You have 30 days until your wedding and there is still SO much to do!

First things first, you have to map out the remaining items left on your to-do list. If you’re finding yourself completely frazzled and need a bit of a push in the right direction, I got you! Below, I’ve laid out the key things you should do in the 30 days leading up to your wedding.

Guest List

You need a final tally. At this stage in the game, you should be sorting through RSVPs and asking yourself who hasn’t responded? Once you have those folks listed, give them a call. If a few days pass and there’s no response, move on. You can always factor in some extras as a safety. Then, document it and stick to it. I know, it’s disappointing that you might have to accept some folks you wanted there aren’t coming, but you’re down to the wire and decisions need to be made. There are vendors awaiting your count such as your caterer and event planner. You also need to finish that seating chart and I’m not going to lie … it can be a pain!

Getting wedding guests to RSVP on time AND tracking them down when they don’t is frustrating AF. In this live training, 5 RSVP Nightmares To Expect, we chat about the things to think about when it comes to managing your RSVPs.

Marriage License

If you haven’t yet already, get your marriage license. There are different laws in place per state, but it’s important to get this squared away as it’s typically only good for 60 days. If you can eliminate this one before the 30 day mark,  we’d suggest doing so. It’s one more must checked off the list! It isn’t worth the stress to wait.

Dress / Tux Fittings

You should have a final fitting on the books at this point. If not, do so ASAP. Just think, what if the last alterations done went all wrong and you need to get it situated immediately. Ideally, you should aim to have the appointment on the calendar sooner than one-month prior, however one-month is the absolute latest you should be going in to get this situated.

Hair + Makeup

Is your look locked in? At this point, you should have an appointment scheduled to align with your hair and makeup stylists. It’s assumed you have had a couple of trials by now, but this appointment is meant to dive into the nitty gritty’s. You will tell your stylists exactly how you want your hair and makeup done on the day. Can changes be made in the moment, of course, but it’s always good to give them direction so they can make sure they have everything they need.

Spa Day? Um, Duh.

But, like who doesn’t love a good spa day? It’s mandatory that you take a trip to your favorite spa in town for the whole nine yards of beauty. It is extremely important to pamper yo’ self. A spa day will not only relax your mind before diving into these last 30 days of planning, but serve as the ultimate refresh. In addition, make sure you have all the special treatment appointments that you need scheduled for the week of your wedding.

Vendor Meetings

You want to be sure to hop on a call with your vendors 30 days prior to the wedding to align on logistics such as arrival and departure time and staffing. This is if you don’t have a wedding planner handling this for you. Thereafter, you should meet with your vendors in person or via Zoom, preferably two weeks before. As wedding planners, we find it super helpful to over-communicate with our fellow friendors, so if that means giving them two calls and a handful of emails, that’s what we’ll do to get the job done right!

If you’re reading this and are new to wedding planning, check out our live training to hear about the biggest red flags to lookout for when choosing your vendors.

Wedding Timeline

The good ol’ timeline! Have you determined your wedding day flow? This is another task your wedding planner can tackle should you have one. PRO TIP: Don’t overlook the power of having a planner as it really makes things all the more stress-free for you, your vendors and your guests. Yep! Your wedding timeline will need to incorporate ALL THE DEETS gathered from your vendors along with anything specific you’d like to add in. The details can include timestamps, activities, etc. We personally provide our couples with two separate timelines, one for the vendors and one for the wedding party. Hey, your party needs to know what is expected of them too!

Wedding Emergency Kit

You need an emergency kit handy on the day of the wedding. Truthfully, I bring a mini suitcase to every wedding I work. In this, I have all the necessities that my couples would need should an emergency surface the day of. What happens if your dress / suit rips and you need a sewing kit? What about if you spill something on your at cocktail hour grabbing a quick appetizer? Play it safe and keep a kit in both member suites for easy access.

