WEDDING PLANNING

A wedding planner is a professional who assists with the design, planning and management of a client's wedding. Weddings are significant events in people's lives and as such, couples are often willing to spend considerable sums of money to ensure that their weddings are well-organized. Wedding planners are often used by couples who work long hours and have little spare time available for sourcing and managing wedding venues and wedding suppliers.

Professional wedding planners are based worldwide but the industry is largest in the USA and Western Europe. Various wedding planning courses are available to those who wish to pursue the career.

Planners generally charge either a percentage of the total wedding cost, which can range from $20,000 to $2 million in relatively affluent communities in USA, or a flat fee

The services of a wedding planner can include:

·         Interviewing the couple and the parents to identify their needs.

·         Budget preparation

·         Planning detailed checklist (from about a year in advance to a few days after the wedding)

·         Attendee list preparation

·         Identification of event venues (hotels, wedding manor etc.)

·         Identifying and hiring of wedding professionals and service providers (caterers, photographers, videographers, beautician, florists, bakers etc.), and preparation and execution of contracts.

·         Procurement of customized decorations such as a journey map

·         Coordination of deliveries/services on the wedding day.

·         Have a back-up plan in the event of a disaster.

·         Manages the schedule, often with software.

·         Assist and prepare legal documentation and translations - especially for destination weddings

NIGERIAN WEDDING

This Wedding checklist has been designed to ease the stress that comes with planning Nigerian Weddings. It breaks down the most essential tasks you will need to complete based on a 12 month engagement period. Unlike any other wedding checklist that exists, this one includes Traditional Wedding tasks as well. Keep in mind that this is meant only as a general guideline. There will surely be additional steps unique to your wedding. Don’t forget to create daily and weekly lists. This will make larger tasks on this wedding checklist more manageable. Make sure you delegate appropriate tasks to the relevant friends and family members.

10-12 months to the wedding

Congratulations on your engagement! The first step will be to announce this to all relevant parties. Be sure to go out of your way to personally inform people who may be offended if they hear the news indirectly from other sources e.g fussy aunties and long lost best friends across the continent.

Share this wedding checklist with all friends and family members helping you plan the wedding.

Select a wedding date. The traditional Nigerian wedding ceremony will be held anytime from the same day as the white wedding ceremony, to a few months before.

Start a wedding file or folder to keep records of all contracts, vendor quotes and wedding documents.

Choose a date for your Introduction, where you are officially introduced to your new family for the first time. This is the first part of most traditional wedding ceremonies.

Discuss a wedding budget and how expenses and duties will be shared between the two families.

Draft a preliminary guest list to get an estimate of guest numbers. Request lists from both sets of parents. Doing so as soon as possible will prevent you from searching for inadequate venues, and giving vendors wrong quotes.

Select bridal party members and inform them.

Choose the church/mosque ceremony location and confirm date and availability with the leaders.

Decide on whether you would like to hire a wedding planner and book one if necessary.

Start hunting for the wedding reception venue and secure this as soon as possible.

Select your wedding theme and wedding colour schemes, including aso ebi colours and wedding reception colours.

Start researching wedding dress ideas. It’s never too early as some custom gowns take up to 5-8 months to prepare, and alterations and multiple dress fittings eat up extra time.

Search for bridal hairstyle and make-up inspiration.

Visit fabric vendors to choose your Introduction outfit. Start thinking of wedding day aso-ebi ideas as well.

Select and secure a Wedding Photographer for both the white and traditional weddings.

Select and secure a Wedding Videographer for both the white and traditional weddings.

Start researching and booking other wedding vendors, especially those who handle one wedding per day.

Start Honeymoon planning to get the best flight and hotel rates.

7- 9 months to the wedding

Buy your Wedding Dress. The earlier the better.

Finalize the Guest List, compile addresses and send out save the dates.

Choose aso-ebi for family members, friends and guests attending the white wedding and traditional wedding.

Choose the bride and groom’s attire(s) for the traditional wedding.

Take engagement photos to be displayed at your wedding, on your wedding website, and party souvenirs.

