all the aunts, uncles, cousins and relatives should be arranged at a convenient time suitable to all. As a personal advise I would say that give freedom to the photographer so he can show his creativity in some areas where the light and the background make positioning quite important.
Wedding Posing Guide
Suppose the facility has a garden or water fall then have the photographer click some pictures of the two of in bright sunshine for better effects. When the light is beaming from a side angle or over the head that's when the effects are the best. Severe light coming from where the photographer is positioned will wash out your pictures. If you can arrange for some photos to be taken at your favorite meeting place or at a theme park then that too will be a good idea. Forget all stressed up matters while posing as pictures should look natural and fresh. Anything natural is appealing and the same goes you're your photos as well.
Wedding Picture Guide
Some pictures are a must in the album. So make a list of those pictures that you would like to frame up or would like to see again and again. Like a prime photo of the bride wearing an elegant evening gown or the groom sitting besides the bride, the full family photo of the brides and the grooms side standing side by side. Close up of your exclusive wedding cake and bouquet is also sought after photos selection.
Clearly you both will be the ones who will decide what photos are taken and of whom. So, anyways any relation formed is healthy and if you can communicate well with your photographer then that's just about perfect.
Wedding Checklist - Choosing A Videographer
While wedding photographs have a reputation for capturing the precious moments of matrimony, snapshots pale in comparison to reliving the laughter heard during the best man toast, watching the cutting of the cake, and noticing the delicate sway of the bride's dress. All of these lively, memorable flashes are delivered by a videographer, which can be rewound, fast-forwarded, and paused with the simple touch of a television remote. To make sure your memories are preserved with decency and satisfaction, it is important to choose a videographer who possesses both experience and creativity.
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When it comes time to choosing a wedding videographer, you should consider the following suggestions:
· Samples Are Key: In order to make an effective decision on who will successfully produce a video illuminating the overall allure of a wedding, analyzing the previous work of a potential professional is essential. As you view samples, it is important to pay attention to clarity, quality of video, composition, as well as skill in shooting and editing.
· Know Your Video Formats: There is a wide range of video formats that a videographer may utilize when covering a wedding. To ensure the best quality and results, knowing the different types of options you may select from will help make a decision much easier. Today, the most commonly used approaches include VHS, S-VHS, and DV. VHS and S-VHS produces the lowest quality, while DV (also known as digital video) offers the best in quality, which can be repeatedly recopied without loss of features. For couples looking to receive video with the feel of a major motion picture, DV provides the best display of sound and video that comes in the form of a DVD.
· Don't Let Fancy Equipment Distract You: Although name brand and flashy equipment is impressive when it comes to creating a video to your liking, if the videographer does not possess the skill, talent, or imagination to put the equipment to good use, it doesn't matter. Simply looking at samples is not enough to ensure competency, ask for a short demonstration on what they can do with their equipment.
· Ask About Various Videotaping Methods: There are two main approaches towards videotaping a wedding. One option deals with multiple cameras that feed information onto one tape with instant editing (called live switching). The second technique involves multiple cameras that record on their own tape that allows a videographer to make edits within the comfort of his or her studio. It is the latter choice that videographers do not feel rushed to make on-the-spot decisions.
· Know the Setbacks Associated With Live Switching: Live switching requires a lot of equipment and wires, which may cause a distraction and physical obstacles with the multitude of cords running throughout a wedding scene. One person is responsible for watching all of the cameras on monitors that allows instant editing. This essentially makes a videographer's job much easier, but for the consumer, it is a setback because fine-tuning and follow-up editing does not take place.
· Request the Highest Level of Sound Quality: Some videographers rely on the built-in mics that camcorders possess, which produces the worst sound quality. Wireless mics follow as another ineffective way to capture sound. The best way to enjoy clear and crisp dialogue, music, and other wedding sounds is to use small digital sound recorders that can be placed in a variety of locations, such as the groom's pocket.
