Planning and executing your plans for your
wedding will be one of the hardest things you have ever done.
It is because you are trying to please two sets of parents your
fiancée and yourself and get it all done within budget and time.
You must get everything to coordinate harmoniously and to happen all at
the same time. This scenario is a
major set up for monster problems and stress.
It has lead many of wedding candidates to rethink getting married,
because the stress becomes so unbearable.
To cope see and use: Coping
Skills
If you do not already know for sure that
this guy or gal is the one, then make it a matter of prayer to find out.
See the article: How
to Make Good Decisions
After you know that this is the right person for you, the next best thing you can do to reduce stress is get organized. This is what the do list is all about. It removes some of the surprises and gives you the next step to take.
Be sure not to procrastinate, but instead
do a s many of the things as you can as soon as possible.
The later you wait to do these things, the more limited your choices
become and the greater the problems and stress.
I wish you well in your journey.
Best wishes,
Annette Nay, MS
WEDDING
DO LIST
Copyright
© 2004
Reserving a Place for the Wedding
q
Agree upon a wedding
date
q
What time is the
wedding? Is the reception right
after?
q
What are the
guidelines for using the place?
q
If it is in a church,
be sure to reserve all areas you will be using. Example: The
Cultural Hall/Gym & the Kitchen.
q
Reserve the place for
set-up, the wedding, & reception
Getting an Officiator for the Wedding
q
Talk to the
officiator about the wedding date
q
Finalize ceremony
with officiate
q
Do you want to write
your own vows?
q
Design and print the ceremony program.
Deciding the Attire for the Wedding
q
Decide on the wedding
colors
q
Decide colors for the
dress of the mothers, groom, groomsmen, and bride’s maids
q
Go to a hardware
store and obtain a paint chip sample for everyone who needs the exact color
for your wedding.
q
Find &
purchase/rent your wedding dress. Include:
o
Comfortable shoes: white sneakers or house slippers – Flat
shoes
o
Veil head piece
o
Necklace and earrings
o
Garter?
q
Assign others or you
get bridesmaids dresses & mother’s dresses
q
Decide if suits or
tuxes will be used for the following:
o
Groom & Groomsmen
o
Father of the Bride
& Father-In-Law to be
q
Reserve the
tuxes/suits for groom, groomsmen, & father of the bride &
father-in-law
q
Pick up the
suits/tuxes – The groom’s family is responsible for this expenditure.
q
Tradition:
For good luck find:
o
Something Old
o
Something New
o
Something Borrowed
o
Something Blue
The Rings
q
Shop for rings
q Order wedding rings & engraving
q Pick up the rings
Engagement & Wedding/Reception Photos
q
Assign a friend or
family member to take the pictures for the announcement and wedding or engage
a photographer?
q
Make photographer
list of pictures you want taken
q
Buy film for pictures
if a friend or family member is taking the pictures.
q
Possible places to take the
announcement pictures in Southern Utah are:
o
Zion’s Emerald
Pools?
o
Fingers of Kolob
o
Ghost town
o
Old barn
o
Red Cliffs
o
A photo studio
o
A backdrop in your
own home
q
What will you wear
for the announcement pictures?
q
Take the announcement
pictures.
q
Choose the picture
for your announcement.
q
Order pictures from
the photographer or get a picture made from your negatives or scan your
favorite and include it as part of the announcement when printing the
announcement yourself.
q
Pick up the pictures
Ordering Announcements/Thank You Cards/ Napkins
q
Get addresses and
names for announcements from the bride and groom.
q
Who gets to come to
the ceremony? Who gets to come to
the reception? How many for each?
q
Decide on the type of
announcement you want.
q
Do you want inclusion
cards for the people invited to the wedding ceremony or a whole different card
from those attending only the reception?
q
Decide on and order
announcements & inclusion cards. Get the envelopes to address. - OR- You
can buy stationary & envelopes and you print them yourself along with the
inclusion cards.
q
Get napkins in your
colors or just white –OR- order napkins with your names on them in your
colors? Buy or order them.
q
Order thank you cards, or buy them, or print them yourself
q
Pick up your orders: announcements, inclusion cards,
napkins, and/or thank you cards.
