Here’s a simple guide to help you figure out when the most important decisions need to be made.
Ideally, you want to give yourselves at least one year to plan your wedding. Many popular venues are booked up way in advance, especially for weekends. This doesn’t just apply to banquet venues – it can be hard to secure a date at churches too, and some even require you to book nine or twelve months ahead due to mandatory marriage preparation courses or activities.
12 months before
Discuss the budget with your other half (see our budget article for tips on how to manage this tricky issue)
Pick venues for banquet/reception and solemnisation (be sure to include both families in the discussion on how big the venue needs to be)
Decide on your theme and style
Select the person who will officiate or solemnise the marriage ceremony
Once you’ve picked the venue, it becomes a lot easier to decide on the theme, styles and colours for your wedding. Here’s where you get to be inspired by the myriad options available and bring your fantasy to life!
You might think that it’s too early to be thinking about your wedding gown 9-10 months ahead, but it always pays to plan early! It may take some time to find your perfect gown, and for some studios with higher turnover (or smaller inventory), someone else may also want the same gown at the same time.
In the past it might have been overwhelming to scour through all the options out there, but luckily for you, Knotz makes it easier to find wedding gowns and photographers that suit your style and budget.
9-10 months before
Pick your outfits
Select a photographer whose style aligns with yours
Select a videographer, if you decide to get one
Start thinking about your wedding rings and other bling to jazz up your look on the big day!
Arrow your wedding party – it’s time to officially inform your bridesmaids and groomsmen, and get them to help with some of the wedding preparations
That takes care of a lot of the important stuff, except for one big thing – the hair & make-up. If you’re not getting yours as part of a package, you should be checking out different make-up artists’ portfolios and making enquiries.
Once that’s done, it’s time to settle the little details that will complete your special day – these would be your other vendors that specialise in floral, decor, etc. It’s also good to start putting together the first cut of your guest list (once again, remember to include both sets of parents in the discussion), and send out save-the-dates for important guests, those who might have to make travel arrangements, etc.
6-8 months before
Florist
Cake
Decoration
Band/music
Hair & make-up
Caterer
Lighting
Photobooth
Car rental
Outfits for parents, bridesmaids, and groomsmen
It’s less than half a year to your big day, and time is going to fly by before you know it! Now that most of your vendors are settled, it’s a good time to start looking after yourself. Confirm a trial session with your make-up artist to nail down your look for the big day, and start looking after your appearance, whether it’s starting a gym routine together or adhering to a regular beauty regimen. The last thing you want is to go on a crash diet just before your wedding, which may lead to unintended consequences for your health and overall well-being. Regular exercise, healthy eating, and good sleep habits are key here! This will also help you look amazing when you do your pre-wedding shoot, which can take place several months before your actual day. Scheduling it early may help you catch the best season (in the case of certain overseas destinations), leaves enough time to get incredible photo prints to display at your wedding reception, or simply helps to tick one big item off your list and let you focus on other stuff in the busy months leading up to the wedding.
4-5 months before
Invitations and other stationery
Wedding favours
Plan your honeymoon!
Shoot your pre-wedding photography
Hair & make-up trial
Start your health and aesthetic regimen
Now we’re heading into the business end of things. With less than 3 months before the wedding, it’s all about finalising and confirming the nitty gritty. One of the most important steps that MUST be done during this phase is to file your notice of marriage, because you only have a limited window of 21 days to 3 months to hold your wedding after filing.
Given our national love of food, it’s also important to get this right so that your guests don’t go home unhappy. Your venue should arrange for a food tasting session, and you should also confirm your catering arrangements if you’re having a separate solmenisation/religious ceremony.
2-3 months before
Finalise your guest list (and table arrangements) and send out wedding invitations
Food tasting
Brief your wedding helpers on the programme for the day
Confirm transportation arrangements
Reconfirm all venues, caterers, solemnisation officiant, and other critical vendors
File a notice of marriage online at www.rom.gov.sg
Feeling excited yet? Well you should be! The weeks leading up to your wedding will be packed full of important but exciting and fun stuff, like doing your final fittings for your attire, and preparing the speeches and slideshows for the lunch/dinner – here’s where you should be getting your close friends to help. They should also be helping you organise your hen and stag parties to celebrate your impending loss of freedom union!
1 month before
Schedule a rehearsal for the church or religious ceremonies, if necessary
Prepare slides, photo montages, any other videos or presentations to be shown on the day
Go for your final fittings to make sure your attire is on point
Write your vows and speeches
Confirm the guest list and seating arrangements (again)
Plan your bachelor & bachelorette parties
It’s the final countdown!!!
Give yourself a pat on the back, you’ve done so much to get to this point! Now it’s crunch time, and it’s details, details, details – O$P$, final arrangements, logistics, rehearsals, etc. But get these details out of the way, and you’re one step closer to having a fuss-free wedding day.
1-2 weeks before
The rehearsal and briefing for your bridesmaids, groomsmen, etc.
Florist delivery arrangements
Settle any remaining payments
Collect your outfits
Prepare ang bao for all your sai kang warriors
Make sure you have your wedding certificate
Finalise any outstanding details with your vendors
Get a facial at least 3 days before the wedding in case of redness
The day before the big day!
Make sure you pack your marriage certificate and rings
Go for a manicure and pedicure
Get as much sleep as possible!
Now go get married!!