Research and secure a Makeup Artist for both weddings.

Research and secure a Hair Stylist for both weddings if two different people will be handling your makeup and hair.

Book the Master of Ceremonies (MC) for your reception.

Select a Band for the reception for both weddings.

Select a DJ for the wedding reception.

Book any other musician/entertainment.

Choose a Caterer for both weddings and decide on menu.

Choose an Event Decorator and florist that best suits your requirements.

Order your English and Traditional Wedding Cakes.

Create a wedding website to share details of your wedding with friends, family and other guests.

Finalize Honeymoon details and make necessary reservations.

4-6 Months Before

Finalize and present traditional wedding list (engagement list) to grooms family.

Order your wedding invitations, thank your cards, programs and other personalized stationery. This isn’t done too early to allow for changes in venues or dates.

Choose your white wedding hair accessories.

Buy your white wedding shoes, purse and jewelry (earrings, chains and bracelets).

Schedule hair and makeup trial appointments and ensure that hair accessories and hair style are complementary.

Choose a second wedding dress if you will be wearing two.

Choose the Groom and Groomsmen attires and ties.

Choose the Wedding Bouquet and Boutonnieres.

Buy and inform your bridesmaids’ of the gown you have chosen. Take varying body shapes into consideration.

Buy your Traditional wedding shoes and bag.

Buy your Traditional wedding jewelry (beads) and other accessories.

Buy the Wedding Rings. Account for time needed for engraving and additional sizing if necessary.

Discuss Rehearsal Dinner: Who will be hosting? Venue?

Order Rental Equipment: eg. marquee, tables, chairs etc.

2-3 Months Before

Start buying items on the traditional wedding list (engagement list only relevant to the groom’s family).

Choose Bridesmaids accessories.

Book wedding night accommodation.

Book Transportation for couple, family and wedding party.

Send out wedding invitations, aso-ebi and gifts for the aso-ebi purchasers.

Begin personal shopping for clothes needed for pre-wedding parties or honeymoon.

Begin organising transportation and accommodation for out of town guests and the wedding party.

Schedule a wedding rehearsal and notify everyone involved.

Inform DJ on Father/ Daughter song, First dance song, specific processional music and any other *Must play* songs.

1 Month Before             

Ensure bridal party receive their dresses, other accessories and tuxedos.

Discuss and confirm bachelorette party.

Write vows if you choose to personalize them.

Buy Wedding undergarments.

Confirm all details including location, date and time with all vendors.

Confirm all details including location, date and time with all vendors.

Organise car decorations.

Schedule a final dress fitting, and make sure you are wearing shoes this time. You should also have a bridesmaid there to learn how to bustle your train and fasten your buttons.

2 Weeks Before

Check the weather for your wedding day.

Confirm your total wedding look – ensure you have all necessary accessories for you and your bridal party.

Finish personal shopping.

Finalise honeymoon plans.

Plan bridesmaids’ luncheon.

Purchase gifts for your bridal party.

Go for final beauty treatments: spa, facial, wax. This is not the best time to experiment.

Create a seating chart and finalize seating arrangements. This is quite difficult to enforce, so at the very least, place cards designating some tables to important family members, friends and colleagues should be visibly positioned.

1 Week Before

Confirm final guest count and inform caterer and reception venue.

Have final consultation with all vendors.

Pack an “emergency kit” for the wedding day which may include: safety pins, tissues, cosmetics, hairspray, needle and cotton, headache pills, and mints .

Confirm honeymoon bookings and have ready all necessary documentation: tickets, passports, traveller’s cheques, etc.

Pack for honeymoon.

Rehearse the church ceremony with the ministers. Rehearse the wedding reception with your wedding party.

Arrange with your reception to have a table available for last minute gifts. Ask family members to move gifts home after wedding.

Sit down and organise the actual wedding day into some sort of time schedule. Provide the wedding party with the schedule.

Break into your shoes! Wear your wedding shoes around the house and on the same kind of floor you’d have in the wedding, until they are comfortable.

