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How To Plan a Thoughtful and Personalized Wedding

You are planning the biggest, dreamiest day of your life — we are here to make sure every detail and opportunity is captured to make your day exceptionally special.

Your wedding decor and details should help tell your love story — from your save the dates down to the table numbers at your reception. Do not miss an opportunity to let your personalities and story shine through. Your guests should feel you and your partner reflected in every aspect of the day. Delight your guests with thoughtful favors and share gratitude with your bridal party through personalized gifts. Give your love story the celebration it deserves.

The following timeline will help walk you through the wedding planning process and will bring attention to special opportunities to personalize your day. While we have put together product collections of our items for you to preview, please know the options are truly limitless and are just a sampling of what we have to offer. Please contact us if you have any questions or if you have any custom product requests — we are here and happy to help you plan your special day!

  1. 1+ Year Out from Your Wedding Day

    • Determine your budget
    • Choose your wedding date
      This task should be done in conjunction with choosing your venue
    • Define your wedding style and choose your color scheme
    • Begin working on your guest list
    • Determine the location of your wedding and start researching ceremony and reception venues
      Keep your guest list in mind while researching. You will want to find venues that can accommodate the amount of people you would like to invite. Set up site visits to view the venues in-person.
    • Create a wedding website
    • Book your ceremony and reception venues
    • Start researching vendors and set up meetings with them to get pricing and product/service options.
      Consider the following: photographer, videographer, DJ and/or band, officiant, florist, rental company, hair and makeup, transportation, ceremony musicians, caterer and baker. Be sure to read reviews online and talk to couples that have worked with the vendors in the past.
    • Book any vendors that are high priority to you
  2. 10-12 Months Out

    • Schedule your engagement photos
    • Choose your bridal party and determine how you are going to ask them to be a part of your day.
      Order gifts and write your heartfelt notes
    • Ask your bridal party to stand up in your wedding
    • Research bridal boutiques and set up appointments to start shopping for your wedding dress
    • If you have not already, be sure to book your vendors to ensure their schedules do not book up
    • Set up a food tasting with your caterer and select your dinner menu
  3. 8-10 Months Out

    • Research hotels that are near your reception venue and set up a room block for your guests
    • Research and book your cocktail hour entertainment
    • Register for gifts
    • Take engagement photos
    • Order your save the dates
      Consider including the following information on your save the dates: your names, wedding date, wedding website, "formal invitation to follow" and location (city and state) of your wedding
    • Order the wedding dress
    • Select a day to go bridesmaid dress shopping with your bridesmaids and set up appointments at dress stores
    • Finalize your guest list
    • Start looking through invitation suites
  4. 6-8 Months Out

    • Send out save the dates
    • Start planning out the ceremony with your officiant
    • Start planning your honeymoon
    • Think about hairstyles and wedding makeup
      Set up a trial run with the hair and makeup artists — the trial should happen 2-3 months out from the wedding to give enough time for a second trial or a backup plan if the results are not perfect. Use photos for inspiration.
    • Choose bridesmaid dresses (do not forget about a flower girl dress too)
      Encourage your bridesmaids to purchase the dress soon and schedule fittings
    • Start planning the rehearsal dinner
      Talk with your officiant and ceremony venue to determine a time for rehearsal. Schedule your rehearsal dinner to begin 1.5 hours after the ceremony rehearsal begins.
    • Finalize and purchase your invitations
      RSVPs should be due one month before your wedding — this will give you extra time to reach out to those who did not send back their RSVPs, plus you will be grateful for the extra time to create your seating chart.
    • Decide on shoes, hair and jewelry for your bridesmaids
    • Purchase or rent your centerpieces, linens, chairs, uplighting and other décor
    • Start researching formalwear for the men and set up appointments to browse
    • Shop for and purchase your wedding rings/bands
  5. 4-6 Months Out

