Our production assistant, Patrice, is recently engaged and taking you along on her wedding planning journey. Check back every other Monday for more real-life wedding planning insights – or follow along here!
It’s the final countdown! We are within the one-month mark of our wedding and BOY is there a lot to do! Back when we first got engaged, I published a wedding planning timeline that of course includes the last month, but now that I am a whole 10 months (and a lot of wedding planning) wiser, I want to dive in a little deeper. These last few weeks are so important and there are so many little details to wrap up. Here is what we’re going to focus on during the last month before our big day:
1. Create a seating chart
By now, you should have all of your RSVP’s and follow-ups completed. Now is the time to do your seating chart (if you plan on having one). We made sure to complete ours plenty early so that we could send it to our parents to in case we left anyone out and to make sure they were happy with our choices.
2. Draft a detailed weekend schedule
This has been most essential to our final month of planning. I can’t even tell you how many schedules and lists I have made. Most of them are still incomplete, but that’s beside the point. Making a detailed schedule including what will be needed and who will be involved at every step has helped me understand what will be needed and helped to expose any gaps. I like to make them on a notes app in my phone so that no matter where I am, I can reference it.
3. Designate tasks
Creating your detailed schedule will also help you in delegating tasks. For example, from my detailed schedule, I know that I am going to have a mimosa bar for the bridesmaids while we get ready the morning of the wedding. Because I have a detailed list of everything we need, I realized I would need someone to bring ice on their way to the hotel. Having these little things taken care of will put you at ease, and your loved ones will be happy to help!
4. Meet with your planner
At this point, your planner will start following up with all of your other vendors to confirm final timelines, payments, and any outstanding questions. You can also go over other details such as venue layout and decoration delivery. Put together any questions you might have, final must-haves, or changes you’d like to make before you meet with your planner, and they can convey all of that information to the other vendors.
5. If you don’t have a planner, hire a day-of coordinator
Seriously, we mean it. It’s not too late, and you will NOT regret it. All of this last minute follow up and vendor coordination is nearly impossible to complete yourself. Having a day-of coordinator will allow you to sit back, relax, and enjoy your big day.
6. Get your marriage license
This may seem like a *duh* moment, but it’s important to note that you MUST do it a minimum or 3 days before your wedding. Give yourself a good week cushion so that you can actually get married at your wedding!
