THE
EVERYTHING
Wedding
Checklist
Book
3RD EDITION
All you need to remember for
a day you'll never forget
Holly Lefevre
Copyright 2011, 2000, 1994 Simon and Schuster All rights reserved.
This book, or parts thereof, may not be reproduced
in any form without permission from the publisher; exceptions
are made for brief excerpts used in published reviews.
An Everything Series Book.
Everything and everything.com are registered
trademarks of F+W Media, Inc.
Published by Adams Media, an imprint of Simon & Schuster, Inc.
57 Littlefield Street, Avon, MA 02322 U.S.A.
www.adamsmedia.com
ISBN 10: 1-4405-0185-8
ISBN 13: 978-1-4405-0185-2
eISBN 10: 1-4405-0186-6
eISBN 13: 978-1-4405-0186-9
Printed in the United States of America.
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Lefevre, Holly.
The everything wedding checklist / Holly Lefevre. 3rd ed.
p. cm.
Rev. ed. of: The everything wedding checklist : the gown, the guests,
the groom, and everything else you shouldn't forget / Janet Anastasio
and Michelle Bevilacqua ; with Leah Furman and Elina Furman. 2000.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978-1-4405-0185-2 (alk. paper)
1. Weddings Planning. 2. Wedding etiquette. I. Anastasio,
Janet. Everything wedding checklist. II. Title.
HQ745.A53 2011
395.2'2 dc22
2010038516
This book is available at quantity discounts for bulk purchases.
For information, please call 1-800-289-0963.
THE EVERYTHING WEDDING CHECKLIST BOOK 3rd Edition
Dear Reader,
Congratulations! You are now officially a member of the bride-to-be club. With that comes a whirlwind of excitement and, yes, a little bit of stress. But that is all part of planning a wedding. Luckily for you, you have the resources to help you get organized.
Most brides I talk to think it is really easy to get married; they buy a dress, pick out some flowers, find a church, and think they are pretty much done. Well, the truth is getting married can actually be that easy (in most cases, you only need a groom, a marriage license, someone to marry you, and possibly a witness or two you don't even need a fancy dress!); it is the planning of a wedding that makes things a little more complicated.
The Everything Wedding Checklist Book, 3rd Edition is one of the best tools you can use to manage your wedding planning. It will help you stay focused, and before you know it, you'll be enjoying a magical wedding day.
Happy planning!
The EVERYTHING Series
The Series These handy, accessible books give you all you need to tackle a difficult project, gain a new hobby, or even brush up on something you learned back in school but have since forgotten. You can read from cover to cover or just pick out information from our four useful boxes.
PUBLISHER Karen Cooper
DIRECTOR OF ACQUISITIONS AND INNOVATION Paula Munier
MANAGING EDITOR, EVERYTHING SERIES Lisa Laing
COPY CHIEF Casey Ebert
ACQUISITIONS EDITOR Katrina Schroeder
SENIOR DEVELOPMENT EDITOR Brett Palana-Shanahan
EDITORIAL ASSISTANT Ross Weisman
EVERYTHING SERIES COVER DESIGNER Erin Alexander
LAYOUT DESIGNERS Colleen Cunningham, Elisabeth Lariviere, Ashley Vierra, Denise Wallace
Visit the entire Everything series at www.everything.com
Acknowledgments
I would like to thank the following people whose encouragement, insight, and guidance made this book possible: Amberly Finarelli at Andrea Hurst Literary Management for bringing this project to me; Katrina Schroeder at Adams Media for her guidance and for answering all of my questions; and all the vendors and brides I have worked with, who have taught me so much and inspired me.
Introduction
Congratulations on your engagement. Share the good news, break open the bubbly, and bask in the glow of being a bride-to-be, because you will soon be jumping headfirst into the exciting task of planning your wedding. Make no mistake, there'll be a lot to remember and a lot to do, and at times it may seem overwhelming, but don't fret. The Everything Wedding Checklist Book, 3rd Edition is here to guide you through your planning.
When should you start looking for your wedding gown? How do you come up with a guest list? What are you supposed to do at the reception? What should you pack for the honeymoon? Yes, planning a wedding is filled with questions, but with this book you won't need to worry about where to find the answers. Within these pages, you'll find the answers you need, and a convenient place to stay on task and to keep track of names, appointments, and other pertinent information.
Whether it's picking a reception site, finding a photographer, choosing flowers, or any of the other million items on your checklist, this book can tell you when, where, and how to do them. The year-long planning calendar will put you on the right track and the subsequent checklists for each section will help you stay there. In addition, each chapter contains insights and advice on every aspect of your wedding, from hiring a wedding planner to seating the guests at the wedding to leaving on your honeymoon.
As unromantic as it may sound, sticking to a schedule and staying on task is the best and only way to ensure the planning goes smoothly. Brides tend to procrastinate in the early months, thinking that a year is so far away. One year or eighteen months, or whatever your engagement time frame is, will fly by. So, don't wait. Besides, wouldn't you rather be free to enjoy basking in the glow of your position as a bride-to-be instead of being bogged down by tasks that could have been done months ago? Starting early will give you breathing room, and allow you to take your time and make wise choices.
In short, if you need to be informed about it or reminded to do it in order to plan your ultimate wedding, this book won't let you down.
General Thoughts
While you are planning your fabulous wedding, there are a few policies you should adopt to ensure that everything goes smoothly. These are relatively simple tips and strategies that can have a big impact on your wedding planning. Every bride can benefit from heeding the following advice:
Don't put off until tomorrow what you can do today. There will be plenty to do as your wedding grows near; don't make things worse by leaving everything to the last minute.
Stick to your budget. If you have a well-thought-out budget, life will be a whole lot easier. You won't end up in the poor-house after your wedding, and you won't waste time pursuing options that you can't afford.
Get everything in writing. Every aspect of every purchase or service agreement should be in writing, so if things don't work out to your satisfaction, you will have the proper recourse. Another way to keep from being a victim is to get references from every place you're considering doing business with.
Twelve-Month Wedding Planning Checklist
After the dust settles from the whirlwind of excitement and celebrations with family and friends, there are some things you'll have to do to get married. Depending upon the type and size wedding, you may have lots to do. In any event, the following schedule should give you a general idea of what has to be done, and when you should do it.
Next page