Detailed Wedding Checklist

292 more days to go and it feels as if I am having wedding jitters already. I am having sleepless nights, my heart keeps on pounding too fast every time I think about the so-called big day. This time around, there is no more time to be lax with the preparations, most especially that time is running swiftly ;)

Initially, when Mark and I started the wedding preps, I promised to myself to follow the wedding calendar time line I have created. Sadly, we weren’t able to follow the details I have marked on my calendar, and unfortunately, there are some things that we weren’t able to accomplish on time. But I can still say that we’re still on the right track. – and lucky enough to book our budget friendly suppliers.

So for all bride-to-be’s out there, who are planning for their own wedding, it is a must to have a check list. Checklist would help you not to forget even the smallest details of your wedding. To be honest, if I don’t have the detailed checklist that one of my friends from Female Network sent me, I would totally forget that we still need to buy PENS and MATCHES needed during wedding ceremony! Looking at the checklist, I am quite proud that we’re almost 70% complete with the wedding details. 

So if you're a bride, and planning for a wedding, it is a MUST to have your own wedding checklist. Much better if you compare and contrast the checklists on the Internet, because some of these checklists have different details on it. Just like what I did, I printed out a couple of checklists, filed them on a *special* folder, and PROMISED myself to update it from time to time. But due to my busy schedule at work and granted that I do not have a professional wedding planner, most of these checklist are still *unused/checked*. Hehe. But despite this, I am still confident that we’re on the right track! (I hope so) To believe it or not, the checklist that I have been using most of the time is as the same size of a post it notepad. :D  

Here are some checklists that might be helpful all throughout the wedding preps: 

http://www.best-wedding-plan.com/wedding_checklist.html

http://www.weddingarden.com/longchk.php

http://www.a-weddingday.com/checklist.html

http://www.wedalert.com/content/planning/ 

This is the special folder I was referring :D

Or if you want to get a copy of the detailed excel sheet that I am using, just shoot me an email and I can send it over: -- bloggingb2b@e-mail.ph

If the check boxes on the detailed check list that you are using have more unchecked text boxes/check boxes or whatever you call it, start working on it. It's not a good idea to cram if you're planning for your big day - unless you have your own professional wedding planner ;) 

So on our part, here's the unfinished list that Mark and I need to accomplish before 2011 ends. It’s a shame that I posted a time line before but ended up not accomplishing those tasks. :D

Oct 29 – meet up with Ysabela Florist to discuss the packages we’re going to get from them.

Nov 13 – buy materials for Invitations, canvass wedding attire

Nov 20 – new schedule for Trial make up

Dec 6 – Pre Cana Seminar ;) 

Dec 17 - Pamamanhikan (Dowry) - moved from September

Just a few, but mind you, this is just a partial list. I'm not pretty sure if something might come up, since I am not that organized in terms of the things we need to accomplish. For me, a single saved message on my Inbox would suffice the things I need to double check on the checklist, but that is no way reliable. haha. 

I know more canvassing and activities would happen on the next few months most especially on the first 2 months of 2012, and right now, I am hoping and praying that no major boo-boos would happen as the wedding day gets nearer.

Way beyond the actual wedding timeline ♥

With a "not so short span of time", Mark and I was able to accomplish lots of things – as in we’re way ahead of the wedding timeline I have downloaded online.

Below are the things that need to be accomplished by every couple 11 to 12 months before their wedding date. But looking at the wedding timeline and lists we were able to accomplish, we were able to finish tasks that must be done at least 6 months before the wedding! Excited much, eh?

Some of the wedding flyers we collected

*Announced the engagement - immediately after the not-so formal proposal, we announced the engagement to my friends ;)

*Set a budget - Most crucial part of the planning stage. Good thing we were able to squeeze in our budget, and we're proud that the budget we have set is actually larger than the expected cost of our total wedding expenses!

*Decided what type of wedding we wanted – I had lots of wedding type I wanted. But due to our limited means, intimate wedding would be the best! 

*Drafted the preliminary guest list – this wasn’t an easy task! We have to choose very carefully whom we should invite on our wedding day; most especially that we’re going to have an intimate wedding

*Read lots of bridal magazines to get ideas – bridal magazines are too expensive, and I spent nearly 2,000 for just a number of bridal magazines. Thank goodness to the Internet and Female Network 2012 Brides forum, as I was able to get thousands of ideas for every bride-to-be. FYI, I started reading these mags during the last quarter of 2010.

*Dress research (to be accomplished at least 11 months before the wedding) - man, I already have the designs printed out 13 months before the wedding. Ahah

*Set a wedding date (to be accomplished at least 11 months before the wedding) - this was finalized last December 2010. Our wedding date is significant between us, since May is my birth month and 26 is our ‘monthsary’. But it would be much sweeter if we get married on our anniversary, however, since our anniversary falls on a weekend, and on the month of September, we opted to choose May since we didn’t want to wait that long. More than 1 and a half year is too much for planning a wedding. Prices would gradually increase, and we want to get price-locks.

*Started ceremony and reception search – we didn't have enough time doing ocular visits, since Mark & I are both busy. But given that I have lots of resources and spends most of the time in front of the computer, it was an advantage for me as I was able to research about the venue first, before visiting it. Actually, the only church we’ve visited was Don Bosco, Makati , where the wedding would take place) & City Garden Suites in Manila & Great Eastern Hotel in Makati Avenue. – And if we were given the chance to do ocular visits, for sure, the wedding date would be somewhere in Las Pinas or Alabang. Hehe. But there’s no backing out here!!!

*Created a wedding website  – our official WEDsite was officially loaded last December 07, 2010. Too early. LOL. Link: www.myweddings.com/markloveskat

*Determined our wedding color palette and theme – okay, since I’ve been a lover of Pink, it is a must that this shade must be incorporated on our wedding. I had a hard time choosing the palette, since I have lots of choices in mind. Colorful & girly. But I’m not the only one who’s getting married here, so ending, our palette is: Pale Pink + Peach + Champagne gold ;)

*Reserved a ceremony and reception site – last January, we were able to reserve our date in City Garden Suite; however since we decided to change the venue, we were able to finalize the ceremony and reception site in Makati. We reserved the church and hotel at the same time last March 12 2011. – such a major accomplishment!

*Selected the bridal entourage – this was an easy task because Mark and I already have the idea whom to choose.

*Started negotiating with – Photographer, videographer, emcee, bands and florists – this was a tedious task for me, because I have to be very patient waiting for their replies thru texts and e-mails. I had a hard time choosing the suppliers, because most of contacts I have seen online are quite impressing. But fortunately, I was able to book them already. This task took me 4 months actually – I started searching them since February. :D

We still have lots of things to accomplish, but we’re pretty glad that we were able to accomplish the major tasks. ;) We’re getting there!