Your wedding is just six months away, and it’s time to get planning! Take a moment to peruse this checklist, which will help ensure that you get all of your planning done in time. You may want to print this checklist so that you have it available for easy reference. Each time you complete a task, check it off and rest assured that your wedding day will be everything you always hoped it would be!
Start the First Steps
First of all, pat yourself on the back ‘ you are about to embark on what just might be the most incredible adventure of your life! You are engaged to be married to the man of your dreams. What could be better than that? Your wedding will, of course, stress you out over the next six months ‘ but in the end, it will all be worth it, because your special day will be the fairy tale you always hoped it would be.
First things first: celebrate your engagement! This includes having romantic nights at home, taking your engagement ring off and putting it back on a million and two times, telling everyone you know, getting professional photos taken, putting your photos up on the web to tell the world that you’re engaged ‘ the works!
Tell your loved ones when the wedding will be. This includes your parents (of course), best friends and close family. The best way to tell your loved ones of your impending engagement is in person. If you can, travel to see your family to tell them the news. Your mother will want to examine the ring, and your father will want to pat your fiance on the back and tell him if he ever hurts you, he’ll kill him. The usual, of course.
Get Ready to Stress Out
Let’s get real ‘ this will be a stressful time. But do not worry! Consider purchasing a journal or starting an online blog to chronicle your journey. This is especially great for brides whose friends or families are far away.
A journal is better for those who prefer to keep their private moments private, but for those who aren’t afraid to share, consider starting a blog! For one thing, you’ll always be able to refer back to it when you look back at your nuptials ‘ but it will also be a great way for friends and family to come along with you on the journey to your wedding day!
Like the guestbook, your blog will serve as an online journal of your journey ‘ something that you’ll never forget. It’s a great keepsake item in itself, so don’t be afraid to document even the hard moments over the next few months ‘ it will all be worth it in the end!
Start Planning
Now, it’s time to set the date and pick a location. Do you want an outdoor wedding on an exotic beach somewhere? Do you want something more traditional, perhaps a ceremony in the church in the town where you and your husband met? Maybe you want to wed in the church where you spent every Sunday of your childhood.
Make sure that you don’t do all of the planning on your own. You might be the bride, but your soon-to-be husband’s opinion is just as important as yours. Don’t discount his thoughts ‘ ask him where he’d like to be wed. Once you’ve picked a place and booked the date, send out your invitations!
Save the date cards are great, and you’ll also want to send out traditional invites. Once you’ve done this, you can start planning the party, the DJ, the caterer ‘ there are lots of pieces of the wedding puzzle, so you’ll want to lean on your bridesmaids and your family to help you plan your special day.
Get the Dress
The dress: you know you’ve been dreaming of it since you were a little girl. Finding the perfect wedding dress is a lot like finding the perfect man ‘ there’s sure to be the perfect one out there for you, you just have to hunt for it. Don’t be depressed if you have to try on thirty dresses before you find the perfect one ‘ it’s out there! Take your best friends along for the ride and make sure you get a second opinion. Trust that you’ll know it’s ‘the one’ when you put it on.
Tie up Loose Ends
The date is picked, the invitations have been sent, the caterer is booked and the dress has been chosen. Now, it’s time to think of the little things. What kind of flowers do you want the flower girl to carry? What should your bridesmaids wear? Do you want the limousine to drive off in after the ceremony?
Now you’ve made it to the big day. Enjoy! You will remember this day for the rest of your life!