Ensure that all vendor payment deadlines are met.

Practise your dance moves. Don’t carry last on your special day.

The Day Before               

Confirm that all members of the wedding party are organised and well prepared.

Appoint your official *Cash Collectors*.

Have a massage, manicure and pedicure and relax.

Complete your evening skin routine so that your skin is moist for your wedding day make-up.

Relax!

Get to bed early!

On the Day

Eat a good breakfast.

Review your on the day wedding schedule.

Relax and pamper yourself.

Be at the ceremony at least five minutes early.

Smile and enjoy – this is your special day !

Party Hard! Komole, Azonto,….etc!

After the Day

Send out thank you emails, write thank you notes and make thank you calls. An 8-week period of grace is the norm.

Ensure all vendors have been fully paid.

Although this wedding checklist has been designed for a 12 month engagement, we understand that not all last that long, so all wedding planning activities mentioned in the wedding checklist above will be carried out in a much shorter time period. Also, hiring a wedding planner (recommended) will considerably reduce your workload as they will be handling many of the tasks on your behalf.

FOREIGN WEDDING

Sixteen to Nine Months Before

Start a wedding folder or binder.

Begin leafing through bridal, lifestyle, fashion, gardening, design, and food magazines for inspiration.

Work out your budget.

Determine how much you have to spend, based on your families’ contributions and your own.

Pick your wedding party.

As soon as you’re engaged, people will start wondering who’s in.

Start the guest list.

Make a head count database to use throughout your planning process, with columns for contact info, RSVPs, gifts, and any other relevant information. (Want to keep costs low? It may be brutal, but the best way to do it is to reduce your guest list.)

Hire a planner, if desired.

A planner will have relationships with—and insights about—vendors.

Reserve your date and venues.

Decide whether to have separate locations for the ceremony and the reception, factoring in travel time between the two places.

Book your officiant.

Research photographers, bands, florists, and caterers.

Keep their contact information in your binder.

Throw an engagement party, if you wish.

But remember that your invitees should be on your wedding guest list as well.

Eight Months Before

Hire the photographer and the videographer.

No need to talk specifics yet, but be sure that the people you hire are open to doing the shots that you want.

Book the entertainment.

Attend gigs of potential acts to see how they perform in front of audiences, then reserve your favorite.

Meet caterers.

If your wedding venue doesn’t offer its own catering service, look for one now and hire the service this month or early next.

Purchase a dress.

You’ll need to schedule time for at least three fittings. Veil shopping can be postponed for another two to three months.

Reserve a block of hotel rooms for out-of-town guests.

Pick three hotels at different price points close to the reception venue.

Register.

Sign up at a minimum of three retailers.

Launch a wedding website.

Create your personal page through a free provider such as weddingchannel.com. Note the date of the wedding, travel information, and accommodations. Then send the link to invitees.

Seven to Six Months Before

Select and purchase invitations.

Hire a calligrapher, if desired. Addressing cards is time-consuming, so you need to budget accordingly.

Start planning a honeymoon.

Make sure that your passports are up-to-date, and schedule doctors’ appointments for any shots you may need.

Shop for bridesmaids’ dresses.

Allow at least six months for the dresses to be ordered and sized.

Meet with the officiant.

Map out the ceremony and confirm that you have all the official documents for the wedding (these vary by county and religion).

Send save-the-date cards.

Reserve structural and electrical necessities.

Book portable toilets for outdoor events, extra chairs if you need them, lighting components, and so on.

Book a florist.

Florists can serve multiple clients on one day, which is why you can wait a little longer to engage one. Plus, at this point, you’ll be firm on what your wedding palette will be.

Arrange transportation.

Consider limos, minibuses, trolleys, and town cars. (But know that low-to-the-ground limos can make entries and exits dicey if you’re wearing a fitted gown.)

Start composing a day-of timeline.

Draw up a schedule of the event and slot in each component (the cake-cutting, the first dance).

Five to Four Months Before

Book the rehearsal and rehearsal-dinner venues.

