Are you wondering what to do one month before your wedding? Your wedding is almost here, it's so so close I can feel it! There's so much on your plate as you prepare for your wedding but I'd like to give you a free checklist of what to do one month before your wedding.
These must-do's are the perfect guide to make sure you're right on track for those nuptials that are coming up in just ONE month...four weeks...thirty(ish) days...700+ hours before your wedding.
With wedding planning it seems to always feel like you have so much time, but also like you're already running out of time...at the same time. I understand. I've been there. And I want to help! By now, you should know I'm all about easy, stress-free wedding planning.
It will be here before you know it, so let's make this easy with the month-before checklist for your wedding.
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There are many things to do and appointments to do one month before your wedding, so plan accordingly if you're trying to juggle work and other commitments during this time. We made this list for you so that you can plan ahead and not be stressed out one month before your wedding.
Be sure to schedule a final walkthrough with your wedding venue and all of your other wedding vendors. It is great, but not always possible to invite all of your wedding vendors to your final walk throughs such as your wedding planner, lighting expert, music or DJ or rental company.
You'll also want to confirm details and day of the wedding timeline with all of your wedding vendors. Your final walk through is a chance for you and your wedding vendors to go through each detail of the day step-by-step and talk through the wedding day timeline so that everyone is on the same page, ensuring a smooth wedding day.
If your having a destination wedding, aka you can't just go to your wedding venue after work or on the weekend easily, you might have your final walk through at a different time, not one month before your wedding. Your final walk through for a destination wedding might be at your final tasting. Â
Gather your wedding guests RSVPs and begin working on the seating chart, escort cards and/or place cards for your wedding guests. The seating chart is if you will want to assign tables for your guests and the escort cards will tell your guests which table you'd like them to sit at for your reception.
A place card is one step above an escort card and a seating chart, where you'll place the place card at each place setting or seating indicating which seat you'd like each of your guests to sit in.
Escort cards and place cards are a great option to keep guests apart who shouldn't be sitting near each other and it is also an easy way to group friends together at one or two tables.
This is also when you'll need to contact any guests for whom you have not received an RSVP so you can finalize your guests list. Yes, you've likely heard that you'll have to track down your wedding guests for their RSVP's. It goes with the territory, so try not to take it so personally or get too upset. Most guests aren't trying to be mean and definitely don't take a lost or late RSVP as a sign that they don't want to come to your wedding. Life happens to all of us!Â
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Shop this Modern Wedding Seating Chart by Lovely Templates Co
Many of your wedding vendors will require final payments one month before the wedding. Make your final payment arrangements with your vendors, prepare any payments that will need to be made closer to or on the wedding day. If you need to write a check or schedule any payments online or talk to anyone who might be helping you pay for your wedding, one month before the wedding is the time to make those final payment arrangements.Â
In addition to final payments, one month before your wedding you'll want to make a list of any wedding vendors that you'd like to tip on the day of you wedding.
You can also start to prepare envelopes with tips or gratuity to give to your wedding planner to hand out on the wedding day for you, such as catering and set-up staff.Â
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Shop these Wedding Vendor Tip/Gratuity Envelopes by Gray Paperie Co
Have your final wedding dress fitting and try your entire wedding day outfit on together — including the perfect something blue and breaking in your wedding shoes. (Don’t skip this step if you want to be a comfy bride on your big day!)
Your wedding dress shop where you purchased your wedding dress will give you an alterations schedule at the time when you purchased your wedding dress. About one month before your wedding is when you'll go back into the shop for those final alterations appointments.Â
Something Blue Bridal Garters by The Garter Girl
Finalize honeymoon plans and start packing. Check your passport to confirm it’s up-to-date. (If it expires within 6 months of international travel, you'll need to renew. Do this ASAP to avoid delays, and expect to pay an expedited fee to get your passport on time.)
Shop this Honeymooning Hat by Mod Party
Check in with your entire wedding party one month before your wedding. Check in with your bridesmaids, groomsmen and any one else who is participating on some level with your wedding celebration.
What did they forget to order? Have they booked flights and hotels? What are they wearing to your wedding? Did you get your bridesmaids a gift?
In addition to yourself and your partner, if you've decided to have others participate in your wedding, like a wedding party, you will need to check with them and make sure they are all prepped and ready for your wedding too. It's not just yourself that you need to worry about and organize!
Shop this Personalized Straw Tote Bridesmaid Gift by BOHO Peach
About one month before your wedding, you'll want to check on any legal requirements for your wedding. You'll want to confirm details for your marriage license or any other legal documents or certificates that you'll need to obtain for your wedding.
When, where, and how do you need to get a marriage license in the location where you'll be married?
You'll want to schedule any appointments necessary and secure the paperwork needed to make your marriage legal. This all can take time, so it is a good idea to start at least one month before your wedding.
About one month before your wedding is when you'll want to get serious about your wedding welcome gifts for your guests. Are you doing welcome gifts or hotel bags for your out of town wedding guests?
If you are doing gifts for guest, one month before is the time to start shopping and assemble the hotel bags or welcome gifts for out-of-town-guests. Bridesmaids and family can be a great help here to collect items and help put the gifts together. You'll need to start a list of your guests' hotel locations and confirm your room blocks.
If you want to completely outsource your wedding welcome gifts and not be stressed out about it, we really love Marigold & Grey for wedding welcome gifts. You can have fully custom designed wedding welcome gifts or you can shop their pre-designed, ready-to-ship welcome gifts. They have so many unique wedding gifts we can hardly choose one and we know your wedding guests will love them the most!
Custom Wedding Welcome Gift by Marigold & Grey
By now at one month before the wedding details should be set, so it’s time to finalize details of your rehearsal dinner, post-wedding brunch, and any other wedding-adjacent event during the weekend.
If you don't know what to wear,try this collection of wedding outfits besides the wedding dress or you canstart packing for your wedding weekend with our free checklist.
Ask your wedding caterer when they need the final wedding guest count and any dietary restrictions for your guests. They will need to start ordering food and begin to prep the menu for your wedding.
Start collecting the information from your guests and save it in a spreadsheet, likely in your wedding RSVP list, so that you can easily pass it onto any wedding vendor who needs it, such as your caterer.
Shop these Place Cards With Meal Selection by The Sunshine Garden
About one month before your wedding, you'll want to purchase your little extra details such as toasting flutes, a cute card holder, a guest book, a cake knife/server, and—of course—your garter.
Here is a list of where to find the little extra wedding details and keepsakes that most couples forget, but wish that they didn't.Â
Shop this Lasercut Wedding Cake Topper by Happily Ever Etched Inc
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Does it all feel like a lot? Take a deep breath! You've done so much to get to this point in your wedding planning process.
This wedding planning checklist of things to do one month before your wedding is not meant to stress you out or make you feel overwhelmed by what's left to be done. Take this as a guide to help you plan ahead and then check those final things off your list...or even just confirm that they've already been done!
I know you will knock this last month out of the park. One. step. at. a. time. You got this, girl.
One month and counting!
With love, The Garter Girl
P.S. Need a little wedding planning boost? Repeat this to yourself... your wedding is happening and you are prepared. Nothing and no one is going to stop you from getting stuff done and being a fabulous bride!
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