    • Finalize your floral proposal with your florist.
      Purchase vases (you and your bridesmaids are going to need a place to set your bouquets come dinner time)
    • Purchase or rent formalwear (suit/tux, shirt, pants, tie or bowtie, suspenders or belt, socks and shoes). Be sure to think about the groom, groomsmen, dads, grandpas, ushers and ring bearers.
      Encourage the guys to order/rent their formalwear soon and set up fittings
    • Start planning your morning after brunch and gift opening if you will be having one
    • Finalize your honeymoon plans
    • Put your invitation suites together, address and stamp envelopes.
    • Purchase a gift for your partner
    • Purchase gifts for the special people in your wedding. Consider the following people: parents, grandparents, bridal party, ushers, flower girl(s), ring bearer(s), ceremony readers and officiant.
    • Make a list of any additional items that you will need to purchase or rent
      Consider the following items: a personalized hanger for your dress, garter, tie clip, watch, a cute ring box, vow books, a basket for your ceremony programs, easels, a card box, cake/dessert stand(s), a cake topper, Mr. & Mrs. champagne flutes, cake knife, table numbers, votive candles, a unity candle, a guestbook, centerpieces, an aisle runner, a ceremony arch or backdrop, etc.
    • Make a list of signage and printed materials that you will need and purchase these items
      Consider the following items: a welcome sign, ceremony programs, table numbers, guestbook signage, gifts & cards signage, napkin/menu inserts, tags for your favors, bar signage, etc.
    • Purchase your bridal shoes, undergarments, veil and accessories
    • Planning for your bridal shower should begin
  6. 3 Months Out

    • Send out your wedding invitations
    • Purchase wedding favors
    • Confirm the delivery date of your dress and schedule dress fittings
    • Attend your bridal shower
      The bridal shower usually takes place 3 weeks to 3 months out from the wedding
    • Write thank you notes for your bridal shower gifts
    • Continue to work on the ceremony outline with your officiant
    • Attend your hair and makeup trial
    • Work with your ceremony musicians and/or DJ on your ceremony and reception playlists
    • Decide on your something old, new, borrowed and blue
    • Research local marriage license requirements
  7. 2 Months Out

    • Confirm with your bridesmaids that they have purchased their dresses and accessories
    • Confirm with the groomsmen that they have purchased their formalwear
    • Purchase welcome kit items for your hotel guests, if you plan on providing these
      Consider including snacks, beverages, a copy of your wedding itinerary, things to do in the city you are in, a welcome note, local gifts, etc.
    • Begin writing your vows
  8. 1 Month Out

    • Attend your bachelor/ette party
    • Assemble the hotel welcome kits
    • After you have received all of your RSVPs, put together your seating chart and purchase your place cards
    • Finalize the ceremony with your officiant
    • Send out rehearsal dinner invitations if you did not already include them with your wedding invitations
    • Shop and pack for your honeymoon
    • Work with your photographer on your must-take photo list
    • Work with your videographer on your must-shoot list
  9. 2 Weeks Out

    • Send your final guest count and seating chart to your caterer, baker, ceremony and reception venues and wedding coordinator
      Be sure to include vendors who will expect a meal in your head count
    • Confirm all final payments with vendors
    • Attend your final dress fitting
    • Apply for your marriage license
  10. 1 Week Out

    • Have your wedding ring and band soldered together, if you will be doing so and/or get your rings cleaned
    • Prep your wedding thank you speech if you plan on giving one
  11. 2-3 Days Out

    • Pack your overnight bags for the wedding
    • Have your dress and/or suit steamed if it has not been already
    • Wrap your gifts for each other, your parents, bridal party, ushers, flower girl and ring bearer, etc.
    • Deliver welcome kits to the hotel
  12. 1 Day Out

    • Get a manicure and pedicure
    • Ceremony rehearsal
    • Give your marriage license to your officiant
    • Rehearsal dinner
  13. Post Wedding

    • Send in your marriage license to the County Clerk
      The officiant typically handles this
    • Write thank you notes
    • Send your dress off to be cleaned and preserved
    • Return formalwear rentals
    • Change your name if you will be doing so
    • Order your favorite wedding photos and create a keepsake photo album
    • Write online reviews of your vendors so other couples know what to expect before hiring them
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