Negotiate the cost and the menu. If you’re planning to host a day-after brunch for guests, book that place as well.

Check on the wedding invitations.

Ask the stationer for samples of the finished invitations and revise them to suit your needs.

Select and order the cake.

Some bakers require a long lead time. Attend several tastings before committing to any baker.

Send your guest list to the host of your shower.

Provided you, ahem, know about the shower.

Purchase wedding shoes and start dress fittings.

Bring the shoes along to your first fitting so the tailor can choose the appropriate length for your gown.

Schedule hair and makeup artists.

Make a few appointments with local experts to try them out. Snap a photo at each so you can compare results.

Choose your music.

What should be playing when the wedding party is announced? During dinner? To kick off the dancing? Keep a running list of what you want—and do not want—played.

Three Months Before

Finalize the menu and flowers.

You’ll want to wait until now to see what will be available, since food and flowers are affected by season.

Order favors, if desired.

Some safe bets: monogrammed cookies or a treat that represents your city or region. If you’re planning to have welcome baskets for out-of-town guests, plan those now too.

Make a list of the people giving toasts.

Which loved ones would you like to have speak at the reception? Ask them now.

Finalize the readings.

Determine what you would like to have read at the ceremony—and whom you wish to do the readings.

Purchase your undergarments.

And schedule your second fitting.

Finalize the order of the ceremony and the reception.

Print menu cards, if you like, as well as programs.

No need to go to a printer, if that’s not in your budget: You can easily create these on your computer.

Purchase the rings.

This will give you time for resizing and engraving.

Send your event schedule to the vendors.

Giving them a first draft now allows ample time for tweaks and feedback.

Two Months Before

Touch base again with all the vendors.

Make sure any questions you or they had on your first draft have been answered.

Meet with the photographer.

Discuss specific shots, and walk through the locations to note spots that appeal to you.

Review the playlist with the band or deejay.

Though you probably won’t be able to dictate every single song played, you should come prepared with a wish list.

Send out the invitations.

The rule of thumb: Mail invitations six to eight weeks before the ceremony, setting the RSVP cutoff at three weeks after the postmark date.

Submit a newspaper wedding announcement.

If you’re planning to include a photograph, check the publication’s website: Some have strict rules about how the photo should look.

Enjoy a bachelorette party.

Arranging a night out with your girlfriends generally falls to the maid of honor. But if she hasn’t mentioned one to you by now, feel free to ask—for scheduling purposes, of course!—if a celebration is in the works.

One Month Before

Enter RSVPs into your guest-list database.

Phone people who have not yet responded.

Get your marriage license.

The process can take up to six days, but it’s good to give yourself some leeway. If you are changing your name, order several copies.

Mail the rehearsal-dinner invitations.

Visit the dressmaker for (with luck!) your last dress fitting.

For peace of mind, you may want to schedule a fitting the week of your wedding. You can always cancel the appointment if you try on the dress then and it fits perfectly.

Stock the bar.

Now that you have a firm head count you can order accordingly.

Send out as many final payments as you can.

Confirm times for hair and makeup and all vendors.

E-mail and print directions for drivers of transport vehicles.

This gives the chauffeurs ample time to navigate a route.

Assign seating.

Draw out table shapes on a layout of the room to help plan place settings. Write the names of female guests on pink sticky notes and the names of male guests on blue sticky notes so you can move people about without resketching the entire setting.

Purchase bridesmaids’ gifts.

You’ll present them at the rehearsal dinner.

Write vows, if necessary.

Get your hair cut and colored, if desired.

Week of the Wedding

Reconfirm arrival times with vendors.

Delegate small wedding-day tasks.

Choose someone to bustle your dress, someone to carry your things, someone to be in charge of gifts (especially the enveloped sort), someone to hand out tips, and someone to be the point person for each vendor.

Send a timeline to the bridal party.

Include every member’s contact information, along with the point people you’ve asked to deal with the vendors, if problems arise.

Pick up your dress.

Or make arrangements for a delivery.

Check in one last time with the photographer.

Supply him or her with a list of moments you want captured on film.