Getting the Announcement Ready for Mailing
q Divide the groom’s & bride’s list into two parts:
o Those who are invited to the wedding & reception
o Those who are invited to the reception
q
Print the envelopes
on the computer.
q
Do maps and
directions for out-of-town guests.
q
Call in-town hotels
and get group rates for out of town guests.
q
Include hotel and
city info in the announcement for
out of town guests.
q
Buy stamps for
announcements
q
Stamp envelopes
q
Stuff the envelopes
with the announcement, inclusion cards for wedding &/or rehearsal dinner,
maps & hotel information, as needed.
q
Mail announcements
– One Month Before the Wedding Date
Flower Arrangements
q
Are you going to make
your own flowers or have them made?
q
Decide what flowers
arrangement do you need?
q
The Bride is
responsible for:
o
Bridal bouquet
o
Mother’s corsages
o
Maid/s or Matron of
Honor corsages
o
Table centerpieces
for reception
o
Flowers on the aisle
seats for the wedding
o
Any other floral
arrangements for the wedding area
q
The Groom’s family
is responsible for:
o
Grooms & Best Man
Boutonnières
o
The Father’s
Boutonnières
q
Order the flowers you
will need.
q
Pick-up flowers and
refrigerate and/or take to set-up
q
Make up your floral
corsages, boutonnières, & arrangements the day before the wedding.
The Wedding Cake
q
Decide whether to
make or buy your wedding cake.
q
What do you want it
to look like?
q What flavor cake? Chocolate, Raspberry, Strawberry, or other?
q
What kind of
icing? Shortening, cream cheese based or white chocolate fondant?
q
If buying your cake
– Order it!
q
Choose & purchase
a Cake Topper
q If you are doing your own cake - make the wedding cake & freeze it – 1 week before wedding.
q
Start the decoration
of the wedding cake –5 days before wedding.
q
Between working times
cover the cake and put it back in the freezer.
q
Make the perfect-fit
cake cover out of coat hangers and cover with plastic wrap and packing tape.
Food for the Reception
q
Are you catering the
food for your own reception or getting someone else to do it?
q
If you are having it
catered – engage a caterer.
q
Decide what you will
have served.
q
If you are catering
it yourself – figure out:
o
When the food will be
made?
o
Who will help?
o
Who will buy the
food?
o
Where you put the
food together?
For Your Wedding Day
q
Arrange for a day of wedding errand runner –A friend for
last minute details.
q
Are you going to have
your hair done? Make hairdresser
appointment.
q
Break in bridal shoes - Wear them around house
q
Decide where you will
dress for the wedding- at home or at the wedding place.
q
Pack
your honeymoon suitcase and take it with you.
q
Set out the clothes
you will change into when you leave the reception to go on your honeymoon.
q
Pick up the tux the
day before the wedding or the day of.
q
Decide how you will
get to the church the day of the wedding.
q
Get to the church on
time! Better yet…get there
early!
The Rehearsal Dinner
q
The groom’s family
is responsible for the rehearsal dinner and its cost.
q
Decide when it should
be – Usually one or two nights before the wedding
q
Who should attend
q
Where it will be held
q Find out who can attend – RSVP on inclusion cards in the announcements
Make
reservations for the place and food served
The Reception
Planning Stage
q
Visit the site of the
Wedding & Reception
q
Decide and sketch the
way things will be set up in each allotted space. Include:
o
Dimensions of each
area
o
The receiving line
area & backdrop
o
Decorations, plants,
& lights etc.
o
The serving table –
Best set near the kitchen.
o
The gift table
o
The guest book table
– Usually set outside the door to the reception hall.
o
The cake table
o
Guest tables
o
Where the musicians
or music will set up. Check for
electrical outlets
o Dancing area, if applicable
o
How many guest tables can be put in
the allotted area?
