Alright all our lovely couples ~ what is on your to do list when you are 6-8 months away? We still have quite some time before the big day, so we are still thinking big picture and big items. A lot of the details happen closer to the date, but let’s make sure those big ticket items are getting completed now.
Keep on booking those vendors! All of the major vendors such as venue, caterer, DJ or band, photographer, officiant, florist and hair and makeup should be booked by the 9 month mark. Keep on booking the remaining vendors such as bakery, photobooth, videographer, backdrop artist, live musicians, etc. If you have not done so, room blocks should also be booked around this time!
Finalize your guest list, mailing address or email addresses and get those Save the Dates in the mail! This gives your friends and family a heads up that the big day is coming soon and let’s them begin their travel plans. A great tip here is to include your wedding website information on your save the date card so that guests can stay updated with the wedding weekend schedule, transportation, hotel blocks, your love story, wedding party members, etc.
On this note, keep working on your wedding website! Wedding websites are incredible at highlighting and keeping track of all the major parts of the wedding day from the day of schedule to FAQs. Pro tip: include your wedding email and/or couple’s point of contact email on the FAQ page so that guests are directing their questions to those sources instead of to your personal phones or emails. We also recommend specifically completing the registry portion of your wedding website earlier on so that guests can begin to plan out their gifts and even send them to you ahead of time!
Select a place for your honeymoon and start booking travel, accommodations and excursions. Make sure to triple check that your passports are not expired or expiring and that you have applied for any visas you may need. Also, make a list and appointments for all required vaccinations for your honeymoon destination(s) as well.
On this note, keep working on your wedding website! Wedding websites are incredible at highlighting and keeping track of all the major parts of the wedding day from the day of schedule to FAQs. Pro tip: include your wedding email and/or couple’s point of contact email on the FAQ page so that guests are directing their questions to those sources instead of to your personal phones or emails. We also recommend specifically completing the registry portion of your wedding website earlier on so that guests can begin to plan out their gifts and even send them to you ahead of time!
Select a place for your honeymoon and start booking travel, accommodations and excursions. Make sure to triple check that your passports are not expired or expiring and that you have applied for any visas you may need. Also, make a list and appointments for all required vaccinations for your honeymoon destination(s) as well.
Much like venues, rehearsal dinner locations tend to book quickly, especially if you have a big group that is attending the event. Start looking at rehearsal dinner spots with the goal of booking this location by the 6-7 month out mark. A fun wedding trend is to host a welcome party instead of a rehearsal dinner and invite any guests that will be in town the night before. This gives you an opportunity to converse with your invited guests instead of just saying hi briefly on the wedding day!
Premarital counseling is never a bad idea and now is a great time to decide if that is something you would like to do with your officiant, pastor or with a counseling center. Premarital counseling offers a space to build communication skills, talk through big life decisions, receive wisdom from programs or the mentor and so much more. Marriage counseling sessions with the person officiating your wedding is also a perk so that they get to know you as a couple and deliver that much more of an incredible ceremony for you!
Select your wedding party attire and send it their way! There are many ways to go about wedding party attire (same color different style, same color and style, etc) and lots of places to order from. Some of our favorite places for bridesmaid dresses are Azazie, Lulu’s, Birdy Grey, Revelry, Show Me Your Mumu and so many more! Some of our favorite places for groomsmen attire are Generation Tux, Jos A. Bank, Indochino, The Black Tux, etc. Check them out and see what you think!
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As always, remember to take a break every now and then when it comes to wedding planning! Go on a date, take a trip, watch an entire season of a TV show in a week, you get the idea! When you jump back in and you need some advice, remember to reach out to your planning team here at the Mansion. We are here for you 🙂