Big Checks & Little Checks

So, I feel like I might be crazy or maybe just a typical bride but I feel like I am checking things off so far in advance and I'm not sure if I am the only one zipping through or maybe I am forgetting things but I wanted your opinions. Getting married on 7/16/2016 - so far what I have booked:

-Venue
-Officiant
-Band
-Hotel Blocks
-Hair
-Makeup (giving her a trial run for my friends wedding on April 19 then I will know for sure)

-Florist (Pretty positive I will go with the woman I have been speaking with but we have an apt in August)

-Bridesmaids gifts have been bought already because I wanted to change it up and ask them at my Engagement party in August to be in the wedding and give them their gifts (I got them an Alex & Ani Bracelet (seashell because of the venue) and a large vera Bradley cosmetics bag that's the color scheme for the wedding and I am buying them picture frames and will put poems to ask them to be bridesmaids and then hopefully they will use the frames later for a picture of me and them on wedding day)


Things I have left to do:
-Dress Shopping (starts April 3)

-Suit shopping for the guys? When does that happen? I am not doing a full traditional suit I am only doing button downs and pants and the sleeves on the button downs will be rolled up very casual beach feel but they will be wearing ties

-Bridesmaid dress shopping
-Order Favors

Am I behind? Am I ahead? Am I insane is the best question....

Big Checks & Little Checks

I think you're definitely ahead which is a good thing. Nothing to worry about! You can relax and breathe, which most people during planning don't get to do. I'm getting married next May and started planning and booking things last May after I got engaged. I love the long engagements because you can do things slowly and take time to enjoy planning and the engagement.

Big Checks & Little Checks

Thanks for the re-assurance I was so nervous I was behind on stuff. I def. like the feeling of being able to relax. Now that I am ahead of the game I feel like I wont really be nervous about anything else until I hit like a 3 month mark. What do you have left to do?

Big Checks & Little Checks

yeah you're definitely ahead but I'm the same way! it's good to get things done early. have you done photo & video yet? that's also something that should be done early.

Big Checks & Little Checks

Oh yes totally forgot to add them in - have that taken care of as well!

Big Checks & Little Checks

Congrats! You can definitely relax for a bit.. I at pretty much the same place.. Wedding dress, bridesmaids dresses this summer and limos are next :)

Big Checks & Little Checks

Wow u did alot so far!!! good job!!

Big Checks & Little Checks

I've completed photo, video, DJ, florist, ordered my dress 2 weeks ago, booked hair (no trial yet), trial scheduled for the middle of April for makeup. My officiant is my uncle so that's done as well. I will be booking my hotel block at the end of May as the hotel I'm booking doesn't give rates out until a year in advance, and I also want to look into limo companies. I also have my STD that will be going out around June (got a great deal on Gilt City for Wedding Paper Divas!)

Left to do is basically bridesmaids dresses, gifts, & favors. I've gone a few times with my MOH to narrow down styles, but won't be ordering anything until probably the Fall. For favors, I'm meeting with an LIW Bride and her sister (Sister Sister Cakes) to discuss cookie favors & grooms cake. So excited!

I could be moving in June (FH is training to become an air traffic controller, and graduates the academy June 4), so I'm trying to get everything booked by then so I have nothing left to worry about except for invitations and day of things (decorations, menus, programs, etc).

Big Checks & Little Checks

Wow ok this is great so we are all pretty much in the same place! I just didn't want the stress later on get it over with now. Thank goodness I don't need limos or anything the venue is literally next door to the hotel so its all one stop shopping for me. My next concern is getting my hair done in time to get to the venue to get makeup done, dress on and pictures taken before the ceremony. The timing of everything frightens me more than anything else.

Re: Big Checks & Little Checks

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Posted by Ruste23

Wow ok this is great so we are all pretty much in the same place! I just didn't want the stress later on get it over with now. Thank goodness I don't need limos or anything the venue is literally next door to the hotel so its all one stop shopping for me. My next concern is getting my hair done in time to get to the venue to get makeup done, dress on and pictures taken before the ceremony. The timing of everything frightens me more than anything else.

