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The Ultimate Wedding Planning Timeline

Wedding planning can be overwhelming. There are so many decisions and purchases to be made to get ready for the big day. Not all couples have a long engagement for planning a wedding. Whether you have six months or two years, the ultimate wedding planning timeline can assist you by providing a checklist and general times to set up the essential elements for your wedding.
A wedding planning timeline can act as a To-Do list for the happy couple. This helps to ensure that details are not forgotten until the last minute. When looking at the ultimate wedding planning timeline, you may need to make adjustments according to how much time remains before the wedding day. Destination weddings may require additional preparations and travel to secure the venue and documentation.

Up to One Year Before:
Set a date for the wedding.
Discuss the budget and decide on a spending limit.
Announce engagement to family and friends.
Hire a wedding planner if one is being used.
Book a venue.
Choose the members of the wedding party.
Begin the guest list.

8 Months Before:
Hire the necessary professionals such as the officiant, florist, caterer, photographer, and the band or DJ.
Plan the honeymoon.
Register for gifts.
Find the perfect wedding dress, veil, and shoes.
Select the bridesmaids’ dresses and shoes.

6 Months Before:
Order wedding invitations.
Choose the traditions and rituals to be included in the ceremony such as the unity candle and selected readings.
Obtain passports if necessary for the honeymoon.
Purchase wedding night lingerie and any additional clothing and personal care items needed for the honeymoon.
Arrange the music for the ceremony and hire an organist.

4 Months Before:
Finalize the guest list and send out wedding invitations.
Shop for wedding cakes and place the order.
Purchase the cake knife, topper, and stand.
Buy the wedding rings and any additional wedding jewelry.
Create or purchase the centerpieces.
Arrange for parking if extra parking is necessary.
Buy a guest book.

2 Months Before:
Get the marriage license.
Purchase gifts for the bridal party.
Find makeup artist and stylist or do the necessary planning and purchasing to do your own.
Reserve tuxedos for the groom and groomsmen.
Finalize the menu with the caterer and the flowers with the florist.

1 Month Before:
Create a seating chart.
Print seating cards and programs.
Final dress fitting for bride and bridesmaids.
Finalize vows and details for the ceremony.

Days Before:
Have rehearsal and rehearsal dinner.
Get a manicure and pedicure.
Confirm arrival times for the professionals involved with the wedding.

Wedding Day:
Clean engagement ring.
Confirm that the professionals have arrived and are setting up.

This wedding planning timeline can be helpful for any time frame. Though your wedding planning may be rushed, you can still use the list as a basic checklist. Add additional items to this list as needed. Weddings are not one size fits all. Therefore, some weddings may require adjustments to the order of events. For example, a couple who is having a destination wedding would want to give guests extra notice about the wedding date and location. A destination wedding can be a beautiful choice for a memorable wedding, but the process of planning this kind of wedding is more demanding. For tips on planning a destination wedding, please visit this article about destination wedding tips.

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Appropriate Gifts For A Second Wedding

When you are getting married for the second time it is essential to ensure that you don’t breach etiquette by registering for gifts. This is considered tacky because a first wedding is the time to start a gift registry. By the time you are getting married for a second time you should have all the items one would normally include in any gift registry for a wedding. If you don’t, your guests aren’t likely to care.

In 2015 and beyond the most appropriate gifts for a second wedding are often food related. For example, an edible arrangement or a meat and cheese basket is considered a standard gift to give for a second wedding. Unfortunately these rules of etiquette apply even if it is your significant other’s first wedding.

That being said your guests can buy you something as simple as a bottle of wine itself or as complex as a membership to a wine of the month club. These are appropriate gifts for a second wedding because they are not the household items it is presumed you already own.

Another popular choice in gifts for a second wedding is restaurant gift cards. Since they are so easy to obtain these days out of town guests will even be able to purchase gift cards for restaurants that are not located in their hometown. With a lack of expiration dates on gift cards you will be able to use them whenever it is convenient for you so your guests always know their gift will not be wasted.

food gift basket

The only way proper etiquette allows your guests to purchase kitchen appliances as gifts is if they purchase a specialized appliance that you and your significant other would use and enjoy, such as a pasta, bread or ice cream maker. These appliances are acceptable because they are not the standard appliances everyone has in their kitchen.

