~ Determine your budget
~ Choose your wedding date and time
~ Hire Charleston Wedding Photographers for your wedding photography AND SC Officiant
~ Hire a wedding planner
~ Choose your venue(s), and if available pay deposit(s)
~ Plan your Guest List
~ Book Ceremony Venue and Reception Venue
~ Ask friends and relatives to be in the wedding party
~ Have an engagement party if you choose
~ Bride should start shopping for and order gown.
~ Decide on your colors and wedding theme
~ Decide on floral decors
~ Start planning reception food types, type of entertainment you want -
DJ or band?
~ Think about your floral decor.
~ Research and reserve hotel rooms for out-of-town guests
~ Register for gifts.
~ Make a wedding website
~ Contact rental companies if you need to rent anything for the ceremony or reception
~ Book ceremony musicians.
~ Order bridesmaid dresses.
~ Start planning honeymoon.
~ Send save-the-date cards (FREE DESIGN when Charleston Wedding Photographers do your Engagements! This is a particularly good idea if you're marrying during a tourist or holiday season or having a destination wedding.
~ Attend pre-wedding counseling, if required.
~ Shop for and order invitations and wedding rings.
~ Shop for formal wear.
~ Renew or get passports, if necessary.
~Book a cake designer.
~ Order wedding cake.
~ Hire a calligrapher, if you want your invitations professionally addressed.
~ Attend your shower. (It may be earlier, depending on when your hosts decide to have it.)
~ Groom: Rent the men's formal wear
~ Hire wedding day transport: limousines, other cars
~ Mail your invitations.
~ Write your vows.
~ Purchase gifts for parents, attendants and each other
~ Book your stylist and try out wedding day hairstyles.
~ Book a makeup artist and go for a trial run
~ Apply for your marriage license
~ Bride: Have final gown fitting. Bring your maid of honor to learn how to bustle your dress
~ Call all bridesmaids. Make sure they have their gowns ready for the wedding.
~ Make last-minute adjustments with vendors.
~ Create a wedding program to hand out to guests.
~ Order and plan in-room welcome baskets for out-of-town guests.
~ Review final RSVP list and call any guests who have not yet sent a response.
~ Deliver just-have shot lists to your photographer and videographer.
~ Include who should be in formal portraits and determine when portraits will be taken.
~ Deliver final song list to your DJ or bandleader. Include special song requests and songs you don't want played.
~ Bride: Get your last pre-wedding haircut and color.
~ Give reception site/caterer final guest head count.
~ Include vendors, such as the photographer or band members, who will expect a meal.
~ Ask how many extra plates the caterer will prepare.
~ Supply location manager with a list of vendor requests such as a table for DJ or setup space needed for a florist.
~ Plan reception seating chart.
~ Print place and table cards, or finalize list with the calligrapher you've hired.
~ Call all wedding vendors and confirm arrangements.
~ Give ceremony and reception site managers a schedule of vendor delivery and setup times, plus contact numbers.
~ Groom: Get your hair trimmed.
~ Attend bachelor/ette parties.
~Bride: If you need to, have your gown pressed or steamed.
~Groom: Go for final fitting and pick up your formalwear.
~Groom: Ask the best man to make sure all groomsmen attend fittings and pick up their outfits.
~Determine wedding party positions during the ceremony and the order of the party in the processional and recessional.
~ Hand off place cards, table cards, menus, favors and any other items for setting the tables to the caterer and/or reception site manager.
~ Reconfirm final details with all vendors. Discuss any necessary last-minute substitutions.
~ Call the limousine or car rental company for pickup times and locations.
~ Arrange for guests without cars to be picked up from the airport or train station.
~ Ask friends, attendants or relatives to help.
~ Deliver welcome baskets to the hotel concierge; include names and delivery instructions.
~ Provide all wedding professionals with an emergency phone number to call on the day of the wedding.
~ Write checks and/or talk to wedding hosts (usually your parents, if not you) about any final balances to be paid at the end of the reception.
~ Rehearse ceremony. Meet with wedding party, ceremony readers, immediate family and your officiant at the ceremony site to rehearse and iron out the details
~ Bring unity candle, aisle runner, yarmulkes or other ceremony accessories to the site
~ Give your marriage license to your officiant
~ Attend rehearsal dinner
~ Present attendants with gifts at the rehearsal dinner. You'll want to do this especially if the gifts are accessories to be worn during the wedding.
~ Present parents and each other with gifts.
~ Give wedding bands to the best man and maid of honor to hold during the ceremony.
~ Give best man the officiant's fee envelope, to be handed off after the ceremony.
~ Introduce your reception site manager to your consultant or maid of honor for questions or problems during the reception.
~ Assign a family member or attendant to be the photographer's contact so he/she knows who's who.
~ Have someone return your rentals
~ Preplan for attendants to take the bride's gown for cleaning and return the groom's tux to the rental shop
~ Write and send thank-you notes to gift-bearing guests and vendors who were especially helpful
~ Go to your State DMV office to change your Drivers License. Be sure to take your Marriage License with you, Change this ID FIRST.
~ Go to Social Security Office with your NEW DRIVERS LICENSE to change your Name on Your Social Security Card