Example Wedding Planning Checklist
Outdoor Reception
The wedding planning software will add these tasks to your task list if you tell it that your wedding will be held outdoors. We've included the notes for three of the tasks to give you an idea of the detailed advice available in The Organized Wedding.
Task |
Should be completed by |
If the Reception is being held on private property, decide whether any major landscaping or gardening projects need to be done before the Reception, and arrange to have them finished in time for the landscape to recover. |
11-12 months before |
If you are inviting any guests to the Reception who might have trouble walking, make sure that the ground is level enough for them, or warn them about the conditions. |
10-11 months before |
Develop a plan to handle bad weather at the Reception.(Notes: Is there an indoor site you can move the Reception to? If so, you can include a note in your invitations to tell guests where to go in case of bad weather. If the outdoor and indoor sites aren't in the same place, you'll also need to decide how to let guests know if the weather is bad enough to go to the indoor site.If you can't arrange for an indoor alternate, can you rent a tent or tents big enough to keep everyone dry? Rental tents can come with plastic side walls (in case of wind), lighting, and even heaters. Reserve them well ahead of time and have someone there to meet the rental company when they deliver them. Most rental companies will set the tents up for you.) |
10-11 months before |
Decide whether you want to rent any portable flooring for the Reception. |
10-11 months before |
Find out whether you need electricity at the Reception, and if so, whether it's available.(Notes: You might need electricity for lights, a bubble machine, a sound system, a champagne fountain, coffee makers, anything electric required for preparing or serving food at the site, and so on. If you need electricity and it's not available at the site, you might be able to rent a generator. However, they can be noisy.Check electrical requirements carefully -- for example, do you need three-pronged outlets and if so, are they available?) |
10-11 months before |
If the Reception occurs after dark or might run into the evening, plan to provide lighting.(Notes: Ask the site manager if they have anything available. You can rent lighting equipment from rental companies. Strings of little lights, lanterns, and candles provide atmospheric lighting, but might not provide enough light by themselves, especially for people navigating over uncertain ground. Experiment to find out what works.) |
9-10 months before |
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Return to tasks 11-12 months before the wedding