Post # 1
Member
140 posts
Blushing bee
Hi bees,
So I am at a bit of a loss with what kinds of planning I need to do. I’m getting married Sept 13, 2014, which seems far away, but I have no idea how long it will take me to get things together. I did find a dress last week – yay! – and we have a venue narrowed down although we haven’t signed the contract yet. The venue is an art museum, so we will need to figure out catering and drinks and … other stuff, although I’m not sure what. But there will be art on the walls!
I’m in a weird situation right now – I just had surgery on my foot and thus I am housebound for the next two weeks. I feel like I should get some wedding stuff done while I have downtime, but it has to be projects that I can do from home / bed.
Any helpful hints from other Sept 2014 brides who are further along with / more adept at this stuff than I am? To recap – so far, I have a dress in my closet (will deal with alterations in the spring), and a venue (contract to be signed), and that’s it. Oh, I have a tenative guest list. And our honeymoon is booked except for air tickets which I will book this week once the airline opens their schedule for the dates we need.
I appreciate your insights!! Thank you!
Post # 3
Member
140 posts
Blushing bee
Anyone? Sorry to ask again, but I’m pretty lost and I would love to use this downtime to be productive… just don’t know where to start. Is there a comprehensive list somewhere of all the things one should be considering / getting together for a wedding?
Post # 4
Member
1784 posts
Buzzing bee
@VanillaCoke: Checkout The Knot or WeddingWire. Both have checklists, timelines, etc. and can be a great resource. I have also heard of bees using Marth Stuart and Real Simple (both have checklists). Find one that works best for your wedding and go for it.
Good luck planning.
Post # 5
Member
839 posts
Busy bee
Hello, fellow September 2014 bride!
Lots of websites have checklists to keep you on track and give you a general idea of what needs to be done when – I know weddingwire has one. My BFF loaded a personalized one onto a spreadsheet for me, so I use that.
Here’s what I would do next if I were you
- book that venue!
- contact photographers/DJ/officiant to get prices and availability info
- start researching caterers
Good luck!
Post # 6
Member
2518 posts
Sugar bee
I’m a planner by nature and I’ve planned a number of large scale events through work and volunteer roles I’ve held. I love this stuff.
We picked a season, then our date, then set a budget. We did a quick run through the guest list to see what our #s looked like (we’d rather match the venue to the guest list than the guest list to the venue.) We decided on an overall theme and feel to the wedding, what our must-haves were (ie: open bar, plated meal, one location and guest rooms on-site) and we went from there.
I made a timeline for when I want things to be started and when things have to be completed. And everything has a line item in the budget, with a maximum we’re willing to spend on each item and the wedding in total. Bottom line, if its over-budget, something else has to give in order to have it. I also took note of what I was willing (or wanted) to DIY and what I’m handing over to a pro. I know where my strengths lie – organization and planning. And my weaknesses? Anything artistic. I’d rather things not look they were done by a 5 year old with one hand tied behind their back. Which is exactly what would happen if I did it!
You can take a look at some of the wedding checklists that are available on line. Some even come with timelines. Just keep in mind you don’t need *everything* on the list. There are lots of things we aren’t doing. And extras we are. It’s a general guideline to get you started. I haven’t checked any out, so I can’t really help with actual links. But they’re out there.
Post # 7
Member
140 posts
Blushing bee
Thanks so much, all of you! This is all really helpful information. I will check out the various checklists… I think that’s my main issue, that I just don’t know what all the components are besides the obvious ones (venue, food, guests, dress) and then that I don’t know how much lead time I need to book things. Now that I know there are checklists and guidelines out there, and where to find them, I feel less lost.
I appreciate your help!
ImmaBee Yay Sept 2014!
Post # 8
Member
215 posts
Helper bee
@VanillaCoke: I agree – try The Knot. I come here for the forums and DIY board. I go to The Knot for the more structured stuff and creating a favorites board. Happy planning and good luck on your surgery!
Post # 9
Bee
1835 posts
Buzzing bee
- Wedding: November 2012 - Oak Tree Manor
I definitely recommend using the Knot’s checklist – I found it super helpful when we were engaged!
Also – have you put together a guest list? that is more time-consuming than you might think, and you could start gathering addresses by emailing friends and family.
Have you hired a photographer yet? We spent a lot of time researching photographers by browsing through their blogs, and then emailing them back and forth to get their pricing and availability. If you haven’t started that yet, it might be a good project while you’re on bedrest!
Post # 10
Member
140 posts
Blushing bee
@emviamama: Thank you so much! The surgery went fine … it’s the six weeks of not being able to put any weight at all on my leg that is going to be tough. I’m also dreading when I run out of painkillers 🙂
Mrs. Wallaby
We do have a tentative guest list – two columns with definites and maybes. But that’s just names and not addresses – gathering addresses is a good idea and definitely something I can do from bed!
Photographer, we’d like to ask a friend/friendly acquaintance to do it – but I should get an idea of what it generally costs so when I ask her what she charges (if she’s willing to do it), I have a sense of what price would be reasonable, and also find out other options in case she isn’t interested.
Post # 11
Member
230 posts
Helper bee
Something not so fun would be to sit and compile everyones mailing addresses. Even if you dont have a final invite list yet. But I also agree with PP’s- research photgraphers, music, menu/catering, florists, makeup/hair if you are doing that. Its never too early might as well take advantage! Feel better.
Member