How To Plan A Wedding in 30 Steps
Steps 16-20
You're halfway there! You did your engagement session, sent out save the dates, created your registry and website, said "Yes" to the dress and tux, and booked your caterer, band, floral designer, cake artist, and other must-have vendors. Here are the next 5 steps.
16.Book your stationery designer for invitations, menu, seating cards, and anything that needs to be printed.
Start discussing invitation designs with your stationery designer. If you have an event designer, have them provide guidance as to your stationery's look to complement the design of the event. It takes time to design your invitation and review the drafts. Ideally, you would want to send out your invitations out 6-8 weeks before the wedding day, with the RSVP returned 3 weeks before the big day. Sending it too early risks guests forgetting to RSVP. However, for destination weddings, send your invitations out 5-6 months in advance. Your save-the-dates have notified your guests that you're having a destination wedding. Now, your invitation allows you to plan accordingly with the destination venue. If you are getting married overseas, don't expect a quick turn-around to get your questions answered. In my experience with my own destination wedding, attending friend's destination weddings, and photographing destination weddings, island time exists! This may be the same if you're heading to Italy or France or other countries for your wedding. Most destination venues cater to dozens of weddings a week, so getting them to return your emails and calls may take some time. Don't worry. Everything does work out, but you need to be patient with dealing with any correspondences overseas.
17.Book your additional amenities like a photo booth, cigar stand, entertainment acts, live wedding painting, and anything in between.
Once you have booked the essentials, see if your budget has any room for additional perks that will liven your wedding. Photo booths allow guests, including the grandparents, to get off their seats and enjoy having photos delivered a few seconds after taking their pictures. Open-air photo booths can be designed to match the reception decor. Your guests may enjoy a live cigar roller, or for Southeast Asian weddings, a Bollywood or belly dancing entertainment act between speeches and dances. If John Legend can be booked for a wedding and you have the budget, then go ahead have him sing your wedding song as you and your partner dance your first dance.
18.Book your rehearsal dinner.
Discuss who will be planning this dinner and who will cover the cost and who needs to attend. It may be one of the few things you may think you can book closer to the wedding date. Still, restaurants and other venues are busy in the warmer months and around holidays, so finding a place with a fantastic ambiance, food, and the capacity to fit your wedding party, still requires a balancing act.
19.Shop for your wedding bands.
Usually, as fun as dress shopping, wedding band shopping for both couples is a unique experience. You are essentially looking for the right symbol for your marriage. You can choose one with your personality, and for brides, you can select one that matches perfectly with your engagement ring.
20.Book your hairstylist, makeup artist, and trial appointments.
The best makeup artists have worked fashion show runaways or have been in business for years catering to weddings. Their top-notch work helps photographers and cinematographers do their own job seamlessly, not having to worry about blemishes, or anything else, as the makeup stays fresh-looking for hours. This is the same for hairstylists. They make sure your waves, curls, updo, or whatever look you decide stays until the end of the night.
You’re so close to planning your entire wedding! Click HERE for steps 21-25 out of 30 of How To Plan Your Wedding!