Planning for a wedding may go from smooth to rough sailing regardless if it is a destination wedding or a wedding someplace near your home. But let us face it. A destination wedding will require more thought and planning, but when preparations are done well in advance, that day will surely turn out well beyond expectations for couples like you as well as for family and guests.
If you are preparing for a destination wedding, it is but natural to think about how it will be convenient for your guests. How will they get there? Do they own a valid passport? What about their visas? Another concern is the legality of your marriage. Is the wedding going to be recognized in that destination? Who can officiate the wedding at that locale?
A checklist is a tool
One of the best tools for efficient planning is a wedding checklist. A Cabo wedding planner suggests that checklists help with staying organized, well-prepared, and worry-free throughout the planning stage.
More often than not, a well-meaning family and friends will give you lots of advice about how to go about planning a wedding. They may have experienced attending a wedding in Mexico or other popular wedding spots, and they want to share what they have witnessed. They want to help you strike out possible glitches which they might have seen in past weddings.
Amid the pouring of advice, a checklist will help you filter those that are not within your priorities, including budget and personal preferences. Parents will always be there ready to help but explain to them that you are happy to heed their advice, but in the end, you and your partner will have to discuss and decide as one.
A checklist helps with task delegation
A bridesmaid or a close relative may offer some assistance but is clueless about what you need. A checklist is helpful since you can go through it right away and check which tasks you can delegate to another set of hands. Instead of asking them what they can do, take the lead and tell them which one needs to be attended to right away. Be clear about the task you are handing over. Doing so will avoid misunderstanding and hurt feelings. Time and effort will not go to waste if they are aware of the results you want to achieve.
A checklist keeps your tasks organized
Before you begin to make a checklist, you must start by organizing your thoughts. Segregate the to-do list by time frames. The easiest way is to group tasks according to the length of time it will take to complete them. Consider other variables that are not within your control, such as legal requirements that take months to process. On the other hand, you can push some tasks to a later date. Would you buy a wedding dress many months before the wedding? Not so. Wedding organizers will advise you to fit wedding gowns only if there is a slim chance of you adding (or shedding) weight. It is possible to move from one size to the next in a couple of months, so don’t buy that gown too way ahead of time. Six months before the big day is a comfortable time frame for some brides to be.
Most destination weddings require almost a year of planning. In case you are in a position to plan for a year, divide your tasks into the first and second phases. For instance, having your wedding planner reach out to and interview possible resorts, such as Chileno Bay, falls well within the first phase, and so goes with procuring legal documents for officiating a wedding. As explained earlier, processing papers for the wedding may take time, and government agencies have varying policies about the application process and processing time. Also, always provide some allowances. Remember, even the best organizations may encounter glitches that could delay the release of your documents.
What goes into a wedding checklist?
Assuming you have set the date, the list below enumerates which ones you should be doing about six to nine months in advance:
- Set the budget
- Ready your guest list
- Choose the venue
- Book the venue
- Verify the status of your documents (passport, insurance)
- Check license requirements of the chosen locale.
- Talk to providers
- Invite guests
- Buy the gown
The second phase should include those tasks you should complete as the wedding day draws near.
- Buy the chosen wedding ring.
- Order wedding giveaways
- Rehearse wedding events
- Select the menu
- Reconfirm bookings
- Finalize the fittings
- Obtain guests’ confirmation
- Compose the vows
- Confirm travel itinerary
Read More: What Are Best Ideas To Celebrate Wedding Ceremony
What is left to do?
When you have done a perfect job at creating a wedding checklist, the months just before your wedding can be stress-free. And you will have a lot of time for personal stuff. You can pamper yourself with beauty treatments. Get a good facial or go to your favorite nail spa. Re-read your vows, take selfies, and bask in your single blessedness that is about to end.
Having a wedding checklist is not full proof that nothing unexpected will crop up. But if you have all the major tasks planned ahead of time, those little surprises won’t matter as they are easier to manage. Now you have fulfilled each item on the list, and happily, the only one left is to say I do.
