We’ve mentioned it on multiple occasions before, but the honest truth is that wedding planning can get complicated in a hurry! If you’re not staying consistently organized, this sometimes-complicated process can quickly create some massive headaches and unnecessary stress. And what easier way is there to stay organized than with a checklist? With that being said, guess what the topic of discussion will be for this week’s blog post? We’ll be chatting about why we believe it’s in every couple’s best interest to utilize a wedding planning checklist. In this blog, we’ll take a look at what items you may want to consider having on that list and how the venue or vendors you select can help simplify the process even further.
Before getting into that though, we would like to say hello to anyone that may be visiting our blog for the very first time. Madera Estates is a luxury wedding venue located in Conroe, TX, just north of Houston and The Woodlands. We understand how special each and every wedding day is, and as such, know the importance of every single detail. In fact, this exact message is one of the first things you’ll see on our website’s homepage.
“As industry experts, we understand everything, even down to the smallest detail, is important on your wedding day! That’s why our team strives to give you a customized approach, while keeping the process as easy as possible.”
One of the easiest ways to make the process as easy as possible? With a checklist, of course! Let’s now talk about wedding planning checklists!
(Blog thumbnail photo provided by Taryn Lynn Photography)
Make Sure It’s Time-Specific
A wedding planning checklist is intended to alleviate some of the stress, not add to it! If you simply list out all of the items you need to complete before your wedding, it will appear a little overwhelming. After all, it’s not uncommon for the entire process to take even a year to complete! Having said that, our first tip is to make sure your checklists are time-specific. Break each of the tasks out by the month in which they need to be completed.
Set Your Budget Early On
Without a doubt, wedding planning is filled with so many fun and exciting activities. Wedding gown shopping, sampling cake options, touring venues, the list goes on! However, when assembling your checklist, be sure to finalize your budget (or at least have rough ballpark numbers) early on in the process. Just as a planning checklist is meant to keep you organized throughout, your budget will help provide ranges on how much you can spend on various vendors, decor and so on!
Lock-In Your Dream Wedding Venue
Shortly after having your budgetary numbers solidified, it’s going to be important to start touring wedding venues and getting that decision finalized as well. Make sure this selection process is at the top of your checklist as well! Particularly if you have your heart set on a popular season or day of the week (say a Saturday in the Fall), it’s important to understand venues can fill up quickly, sometimes even more than a year-in-advance. By locking in your wedding venue early on, it’ll make it easier to gauge vendor’s availability, as well as receive some tips from your wedding venue on who to reach out to.
Be Detailed
If you run a Google search for “wedding planning checklist,” you’ll quickly realize there’s no shortage of options. In fact, you’ll likely get pages upon pages of results from across the internet. Some of the checklists may be helpful, some not so much. However, they can be terrific sources of ideas and inspiration. You may see something on one checklist that you’d never thought of before or something that may not have crossed your mind until the wedding itself. Assuming you’re working with a wedding planner, he or she will help you cross off the major items, but don’t hesitate to bring up any details or suggestions that you may have.
Highlight the Items that Tend to Get Missed
With a wedding planning checklist, your two main goals are to prevent any unnecessary stress and keep you organized. It is intended to provide you with reassurance that you’re staying on schedule and completing the tasks that need to be knocked out. No different than your normal to-do list. Our final tip is to highlight or star some of the popular items that tend to get forgotten in the planning process. You’re obviously not going to forget taste-testing’s or finalizing the tuxedos and wedding dresses, but some of the smaller details can get lost in the shuffle. We actually covered this topic in-detail on a recent blog that you’re welcome to check out HERE.
What are a few of the more common often-missed tasks?
Budgeting for Vendor Gratuities – We discussed the importance of establishing a budget earlier. However, breaking down that budget on where different chunks of the money go is easier said than done. Don’t forget to factor in a kind tip to your wedding vendors too.
Day-Of Roles – You’ll need some assistance on various items leading up to the ceremony. One example of this is rounding up people for some of the formal photos. Delegate this task to a family member or close friend ahead of time to ensure you get all of the shots you were wanting!
Contingency Plan – This one may not appear anywhere specifically on your checklist or timeline, but nonetheless is worth mentioning. If weather could be a concern where your wedding is being held at, confirm with the venue on any back-up plans needed.
How Madera Estates Makes Wedding Planning Easy and Stress-Free
As I mentioned at the very beginning of this blog, our team at Madera is always focused on making things easy and stress-free. Wedding planning isn’t meant to be turned into a stressful situation, but rather one that you actually enjoy! Whenever a couple books their wedding with us, they are provided with access to our Client Portal. This portal is designed to serve as a resource for our couples, as they go through the planning stages leading up to their big day. Whether that be a fully-comprehensive welcome packet filled with everything you need to know, various catering menus or anything else, it has been a helpful tool for our clients. And given the theme of this blog, one other component to this resource is a timeline and guide. With a step-by-step approach personalized to our venue, this will walk you through each of the steps you’ll need to complete before the big day arrives!
Ready to Tour Madera Estates?
A major aspect of our wedding blog is to provide you with tips on the various stages in the wedding planning process. Trust us, having had the opportunity to host hundreds of weddings over the years, we completely understand that there’s a lot that goes into planning your big day. And if you’re not organized every step of the way (especially establishing a plan early on), it can quickly turn into a situation that feels a little overwhelming. I’ve mentioned it a few times throughout this blog, but our team at Madera Estates truly does take pride in making the entire process as stress-free as possible.
If you’re still in the stage of touring venues, we would be more than happy to show you around our venue and answer any questions that you may have. Our booking calendar is available on our website and I’ll link it HERE as well. Simply select a time that works best for you and we’ll gladly give you a free tour. Don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any questions along the way. Happy Wedding Planning!