Planning a wedding ceremony can be stressful and overwhelming if not done the right way. Some things need to be done way in advance to avoid the hassle later. Here is a fool-proof list of all the things that need to be well in advance for the wedding ceremony.
Guest list
Your guest list is the most important thing before you begin planning a wedding ceremony. The guest list will determine everything else; how big a venue you need, quantity of food and beverages required, seating arrangement needed, etc. all is decided based on how many people you plan to invite. So always start with planning the guest list first. This way you’ll know exactly how grand your event is going to be.
Venue selection
Next comes the venue selection. Once you’ve finalized the guest list, you can move to selecting venues. Choose one preferable at a centralized and accessible location (unless it’s a destination wedding), so it is easier for guests to reach comfortably. Venues need to be booked months in advance. If your wedding date has been decided in the peak of the wedding season, then you better check the availability of the venue well in advance before any further planning. Also, always keep at least 3 to 4 venues shortlisted preference-wise, in case your favorite one out of the lot is sold out already.
Book your make-up artist
Like wedding venues, make-up artists can also be sold out well in advance. They are booked months prior to the wedding. If you are planning to hire one, then its best to start making the calls and booking appointments beforehand. Also, some brides like to take auditions. You could get a basic make-up session done from the artists you have shortlisted to decide if that’s the look you’d like or if you are ok with their style of make-up.
Check latest on upcoming trends
Everyone wants to be up to date with the latest trends in fashion and jewelry such as lab grown diamonds, more so, when it is your own wedding. Stay in touch with the latest trends with regards to wedding dresses, popular venues, make-up looks, jewelry designs and other trends. Some magazines or websites also mention upcoming trends for the next season. If your wedding is months or a year away, you could focus on those upcoming trends and prepare accordingly to be the talk of the town.
Entertainment arrangements
Many wedding ceremonies have a live band, private DJ, party host or other similar entertainment. These entertainment groups also need to be booked in advance. Depending on the age range of your guest list, plan your event to include the appropriate entertainment. Live bands and a DJ are the most popular ones. Entertainment for the ceremony will also require a special place for their set-up so that is something you will have to finalize before booking the venue. Depending on the type of entertainment you want for your wedding, you can finalize an outdoor or indoor venue, or one with those options available.
Send out invitations well in advance
The invitations must go out at least a month before the date. If the cards are not ready, you could circulate a ‘save the date’ message to all the guests so they know to keep the day free. It helps to ask the guests to RSVP to the invitation so you know exactly how many people will be attending the wedding. This makes it easier to arrange food and beverages accordingly as well as the seating arrangement.
Final Thoughts
Planning a wedding requires a whole lot of initiative, proactiveness and creativity. From the selecting the perfect dress to choosing between solitaire engagement rings hatton garden or diamond rings, all of it takes a lot of effort and time. We hope that our list will help you stay on the timeline and get things done well before the ceremony date. Here’s wishing you all the best.