Non-traditional gifts given for a second wedding are often more personal gifts than anything you likely got at your first wedding. This is especially true if the majority of the guests at your second wedding were at your first wedding as well.

In lieu of wedding presents, many second time brides simply ask their guests to make a donation to their favorite charity. If you choose to do this it is always a good idea to contact the charity in advance and let them know what you are doing. Then include all the pertinent information in your communication with your invited guests so that they understand them donating to the charity of your choosing is their wedding gift to you.

To give it more sentimental value, choose a charity that you or your significant other has a personal connection to. For example, if either of you has ever had any type of cancer ask your guests to donate money to the American Cancer Association instead of buying you a gift.

Best For Bride.com can help you plan your second wedding with ease.

 

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Themed Wedding Ideas

Have you ever thought about having a themed wedding? Having a theme is very popular nowadays and it can be done for large or small weddings, encompassing something that both the bride and the groom really like and feel best represent them enough to be a part of their big day. Whether it’s something as common as a love of coffee or the outdoors, to something unusual like superheroes or the infamous Star Wars films, it’s clear that themed weddings won’t be going anywhere anytime soon. Looking for some ideas for themes? We’re here to help you out!

Superhero Theme

Love comics? There are many ways to incorporate that love into your special day. From bouquets made from comic book pages to themed cufflinks and groomsmen wearing their favorite superhero shirt underneath their tuxes, there is no shortage of ideas for a comic wedding. Place cards can be done in a colorful comic style, or you can even have action figures holding name plates — the figures can even double as favours to take home at the end of the evening.

bouquet
Photograph By: Dianne Personett Photography

Beach Theme

Don’t want all the hassle of a destination wedding but want everything to feel beachy and sunny? Try a beach theme. Color motifs could include different hues of blues or greens; a popular shade is seafoam green. Offer themed cocktails at the bar and incorporate shells, sand dollars and starfish into your centerpieces.

Rustic Theme

Many couples are choosing barns as a wedding location with the reception either in the same location or outdoors. Favours for a rustic theme could include jams or jellies with a checkered piece of material tied around the top with a ribbon and your wedding date on the lid. Colors could include coppers, light yellows and purples and you can opt for a bouquet of spring or summer flowers.

pinecone

Winter Wonderland Theme

Getting married in the winter time not only offers competitive rates for many wedding services but can be just as whimsical as a spring or summer wedding. Use berries, pinecones or pieces of evergreens with ornaments to adorn chairs or church pews. Choose a horse-drawn sleigh as your transportation or a cozy cottage for the ceremony. Gifts for your bridal party could include slippers or faux fur stoles. Finally, decorate your reception with cool blues and silvers — don’t forget lots of crystals as well for a shimmering, icy effect.

Don’t forget to check out Best for Bride as your one stop shop for everything you need for your special day. From dresses to invitation, we’ve got you covered.

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Tips for a Glowing Wedding Face

The planning and anticipation of the wedding day is usually accompanied by stress. Stressed brides often find themselves with rashes or overly oily or dry skin days before the big event. Surely, the excitement and feeling of love will make your glow but they are some tips you can follow to ensure perfect and radian skin on your special day.
1. Diet
Having the perfect figure doesn’t necessarily means no food for weeks before the wedding. But certain foods, such as chocolate, too much alcohol or caffeine, are the worst enemy of the healthy body and skin. Fruits and vegetables, especially green ones, work as antioxidants and will help you look your best on your wedding day. And don’t forget to drink water – dehydration can lead to overly dry skin, and 2-3 litres per day will clean out any toxins and bi-products from your organism.
2. Exfoliating
Exfoliating your face and body regularly is the secret to the perfect look. Apart from preventing ingrown hairs, brushing the skin also stimulates the lymphatic system and helps the body get rid of any toxins. Specialists advise on exfoliating your body from head to toes, using clockwise circular movements.
3. Facial
According to experts, a facial is a must-do for every bride to be. You can have it done in a salon, or if you prefer a less expensive option, you can also try a home facial. You’d only need warm water, steam to open the pores and a face mask based on your skin type. Bear in mind that facials need a week or two to completely clean the face from toxins or pimples, so it’s best to not leave it till the wedding day!
4. Don’t forget the teeth
You can visit your dentist to get your teeth whitened professionally or you can start to use teeth whitening toothpaste in advance. And remember to smile for all the photos!
For this and more tips on wedding day preparation, check http://www.bestforbride.com/.