Essential Wedding Planning Checklist: 6 Months to Go!
Planning a wedding can be one of the most exciting yet overwhelming experiences of your life. With so many moving parts and decisions to make, it helps to break everything down into manageable steps. If your big day is six months away, now is the perfect time to buckle down and ensure you’re on track. Here’s your comprehensive wedding planning checklist for the next six months.
6 Months Before the Wedding
1. Set the Date and Budget
Now that you’re officially engaged, finalize your wedding date. Decide on your budget early on and divide it among the key categories—venue, catering, attire, decor, photography, entertainment, and miscellaneous expenses.
2. Create Your Guest List
Start building a draft list of guests. This will help you select an appropriately sized venue and understand catering costs.
3. Hire a Wedding Planner
If you’re planning a large or destination wedding, hiring a professional planner like Creative Cuisines Events can make a huge difference in managing vendors, timelines, and stress.
4. Book Your Venue
Popular venues can be booked a year in advance. Choose and reserve your ceremony and reception venues ASAP to lock in your date.
5. Choose a Theme and Color Palette
Decide on your wedding style—traditional, modern, boho, royal, or fusion. Pick your color palette to guide decor, attire, and floral decisions.
6. Start Researching Vendors
Begin shortlisting vendors for photography, videography, catering, decorators, florists, entertainment, and makeup artists. Schedule consultations or trial sessions where necessary.
5 Months Before the Wedding
1. Book Key Vendors
Secure bookings with your photographer, videographer, decorator, caterer, and entertainment team. Make advance payments if needed.
2. Shop for Wedding Attire
Start shopping for your bridal and groom outfits. Don’t forget outfits for pre-wedding functions like Mehendi, Haldi, and Sangeet.
3. Create a Wedding Website
Set up a wedding website to share important details with your guests—venue location, itinerary, RSVP form, and love story.
4. Plan Accommodation for Outstation Guests
Block rooms at hotels near the venue or arrange transportation for guests attending from other cities.
5. Send Save-the-Date Cards
Send digital or printed save-the-dates to give guests ample time to plan their travel.
6. Discuss Rituals and Legal Requirements
Meet with your priest or officiant to finalize the sequence of rituals and check on any documents required for the ceremony.
4 Months Before the Wedding
1. Start Pre-Wedding Beauty Treatments
Book appointments for facials, hair treatments, and skin care routines. Begin any dietary plans or fitness programs if desired.
2. Book Transportation
Hire cars for the bride, groom, and VIP guests. Think of logistics for Baraat and guest transfers between venues.
3. Hire a Choreographer
If you’re planning a Sangeet night or first dance, now’s the time to get started on rehearsals.
4. Design Invitations
Finalize the design and wording for your wedding invitations. Include RSVP and contact information clearly.
5. Plan Honeymoon
Start discussing your honeymoon destination, check passport validity, and look into visa requirements if applicable.
6. Schedule Food Tasting
Coordinate with your caterer for a food tasting to finalize the wedding menu, keeping dietary preferences of guests in mind.
3 Months Before the Wedding
1. Send Invitations
Dispatch your wedding invitations. If digital, send a follow-up email or WhatsApp confirmation closer to the date.
2. Finalize Decor Plan
Meet your decorator to finalize elements like centerpieces, backdrops, lighting, entry arches, photo booths, and aisle styling.
3. Confirm Guest List
Check RSVPs and follow up with any pending responses.
4. Start Bridal/Groom Outfit Trials
Go for dress/sherwani fittings and make necessary alterations.
5. Plan Ceremony Timelines
Break down your wedding day into timelines—preparation, rituals, cocktail hours, photo sessions, dinner service, and dances.
6. Book Mehendi and Makeup Artists
Confirm bookings and schedule trial sessions for makeup and hair.
2 Months Before the Wedding
1. Buy Accessories and Footwear
Shop for jewelry, footwear, clutches, turbans, dupattas, and other accessories. Practice wearing them for comfort.
2. Plan Wedding Favours
Order personalized gifts or favors for your guests. These could include scented candles, sweets, handmade gifts, or eco-friendly options.
3. Get Marriage License/Documents Ready
Start paperwork for your legal marriage registration. This may vary depending on your religion and location.
4. Write Your Vows
If you’re doing a personalized ceremony, begin writing heartfelt vows or messages to be read aloud.
5. Plan Guest Welcome Kits
Include essentials like snacks, water bottles, hangover kits, and itinerary cards in welcome hampers for outstation guests.
1 Month Before the Wedding
1. Final Fitting for Attire
Try on your wedding outfits and ensure they are altered to perfection.
2. Final Meeting with Vendors
Confirm arrival times, responsibilities, and final deliverables with each vendor.
3. Create a Wedding Playlist
Select songs for the bride’s entry, couple dance, background music, and DJ sets.
4. Assign Responsibilities
Appoint close friends or family as point-of-contact for vendors, guest coordination, and ceremony execution.
5. Prepare Emergency Kit
Pack essentials like safety pins, tissues, mints, painkillers, extra makeup, and stain remover in a bridal emergency pouch.
6. Get Rest and Hydrate
Focus on self-care. Sleep well, eat healthy, and stay hydrated. You’re almost there!
Final Week Before the Wedding
- Get a manicure, pedicure, and facial
- Pack for honeymoon
- Do final walkthrough of the venue
- Reconfirm guest attendance
- Prepare payment envelopes for vendors
- Relax, meditate, and enjoy the anticipation!
Final Thoughts
Planning a wedding can be intense, but with an organized timeline, you can enjoy every moment without last-minute panic. Whether it’s finding the perfect vendor or crafting heartfelt details, staying on schedule is key.
At Creative Cuisines Events, we specialize in making dream weddings a seamless and joyful journey. Let us handle the stress, so you can focus on the love. If you’re ready to plan your perfect wedding in Lucknow or beyond, contact us today!