Bride Calendar Countdown - Weddings & Honeymoons

6. If you wish - make an engagement announcement in the newspaper.

7. Discuss with your fiancé and parents the possible locations where you'd like to hold the reception. It could be a banquet hall, club, hotel restaurant, or a place where you may need to cater yourself (such as your home or a friend's home), or a museum or some other unique location. Remember, if you are looking for a location outdoors, have a backup plan in case it rains. The backup venue could be in a tent (check air-conditioning if it is being held in warm weather) or a location close to the outdoor location. It's important that the place you choose has wheelchair accessibility for the handicapped or elderly guests.

8. Select the members of your wedding party. If you are asking someone from out-of-town, arrange accommodations in your or a friend=s home. Transportation should be discussed at the time you issue the invitation so that it is clear who is going to pay for what.

9. Decide on the type of wedding you want - whether you're getting married for the first time or not; if it's an interfaith or interracial marriage; if you want to have a traditional, contemporary, alternative, theme, special event or destination wedding [see Destination Weddings on the Main Menu]

10. Prepare your guest list. If you are inviting people from out-of-town and know they will be staying in a hotel or motel, make an arrangement with the hotels' sales departments to send out information packages including room rates, city maps, transportation schedules, brochures that include sights to see and restaurants.

11. Shop and select your dress. Usually the headpiece and veil are provided at no cost.

12. Decide on your color scheme.

13. Shop and select the Bride's mother's dress.

14. Advise the Groom's mother so that she can select her dress.

15. Assist in selecting dresses for the Maid of Honor and Attendants. They are paying for their own outfits. Therefore, let them have more than one choice of styles.

16. Establish who is going to host the rehearsal dinner or get-together following the rehearsal. Traditionally, it's hosted by the Groom=s parents. Start to develop your invitation list to the dinner to include both parents, members of the wedding party, their spouses, significant others or friends and out-of-town guests.

17. Start attending bridal shows. Check the yellow pages for different wedding services and follow up on the suggestions of friends who were well served at their weddings.

18. If you are planning to hire a wedding consultant or event planner, start to interview candidates.

19. Start eliminating possible service suppliers on your list so that you are left with only your three top choices. If you are interested in hiring someone's services for your wedding, ask them to "pencil-you in." Then, if they get a booking for the same date they can call you to give you first option.

20. Register with bridal gift registries to choose items you would like for your engagement, shower or wedding presents. Let your mother, Maid of Honor or hostess of any of your pre-wedding parties or showers know where you are registering. When you have finalized your honeymoon plans put your destination on your Gift Registry list.

21. You may want to open up a bank account especially for your wedding. If you do, make sure you arrange to have your cheques sent to you with your monthly statement so that you can keep better cash flow control.

22. If you are going to have a wedding website start planning and developing it so that it is up six months before your wedding.

23. Check out wedding insurance policies.

24. If you are working, coordinate your wedding date with your holiday time.

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