Set aside checks for the vendors.

And put tips in envelopes to be handed out at the event.

Book a spa treatment.

Make an appontment for a manicure and a pedicure the day before the wedding. (You might want to get a stress-relieving massage, too.)

Send the final guest list to the caterer and all venues hosting your wedding-related events.

Typically, companies close their lists 72 hours in advance.

Break in your shoes.

Assemble and distribute the welcome baskets.

Pack for your honeymoon

Additional Wedding Planning Tips

Planning your wedding can be a exciting and at the same time a daunting experience. Depending on your budget, you can decide to hire a wedding planner who will take most of the stress of your hands. You can also plan your wedding yourself, getting help as needed. With so much information available from magazine, online etc, you have enough information to plan your wedding stress free when you start out on time.

In order to plan a stress free wedding, you need to:

a) Develop a Plan
b) Be very clear who is doing what
c) Source for information in order to make informed decisions.
d) Coordination to ensure everything is pulling in the same direction.

As the bride-to-be, it is easy to underestimate the amount of work that planning and execute a wedding entails. Remaining organized will not only help you save yourself from feeling overwhelmed, it can help you avoid any major embarrassment on your wedding day. Here are some organizational tips that will help you stay on track without being overwhelmed.

Get a Wedding Planner
The first thing to do is to hire a wedding planner or appoint one. That can be you, or if you are not up to it, a very close friend (chief bridesmaid) who is willing to commit the time, and hold your hand through the process. You can also purchase a wedding planner (workbook) if available, which will guide you through the process, depending on the type of wedding you have in mind. A wedding planner is comprised mostly of planning worksheets to help you pen down your plans for each aspect of the wedding.

Start Early
One of the most common mistakes brides make in planning a wedding is thinking they have "plenty of time." After the initial glow of accepting the proposal, depending on the type of wedding you have in mind, you need up to six months to pull off a stress free wedding. The more time you have to plan, the more options you will have for everything. Following a wedding timeline will give you an idea of what needs to be accomplished and what your time frame should be. Some halls are booked for almost a year ahead, so the earlier you book, the more options you have, rather than have a date shoved down your throat.

Hold Planning Meetings
Agree up front on which days of the week you are to meet with your partner to plan the wedding. This may be a challenge for a busy couple or couples living in different towns. Having a dedicated time for planning will keep both of you focused on planning the wedding, be on the same page, resolve differences and gain momentum. You will achieve much more than meeting at random to plan. Making a to-do list for your next planning session will help you recollect what has and has not been done and help you utilize your allotted time more effectively. As the date approaches, you will need to meet more often, to ensure there are no loose ends or any task slipping through the cracks.

Delegate Duties
Trying to do everything all by yourself can lead to an overwhelming feeling and possibly discourage you. Make a list of things to be done and sit down with the groom-to-be, friends and family and choose who will do what. The responsibility to oversee every task lies with the planner (you), but do not wear out yourself and aggravate others by trying to micro manage. Get updates before each planning meeting, to give both of you a clear picture of progress on each item, and what requires intervention. Communication is critical in getting the message across to your army of helpers without ambiguity. If your instructions are vague, what you see is what you get. Remain in control by communicating clearly and concisely, so that everyone is on the same page.

Communication
This point cannot be stressed enough. It is critical that the bride- and groom-to-be are on the same page, and it is also good practice for starting off your marriage on the right foot. You will want to make sure that each of you are together on every decision, except of course on issues that relate to the bride only. The wedding planning period is a period where differences pop up, and if not well handled, can lead to a blow out. Some weddings have been called off over differences that would have been better handled. No item on the wedding planner is a do or die affair. Keep your eyes on the big picture, and be ready to compromise to ensure win-win outcomes. It is also that your army of helpers are crystal clear on what is expected of them. Grabbing the wrong end of the stick leads to stress and waste of time, energy and scarce resources (eg buying the wrong item, wrong colour etc).