Rented or Borrowed Items
q
Tables
q
Linens
q
Table centerpieces
q
Backdrop
q
Greenery
q
Other things
Note:
·
No lit candles
allowed in the LDS church!
·
Some churches have
tables and linen you may be able to borrow!
The Set-Up
q
Who will set up for
the reception and decorate wedding area?
q
Who is supervising
your plans?
q
When is the set-up?
(From when to when)
q
Who has the keys to
the building?
q
How will the rented
and/or borrowed items get to the reception/wedding place
The Wedding & Reception Music
q
Are you having taped
or live music at the reception & wedding?
o
If the music is live
- engage the musicians.
o
If it is taped, tape your music now or assign that to
someone.
o
Give
a song list with do's and don'ts
o
State when they
should be there, where they should set-up, and when they should play what.
o
Will there be
dancing? If so, where and when?
Helpers at the Reception
q
Assign who will serve
the food.
q
Assign usher duty.
q
Assign someone to sit
at the guest book or decide to leave it unattended.
q
Assign someone to
take gifts.
o
Where are the gifts
to be put at the reception.
o
Do you want the
presents to be left wrapped or be unwrapped with cards firmly attached, at the
reception?
o
Buy tape to affix
cards to the packages; whether the packages are left wrapped or not.
o
Give the tape to the
gift taker with your instructions.
q
Choose gifts for bridesmaids & groomsmen, ushers, guest
book sitter, servers, gift receiver, who fixed and ran taped music, set-up and
clean-up crews.
The Clean-Up
q
Arrange
for your wedding dress to be cleaned.
q
Arrange
for the bride’s bouquet to be preserved.
q
Arrange
for the top of the wedding cake to be
properly frozen for your 1 year anniversary.
q
Where does the rest
of the cake go?
q
Assign who will
return the tuxes?
q
Assign who will
clean-up after the reception? State
what needs to be done:
o
Vacuuming & where
the vacuum is
o
Sweeping & where
the brooms & dust pan are
o
Cleaning off tables
& where the linens and centerpieces should go
o
Cleaning and folding
linens & where they should go
o
Who will clean and
return borrowed or rented things?
o
Where are the gifts
to be put after the reception?
o
Where the tables and
chairs go
o
Where centerpieces
and floral arrangements go?
Note:
Centerpieces & floral arrangements can be used as gifts for your
helpers.
Other Important Things to Shop For or Get
q Get marriage license from County Clerks Office
q
The County Clerks
Office for Iron County-Utah is:
o
68 South 100 East,
Parowan, UT 477-8340
o
Open 8:30 AM -5 PM,
Monday-Friday
o
Bride & groom
must be present with picture id (Driver’s License)
o
$50
o
The license is good for 30 days
q Find out when your picture and wedding announcement and what the requirements are.
q
Here are the requirements to have a wedding announcement in St. George, UT's
Daily News:
o
It is due the Wednesday before the Sunday you want
the picture in the paper.
o
Bring in picture and
fill in info. – The ad is $35.00.
q
A Guest Book
q
Ribbon & Cake
Knife & Server
q
An Apartment
q
Reserve honeymoon
destination & lodgings.
q
Reserve wedding night
lodgings if different from the destination.
q
Shop for your
sweetheart’s wedding present
q Shop for the wedding night bedroom apparel & condoms
q
Take dance lessons if
desired
After the Honeymoon
q
Open
your gifts.
q
Do
thank you cards.
q
Send
thank you cards before one month has passed, since the wedding.
q
Do
name change paperwork for license, banks, Social Security #, checking, checks,
etc.
q
Get
a renters/homeowners insurance policy
o
Make
sure homeowner's insurance covers ring/gifts
q
Also
may want to check into life insurance policies
q Check & change auto insurance policies
q Get medical & dental insurance