The Dress Up

Roco's Wedding Checklist

Congratulations! They’ve popped the question and you’ve said yes! After a few weeks revelling in engaged bliss, it’s time for the wedding planning to begin! Before getting engaged, you dream of wedding planning to be a harmonious activity and you think you’ve already done most of the work with the Pinterest board you’ve been compiling since the second date (right?!). Wrong. Between balancing guest lists, suppliers and dates, it’s easy to get overwhelmed with thinking everything needs to be ticked off right away. We’ve compiled this handy checklist of milestone dates to give a guideline of what to do and when for stress free planning!

Follow our breakdown below, with handy tips on super smooth wedding planning for each milestone date!

12-18 MONTHS TO GO!

It’s advisable to set your date and book your venue asap. Popular venues and weekend slots can book up 18 months in advance so if you’ve got your heart set on somewhere make sure you make enquiries right away. If you don’t have a particular venue in mind, this is definitely one of the biggest jobs. First, set your budget (and stick to it!). Then simply do your research. Choose a venue that fits with your theme and if you start working on your guest list, you’ll have rough numbers when enquiring about catering and evening reception. Once your venue is chosen, send out save the dates to your special guests.

8-10 MONTHS TO GO!

It’s time to go dress shopping! It’s advisable not to do this too early as there’s a chance you’ll go off the dress (trust me, I know from experience!) so 8-10 months is a good time to start looking. If you’re purchasing a made to measure dress, you might want to start looking a bit earlier as these can take up to 12 months to hand craft. Start making enquiries with other suppliers, such as florists and venue dressers and book your photographer.

6 MONTHS TO GO!

Everything’s on track and it’s time to send out your official wedding invitations; send these out too early and they get forgotten, sent out too late and it is difficult for guests to arrange transport and accommodation. Timing is key! This is now a good time to book time off work. Whilst you should be booking your honeymoon, behind the scenes your best man and bridesmaids should be planning your stag and hen! Timings more tricky for choosing the groom and groomsmen outfits; you may choose to start early or shop late, depending on your wedding theme and suiting trends. If its specifically a winter or summer celebration, you may want to try out some styles a year in advance to get a feel for the style of suit you'd like.

4 MONTHS TO GO!

Not long until the big day and the checklist is getting smaller! Start by buying your wedding rings. If you haven’t already, book your hair, makeup and nail appointments as these book up quick all year round. If you’ve got younger members in your wedding party, now is a good time to buy their flower girl, junior bridesmaid and page boy outfits! Shop our wedding edit for the latest trends.

2 MONTHS TO GO!

Double check all the paperwork and make sure you have your marriage license (and check your passport is in date if you’re jetting off on honeymoon!). Chase all last-minute guests for RSVPs and relax with a bit of retail therapy, buying gifts and favours for your bridal party.

1 MONTH TO GO!

Not long until you say “I do!” and it’s time to reconfirm with all suppliers to avoid any hiccups on the day. Finalise the guest numbers- anyone who hasn’t RSVP’d at this point will have to bring a chair and sandwich on the day!! That leaves one final thing to do- and that’s enjoy your wedding!