When it comes to creating a wedding memory that will stand the test of time, choosing the right videographer to meet your needs is vital. Overall, factors such as skill, talent, and creativity are quite important, but depending on your requirements and budget, you should also inquire about varying price packages, guarantees and liabilities, written contracts, additional charges, and the cost for multiple copies.
organizing That Special Day with Wedding Checklist
Wedding bells ringing in the future? This is a tradition that dates back to ancient times when it was thought that with the ringing of wedding bells, evil is warded off. The excitement of an upcoming wedding leaves the bride and groom tingling. Having a grand wedding that people talk about for years to come is the dream of every couple. They want their wedding day to be special where everyone is happy and bless them whole-heartedly.
For this to take fruition, a lot of detail needs to be taken care of and a wedding checklist made. It can be very arduous and haphazard if not well planned. Beginning to create a wedding in your mind should begin much in advance. There are numerous things that need to be taken care of and ensuring nothing is missed.
Starting off with buying an organizer or wedding planner to make a step-by-step wedding checklist and making a beginning.
The first thing would be to decide on the type of wedding and style of the wedding. This can be done by the bride and groom sitting together and involving parents on both sides. This makes the parents feel wanted and enjoy the wedding along with the couple. If you can afford it, it would be a great idea to find wedding coordinators who also act as consultants to give you various ideas on what is required and how to go about it. They will also help you with the type of decoration you wish to have or a theme wedding if you desire. Friends play a very important role in a wedding. A friend’s wedding is an awaited occasion and filled with fun. Involve close friends from both sides to get ideas.
Once you decide on the type of wedding, next thing to do is to contact the clergy, begin checking out locations for the actual wedding ceremony, rehearsals, reception and other events. The major chunk of time will be taken up in deciding on the bakers, caterers, photographers, videographers, florists, and music. This needs to be done many months in advance to ensure they are available and you get what you want.
Once all these external things are taken care of, time to prepare the guest list to ensure no important person is left out in the last minute. Talk to people who you want as attendants. Start shopping for the wedding dress and accessories for yourselves as well as the attendants. It may be a wise idea to begin looking at honeymoon options available and make travel plans well in advance too. Prepare the menu for the different ceremonies.
About four months ahead of the wedding, time to finalize on all the above. Shop till you drop for the gifts, lingerie, travel clothes, party clothes, gifts for the fiancé etc. Make appointments with the beautician.
A couple of months ahead, time to send out the wedding invitations. Spend at least a couple of days with the family and relax without doing anything at all.
The day is dawning closer and you are left with one week to go. Check all the fine details with all the wedding professionals. Give the list of guests to the caterer. Fine-tune any dressing needs. Finish packing for the honeymoon. Schedule the day prior to the wedding as a free day and relax so that you look great on your wedding day.
If all these are done beforehand, things can be done without any hassles and getting rushed. Starting at least 6 months before the wedding if possible is a great idea and this will allow you to have a wedding of your choice and enjoy the wedding too.
How Creating An Effective Wedding Planning Checklist?
Are you planning to get married soon? If you are, then you are probably making initial plans to make your wedding special and memorable. If you want to make sure that you will get everything right, using a wedding planning checklist will help ensure that nothing will go wrong in your wedding.
What do you need to write on a wedding planning checklist? Well, there are a lot of things that you need to cover. Primarily you start with the date of your wedding. This should be written on the top of the wedding planning checklist. The next thing you need to think about is the location and the time of your marriage. Discuss these issues with your partner until you can agree on an ideal date and setting.
This way you can take care of the food, lodging and location all in one go. With weddings, it’s always better to have everything planned out in advance. Careful and advance planning is the key to having a wonderful wedding that runs smoothly. When my wife and I planned our wedding, we booked the hotel room over a year in advance. Our special date was a private ceremony and we agreed to have the wedding and honeymoon all in one whack. The detailed wedding planning checklist we used made our wedding run smoothly.
Other things that you should write on your wedding planning checklist should include your partner’s name, the exact location of the ceremony, the marriage license, possible blood testing, the wedding cake, the bouquet, and of course the rings. These are all vital elements of a memorable wedding ceremony.
On the whole, a wedding checklist should include a lot of wedding essentials. It only takes one overlooked detail to ruin your wedding. Using a detailed wedding planning checklist to plan in advance is a sensible method that can ensure that your special date will be unforgettable.