Programs

Have you printed your programs? If you’re getting programs printed for your wedding, do this one month before. If something is incorrect such as a typo, you need extra time factored in to force correct. Programs can serve as a day guide for your guests. FUN FACT: If you want programs, pocket programs are the way to go! You want your guests to actually use them, don’t you? So, make them easy to carry and when the time comes, they can pull them out of their pocket to reference exactly where they’re supposed to be 🙂

Wedding Decor Staples

Wedding decor staples (personal details, card box, guest book, any smaller signage, etc.) should be ordered a month in advance at the absolute latest. Personally, we like to take care of this at the 3-month mark for our couples. You never know what delays you could experience with bulk shipments and you want to ensure they’re there on time.

Welcome Baskets

Expecting guests from out of state (or even from the town over!)? If so, it’s always a nice to have a welcome basket awaiting them when they check into their hotel. Because these baskets add to your guests overall experience, you want to make sure you collectively have everything you need so it leaves time for last minute store runs or online purchases.

Music List

What’s the song list status? Have you picked out your songs yet and if not, do so at this point! What are the songs you’d like played for your first dance, family dances and general dancing? You want this finalized so your DJ has time to prep. You want to ensure guests are entertained and having a BOMB playlist is a great way to do it. I mean, music is one of the major components to setting the tone…

Photography List

Have you created a list for your photographer yet? If there are certain pictures you’d like captured, tell your photographer!

Did you know that your photographer and planner are the most personable vendors and are closest to you on the wedding day? Did you also know it’s crucial that they work closely with one another to ensure a seamless flow? Check out our live training on why the relationship between your photographer and planner is SO IMPORTANT.

 Wedding Party Gifts

This is the fun part. I don’t know about you, but we love gift giving. It’s kinda our love language! It’s nice to have something for your wedding party to open the day of your wedding. Don’t overlook this one. Truthfully, it can be as simple as a thank you card. It’s the thought that counts. These are your people and they should be honored in some way, shape, or form for being there for you on one of the biggest days of your life!

Wedding Party Check-In

Does your wedding party have everything they need for the big day? People can be forgetful (and hey, there’s always one in the group!), so it’s worth it to do a 5-minute touch base with each person individually. You should make sure that the proper alterations have been made and they’re ready to rock n’ roll. Also, run through quick logistics as to where they need to be and when. Again, this is where a wedding planner comes in handy!

Accommodations + Transportation

By this point, accommodations and transport should be finalized and all that’s needed is simple check-ins. Be sure to give your hotel and venue a call directly to align if you haven’t already. If your hotel and venue space is under the same roof, be sure you run through any necessary logistics with the venue manager. Your planner can help with this. You’ll need to be clear on location and pick-up times for the day. Are guests being transported from the venue elsewhere (for example, the rehearsal or ceremony itself could be offsite)? Are you aligned on shuttle systems or scheduled transport to and from? As far as parking goes, what’re the regulations? Is there valet? Do they charge a fee to park in general or overnight? Get this situated.

Rehearsal

Are your rehearsal plans good to go? Is the venue clear on instructions? You need to align with the venue so that nothing is forgotten. If there are a lot of logistics involved, it may or may not be worth putting together a small timeline. Also, secure all payments owed to the venue beforehand as you don’t want to be doing this on the day of your wedding when you’re trying to enjoy yourself! If your venue is offsite (not at the venue in which the ceremony and reception are taking place), the same steps apply.

Honeymooning

Are you leaving for your honeymoon right away? If so, make sure you sort through your final plans one month before your wedding. Are your flights and hotels all set? Do you need any last minute items ordered? Also, start packing!

Officiant

This is short and sweet, but should be accounted for. You should check-in with your officiant and make sure they’re aligned with your needs for the wedding day. Are there any specific readings or things you want mentioned at the ceremony? This is important.

Finally… the wedding planning process isn’t a stroll in the park, but that doesn’t mean it should put a damper on your planning. This is exactly why we laid these items out for you. We wanted to take some stress off your shoulders. Of course there will be some surprises, but if you can get these things on lock within the appropriate time frame, you should be a smooth sailing my friend.

Take some time to relax and enjoy this month. You’re deserve it!