This article is the third part of our wedding planning content series, and you can find its sequel at the bottom of this page. However, if you’ve fallen here by Google results, I strongly advise you to read Pt. 1 and Pt. 2 before you keep reading this post since some parts of this content are subsequent to the other chapters of our wedding planning story.
Down below, we’ll cover what actions you and your spouse should take between the 6th to the 3rd months to throw the most remarkable wedding ceremony and party ever!
Thanks for going so further with us!
Establish a skincare routine and healthy eating habbits
Losing or gaining weight is more difficult than you might think. Therefore, at least six months in advance, you will need to start preparing the dress to be perfectly comfortable on you. Also, for your beauty to be at its peak, good skincare care and healthy eating habits are core. Make sure to keep a routine six months in advance!
Still remember what we said in the first part of this series?
“What matters here is that you feel good in the dress, and you make sure its measures keep suitable on the ceremony day; neither less nor more.”
We really hope you’ve chosen a piece that suits you and don’t force yourself to change a single bit. The routine skincare and healthy eating habbits are recommended to accentuate your beauty and help you fight against possible anxiety symptoms that might emerge.
Choose cake styles and tastings
That’s the last item from the decor checklist- if it really can be considered so. It’s certainly going to be the most pleasant step since not only it will cause way less stress than pondering about the flower type and simulating the event on your mind, but also it will delight you at the tasting moment.
And, well… It is always good to explore possibilities and have several options in mind, isn’t it?
Hire transportation: ceremony and reception venues
At this point, you should have already selected both wedding and reception venues – if they are to be single or plural. The date and time must also be set up.
Hiring transportation is not the most obvious task in the world: spouses must arrive at different times, that’s known, but what about the other people? Relatives, the bridal party, the guests?
Traditionally, it is a common thing to see the transportation costs being financed by the couple; at least between the ceremony and the reception venue. Besides, if there are some, out-of-towners are considered special guests, who deserve dedicated accommodation.
It’s up to you and your spouse-to-be if you can bear all costs. In addition to the budget, the following questions are also relevant to set things up: will the event occur in only one venue? Does your venue have large, secure, and affordable parking?
If the answers to these questions are “yes”, it gets a bit easier. If it’s “no”, then you’ll have plenty to think about and – maybe – talk to your guests in order to promote an event that every people you have in mind will be pleased to attend.
Hire musicians and prepare the playlist (and do not playlist as well)
Live music or not? Classical music or not? A lively and full of surprises event or a traditional approach? All of these details have to be set at this moment so you can guide the musicians on what to do.
Also, it is always good to avoid unpleasant situations: create a “not to playlist”, and let the music staff aware.
Hire photographers and/or videographers
The first step for finding good photographers and videographers is to talk to the wedding planner who will have helped you organize the event so far. Check the costs, make the first contact, and consider negotiating with their indication or not.
If you want to expand your search range, contact your event’s wedding venue owner and ask them for guidance to find the professionals who work there often.
Look for experts that can provide mini-albums and mini-movies at affordable prices and have tons of experience working with weddings.
Being familiar with the place is also a tremendous differential: that is why the wedding venue team’s indication is so relevant.
Prepare thank you cards for guests
It’s normal to question if thank you notes are really necessary. Although not mandatory, you’ll understand in this topic they are necessary indeed and are very well regarded by the guests and contributors.
After all, guests will be dedicating their time, money, and energy to share a great experience with you and your spouse-to-be at your event.
Therefore, thanking them appropriately is more than necessary: it is acknowledging and valuing your friendship, in fact.
Don’t underestimate the power of a small card with a dedicated message as it can be very touchy, and, if made with care, it’ll worth more than the money the guests invested to attend your wedding.
Hope you’re convinced; let’s go to the next step:
Regarding who send it, all the ones who contributed in some way to your event, even if minimally, deserve a dedication.
That means:
Guests who joined you in the day and guests who could not attend but contributed financially to the event or gave you a gift;
Wedding vendors and the bridal party;
Parents and relatives involved;
Customize your thank you cards in order to make them relevant to your guests. If you don’t feel confident to make it on your own and are already wondering what to say, here are some punctual tips on how to be relevant to your guests.
Prepare Different Cards For Each Different Addressee Profile
The vast majority of addressees are going to be guests attending the event. For them, customize the card with:
• Name(s)
• A thank you note for joining you that day/night.
• A remarkable note mentioning a special moment in the event, like funny moments in the dance room, delighted-face-photo when tasting the cake, or the tears dropped during the vows saying.
• Leave a sentence stating that you will always remember the guest when “something that makes you really remind of them” happens.
To parents and those super special relatives who were actively present in the event organization, only general sentences are not relevant enough. So, make sure to include:
• A heartfelt “thank you” for all the support you’ve received over the years.
• A sentence that expresses the love you feel for them in an authentic and personalized way.
