Things to do when getting married

By Catalogs Editorial Staff

The things to do when getting married a listed in the steps below

So you’ve just decided to take the plunge and you’re getting ready for wedded bliss. Suddenly you realize that what you thought was the hard part (the proposal) was actually pretty easy when it comes to all the things you need to do in order to get ready for the big day.

There are quite a few things to do when getting married and most of them will be quite time consuming. The best way to get prepared and stay prepared is to make a checklist and only tick off a check when you are sure it’s done and won’t have to be worried over again.

Setting a Date

There isn’t much you can really do until you get this particular task off the list. Most people will set a date shortly after the engagement is official, but some people will wait a while. It’s always good to set a date that will give you plenty of lead time, with 9-12 months being the usual rule of thumb.

You should begin letting people know at least six months in advance.

Booking the Venue for Service and Reception

This could be relatively easy should you or your soon to be spouse have a church they belong to. If you don’t want to have a church wedding, most cities will allow you to use a public park or garden (as long as you reserve it.) Depending on the size of the wedding, you can almost have the service anywhere, but booking it should be one of the first things you do.

After you book the venue for the service, select your venue for the reception. This is often the most difficult decision. You must consider distance from the service venue, size, travel, parking, food, beverage, entertainment, decor … the list can go on and on.

Finding a Photographer

Whether you are planning on having a professional photographer, much like booking a wedding venue you should do this as far in advance as possible. This is one of the most important things to do when getting married, because you are going to want to make sure the photographer has the date available.

Pick Flower Arrangements

This particular task is going to have varying degrees of importance on the ladder of things to do when getting married for different people. Most people want some sort of special flower arrangements as decorations, but they are not a must have. If you do go with them, you’ll want to get a florist reserved as soon as possible, especially if you’re getting married in a month that is popular for weddings.

Wedding Invitations

Of course, this is a biggie, because you want people to know when they are supposed to show up! There is a whole host of different styles you can pick for your wedding invitations and while they can cost a decent amount if you go super fancy, you can find deals here and there. You’ll want to get the invitations out as soon as possible, but you shouldn’t wait any longer than 4-6 months out from the actual ceremony. You can wait a bit longer should you also use “Save the Date” cards earlier in the process.

Picking the Wedding Party, the Tuxes and Dresses

If you know who is going to be in your wedding party, let them know as soon as possible. It’s just polite to let them know if they’re going to need to rent a tux or buy a dress and know what their roles in the service are as soon as possible. There are any number of different places you can go when reserving the outfits, but keep in mind especially for the groomsmen that you need to get a tux somewhere where everyone will have access. There’s a good chance at least some of the groomsmen will live out of town. Make sure you use a store that either has a lot of branches, or that has no problem communicating measurements with other stores.

Caterer/ Cake

If you plan to serve food, you want to get the caterers reserved early. Make sure you discuss with your soon to be wed what sort of meals you’ll be offering. Is this going to be a sit down dinner, or a reception where people mingle and eat finger food? You also need to look at a cake or cakes (some people go with a Groom’s cake as well).

Entertainment

Are you going to have a wedding singer? A band? Just music playing in the background? Some people overlook this until the last minute and that can lead to less than pleasant results on the wedding day.

Depending on the couple, there may be additional steps that need to be taken, but if you follow this list, you should be well prepared when the big day arrives!