Compromise
Compromise is the name of the game, if you are to have a harmonious stress free wedding planning, and indeed marriage. If you are used to having your way or nothing, you are in for a miserable time. Don't dig your toes in and issue ultimatums. Don't take things too seriously. The only must do when it comes to a wedding is the exchange of vows. Every other thing is human tradition which are not cast in concrete. There are going to be things that each of you will not particularly care for, and things that really matter. Keep in mind that being flexible is a must when it comes to planning a wedding, especially if there are certain traditions in each family. Accommodate each other's idiosyncracies, of course within reasonable limits. The spirit should be that of give and take. Remember that getting married merges two families, and you should be open to communicating with both families about their wishes and traditions.

Do Your Homework
Go through bridal magazines and note things that catch your eye. Make sure you bring the magazines (or colour print from a web page) with you, so you can show vendors what you have in mind. A picture is worth a thousand words. The internet is the biggest library in the world. Google whatever it is you are looking for. Also tap into your network of friends that have worked this path, so as not to repeat the mistakes they made. No wedding is perfect. Ask your recently married friends what mistakes they made, and wished they had done differently, so that you can learn from their mistake. Their war stories will come in handy on things to avoid.

Choose Vendors Wisely
This is where recommendations from recently married friends become invaluable. All that glitters is not gold. They can advise which vendors to go for, and which to avoid. They will also provide tips on how to handle vendors, so as to avoid surprises on your wedding day. Use vendors that come highly recommended. Your budget will determine what comes with the package, but with the advice of those that have gone before you; you can still get a good deal. When choosing your vendors, try to make certain this vendor will do exactly what you are asking and that you are comfortable doing business with this person. Do your homework well, to avoid the stress and recriminations that comes with changing vendors mid-way can lead not only to confusion and lost details, but it can be a costly change. Most vendors will not refund your deposit.

Get It in Writing
Be sure to get a receipt/contract from each and every vendor for goods and services to be performed. This should clearly state what services the vendor will provide, with cost and dates. Everything should be spelled out, to avoid ambiguity which brings arguments and embarrassment later (when you thought the vendor ought to provide, hence you made no provisions for it). Spell out everything and never assume anything. Be sure to read the fine print on every contract before you sign it, and ask about any cancellation policies and fees.

Relax and Do It
After having done all, relax, commit your plans to God and go for it. With commonsense and multitude of counsel, you can hardly go wrong. Stick to your budget and infuse your creativity to overcome every challenge. You dream wedding will go as planned. All the best 

BASIC WEDDING PLANNING CHECKLIST

1.     DATE

2.     VENUE

3.    WEDDING ATTIRES

4.    RING

5.     WEDDING PARTY

6.    CATERER

7.     RENTALS

8.    DRINKS

9.    CAKE

10.   DECORATION

11.    PHOTOGRAPHY AND VIDEO

12.   DJ

13.   MC

14.   HAIR

15.   MAKE UP

16.   CARS

17.   SOUVENIRS

18.   IV CARDS

19.   PROGRAM

20.  GIFT CARRIAGE

21.   HONEYMOON

Qualities of a Good Wedding Planner

Be thorough. Planning somebody else's wedding is like directing a film. You will have to draw on your clients' ideas, tastes, and preferences and turn them into reality. Be sure you have discussed every detail of the wedding with your client, and pay attention to his or her demands. These include:

Choosing a venue.

Choosing a wedding cake.

Buying a dress.

Making seating arrangements.

Making a guest list.

Ordering invitations.

Selecting a date and time.

Making a budget.

Choosing a caterer.

Hiring a photographer.

Obtaining a marriage license.

Choosing a rehearsal date.

Be organized. Planning a wedding requires multi-tasking. You will have to learn how to manage your time and complete several different tasks at the same time, from flowers to cakes to seating arrangements. If you work well under pressure and are good at staying focused, then you will be an excellent wedding planner.

Use a paper or electronic planner to help you manage your time and keep track of dates.

Make sure you are easy to reach. You will have to be in constant contact with your client(s), so be sure to have your phone with you at all times and regularly check your email.

*sourced from different articles on the website*