Our Wedding Planning Schedule (1st Draft!)

Since we won’t know for sure if our venue will be available on our desired November 2011 date until late May, I wanted to develop a planning schedule.  This schedule will help us ensure that, when we can confirm the date, we can have everything ready to go and ready to book. I don’t want to still be researching potential vendors at that point.  The idea is that we can identify our top 3 choices in each vendor category in case one or more is already booked when we contact them again in May or June.

January:

• Interview photographers
• Compile addresses for invitations and save-the-dates
• Identify top three photographers
• Firm up wedding budget calculations

February:

• Research hair and makeup artists
• Interview videographers
• Research marriage license requirements

March:

• Submit application for venue
• Design Save-the-dates, test-print
• Interview officiants
• Research local restaurants for catering accompaniments
• Take some intro dance lessons
• Develop content and design for wedding website

April:

• Develop potential wedding songs and playlists
• Start wedding dress shopping
• Interview DJ’s
• Have engagement photo shoot
• Research cake bakeries

May:

• Begin to obtain decor items
  — special table for bride and groom
  — layouts for ceremony and reception
  — lots of jars and candles
• Purchase wedding dress
• Identify items for registry
• Interview wedding coordinators
• Finalize website
• Research calligraphers
• Follow up with venue if date has not been confirmed

June:

• Begin to design invitations
• Finalize menu items
• Finalize list for Out of Towner bags
• Print and mail save-the-dates
• Start shopping for wedding rings
• Book photographer
• Book DJ
• Book Hair and Makeup
• Book Officiant
• Book Videographer
• Book coordinator

July

• Purchase wedding accessories and shoes
• Take more dance lessons
• Book lessons for choreographed first dance

So that’s now through July.  What else am I missing?