In addition to the thank you notes, it is a traditional custom to make an honorable mention to parents in the wedding speech. After all, your wedding is probably as awaited by them as it is by you. Of course, there are people who can’t get along with their parents and have their support. In this case, replace the term “parents” for anyone who carries the value of a great family member within, even if they’re not blood-related, and deserve to be mentioned instead. Do it even if that person is your spouse-to-be and you only talk about him or her in your speech.
Be poetic and/or literary
People love quotes, especially when they are the ones who are receiving the quote to attribute the meanings to their own lives, like in a fortune cookie or in a BuzzFeed post.
Therefore, make a selection of philosophical and/or literary quotes that:
• Have to do with the wedding theme.
• Have to do with one or more guests’ personalities.
• Refers to a moment or a memory that you and a guest have shared together.
Use a quote in each thank you note to customize your cards and make them extremely relevant to the addressee. One extra hint is to take the time to write down highly customized cards by handly selecting which quotes to include in each message considering who the addressee is.
When to send thank you notes
Weddings in which the hosts deliver the thank you notes before the event is over aren’t that rare: with lots of organisation, you can be sure about what guests will be attending beforehand, and organise yourself to have the cards ready on the day.
However, traditionally, thank you notes are delivered between 1 week and 1 month after the big day.
However, be careful not to delay them too much: later than 3 months is a way too long time limit.
If you delay more than that to deliver your notes, you will be raising doubts in your guests’ minds whether they will receive something from you, or if you might have forgotten about them. If the day is coming and you’re far from having them ready, at least don’t let your guests leave your event empty-handed.
Create the “VIP guest list” and start planning the rehearsal dinner
We have long-term friends who got a bit distant… People who did great favors to us some time ago and proved they could be our best friends. However, unfortunately, we have lost connection and intimacy with them… And, lastly, we have friends we really like and wish we could be even closer, but just haven’t been through relevant experiences together…
All these people are worth inviting to our event, but, unfortunately, they are not part of our best friendships group and cannot be treated as.
That means they are not supposed to be invited to your rehearsal dinner. If you are in doubt of who to call to this event, here goes a list:
• Friends constantly present in your lives who you count on for many matters;
• People who help you and give you strength every day;
• Friends with whom we often share our problems, frustrations, and difficulties.
That means your best friends, and probably your nuclear family and a few more relatives too.
These are your VIP guests, and, traditionally, hosts provide them with special treatment a few days before the wedding.
A rehearsal dinner can be formal or informal; it all depends on the type of relationship the couple has with their guests, and how the guests get along among themselves. Think over the matter with your partner and plan the event thoughtfully.
Remember: the rehearsal dinner should be fun, interesting, and light, but it cannot be grand. After all, the main event is yet to come, and nothing should cloud its brilliance.
Questions to ponder over the rehearsal dinner:
• Who are the guests;
• Level of formality;
• When to celebrate (usually 1 or 2 days before the wedding is ideal)
• Will the event be themed, such as an opening for the main event?
• Where will it take place? What is the program?
• What will the menu be?
The rehearsal dinner is also a time to give a gift to the bridal party in appreciation for all the effort and dedication they have put in helping the couple. Invite them to the event and include this moment in the event schedule.
Write the vows
The days of reciting traditional vows without any personality are falling apart. Nothing personal against traditions, but sometimes in time people decide it’s time to change.
Because of that, it’s very common to see new couples exploring their creativity and using highly customized vows to seal their swears of love for one another.
Therefore, start writing them down a few months in advance can prove really useful: you will have plenty of time to think and simulate the moment, making sure it will be perfect when the long-awaited day comes.
The vows are there to show both your spouse and the guests that the love between you and your spouse is real, unconditional, and ardent. Then, despite how embarrassing it may be, you will have to confess in front of everyone.
The reason couples have chosen to change the way they say vows is because they want to make them more relevant. Tell a story saying how it all started, both difficult and turbulent as well as good and wonderful times, and conduce people through it until you reach the day you and your fiancé decided to get married.
People want to feel it is true above all things, and that includes your spouse-to-be. Open up and touch everyone’s heart by saying relevant and moving vows.
Wedding Planning From 6 Months On: Your Ultimate Guide In Series
This is the most important article for those who think: “I’m engaged, now what?”. Here is where you’ve learnt how to give a follow-up to your wedding planning not to let anything escape from your control.
Also, by the 6th month you’ll probably get used to be in a rush and always wondering about the wedding details, possible mistaken or forgotten steps. On the other hand, you’ll see how much you’ve progressed by here and finally you’ll start believing things will work out neatly by evidence, and not just faith and positivity.
The feeling of being able to accomplish something this big will be unique moment, so make sure to stop to appreciate all the work you’ve done and enjoy the moment.
Keep following this series by checking our next article, making sure you know exactly what to do in order to host the event of your dreams!