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I agree with you that's what I'm stressing about the most especially since a lot of my bridesmaids have a lot of hair and thick hair!

Big Checks & Little Checks

That's my issue. Well, a little more elaborate than that. I live in Rockaway Beach so I am getting my hair done with my mom and possibly one bridesmaid in Brooklyn at like 9. It's than a 2 hour drive for us to Riverhead and I stil have to get my makeup done, dress on, have the other girls get there makeup done and be ready for pictures by like 2. it's really cutting it close so we are going to try to lie to the hair ladies and tell them that I have to take my pictures earlier that way they start my hair at like 8. I may have 2 bridesmaids getting their hair done with me which leaves only 2 to get their hair done by someone they know. Just really stressful I actually had a dream that I didn't get my hair or makeup done and my dress was falling off and I had to take my pictures in a dumpy old garage. LOL weirdest dream but totally freaked me out.

Big Checks & Little Checks

I'm glad you posted this! After I booked the hall I wasn't sure what I need to do now since I'm still 18 months out. I am visiting a photographer Sat, want to get that done next. What else is most definitely need to do now? I was thinking of waiting until next year for the dress. I was thinking DJ is also important then I can relax a little while?

Big Checks & Little Checks

I would def. suggest you get your DJ picked out now. You have a lot of time before your wedding so I would say maybe a yr out you can look for your dress... Are you having an engagement party? you may want to look into booking stuff for that. You have time to relax - because I am completely out of my mind I spend most of my time googling ideas so if you can come up with your color scheme and maybe ideas for centerpieces that way when it comes time for all that stuff you can have that ready to go... I would also look into Officiants unless your getting married in a church or you already have someone in mind - otherwise I'd say your doing fantastic!

Big Checks & Little Checks

I'm about at the same point as all you ladies and feeling good about it!! I haven't done hair/makeup or hotel blocks yet. However my engagement shoot for my STDs is next month so I'm going to do a make up trail for that. I have a pretty good idea who I'm using. Once that's is done I want to get flowers and limos done before the summer. Then it's all dresses all the time lol

Big Checks & Little Checks

So glad to hear it - excited for all of us - you ladies oddly enough have become like a part of every day life for me. I look forward to sitting on this website while I am at work hahah

Big Checks & Little Checks

Yes I love spending my time here (at work) reading and getting information lol. I think the first day I was on here I was on for hours straight lol.

Big Checks & Little Checks

Same I feel like you girls are the only ones that get me sometimes! Haha I'm glad we can all be there for each other and I'm so excited for all of us!

Big Checks & Little Checks

Once i get to work first thing i do is sign in to liweddings . i talk to you girls more than my own friends and family lol

Re: Big Checks & Little Checks

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Posted by Ruste23

I would def. suggest you get your DJ picked out now. You have a lot of time before your wedding so I would say maybe a yr out you can look for your dress... Are you having an engagement party? you may want to look into booking stuff for that. You have time to relax - because I am completely out of my mind I spend most of my time googling ideas so if you can come up with your color scheme and maybe ideas for centerpieces that way when it comes time for all that stuff you can have that ready to go... I would also look into Officiants unless your getting married in a church or you already have someone in mind - otherwise I'd say your doing fantastic!

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We are having a 'sorta' engagement party lol. We are hosting a bbq in my backyard for our close family this summer. It's like a get to know you. His family lives in NJ and CONN and my family is all over. He has 2 children from a previous marriage who still are very uncomfortable with the idea of him getting married so we are trying little by little to include them in anything and mix and mingle. (they are not little kids they are 20 somethings! but I'll keep trying) Oh yes the dj - that needs to probably come next. lol do they have a book with all these things to check off?

Big Checks & Little Checks

They do have books and binders and on this website there is a checklist area under 'MY LI WEDDING' you can use that as a base for things to get taken care of. I have found the books and binders in bookstores to be excessive. They have you thinking about so many unnecessary items or items not many people normally have. You are doing great do the DJ next - as for the kids, they'll come around - they wont have a choice in the end.... it's probably just a hard thing for them to accept but with time all things become easier. Best of luck - you're on a roll!