Wedding Checklist for Your Dream Wedding in Toronto
There are hundreds of wedding planning checklists on the internet. I wanted to make one for my clients with the things that I have found critical based on my experience and interaction with so many couples.
12 months before the wedding
Decide the season: As soon as you have decided to tie the knot, the next thing you need to do is decide which season will you want to get married in. Due to cold weather, most weddings in Toronto take place in the Summer season (June-Aug). The remaining weddings are either in early Fall (Sep-Oct) or in late Spring (Apr-May). Very few weddings take place in the other months (Nov-Mar).
Location, location, location! Most weddings are held during the summer months and typically on a weekend. Which means there are only 12 potential weekends to get married. Unless if you want to get married on a weekday, finding a venue to get married is extremely challenging in greater Toronto area. That’s why the first thing you need to do is start hunting for a venue. If you want a venue of your choice then you must start looking at least 1 year in advance. Some couples book theirs even up to 2 years in advance. This is one reason why some people choose not to get married in summer or are sometimes forced to due to unavailability of venues.
Note: Lighting: one important thing to check at the venue. Most halls by default will have the most horrid lighting. To them throwing purple/pinkish light is cool. I do admit that it gives a warm and hip effect. However, they are an absolute nightmare for your photos and video. Work with the person in charge of lighting at your venue and your photographer and see what lighting is optimal.
High level budget: One of your biggest expense is venue and catering. Most venues provide their own catering. Demand for venues in summer is extremely high which directly corresponds to higher costs. Not only venues but prices of all vendors during this season is also high. Simple economics: demand and supply. This is why the biggest decision in coming up with your high level budget is choosing the season. Summer marriages are the most fun as you can have them outdoors, don’t have to wear all those layers. But the downside is cost. Once your venue and date are locked down then everything else will fall in place relatively easily.
6-12 months before the wedding
Bridal Dress: my apologies to grooms for leaving them out on this one but weddings are all about women, aren’t they? Just kidding! However, reality is that all things women need more time and care. Bridal dress is no exception. You gotta start hunting for a bridal dress as soon as you can. Why? Wedding dresses are expensive, you need time to find the right one, which is within your budget and then get it fitted to your size. If money is not an issue then you can literally walk into the best designer boutique and pick up their fanciest dress. However, most of us are not that fortunate. So start early, visit a lot of boutiques, try out as many dresses as you can. And when you find the “one” then seal the deal. As I mentioned start early as this could take a while. On the other hand, men can choose their suit or tuxedo in literally one day! Ok that’s a bit of an exaggeration but you get the point :)
Hire a wedding planner: Not everyone needs a wedding planner. That’s my opinion. But if you need one for your wedding then you should start looking right away. Everyone claims to be a wedding planner these days. Contact the ones that look honest, go and meet them in person, choose the one that you like.
Select Wedding Photographer and Videographer: Good news is that there are thousands of photographers in the GTA area. Bad news is that everyone with a DSLR camera claims to be a wedding photographer. Which means there are some horrible ones out there so better watch out. Couples need to do their due diligence, personally meet the photographer/videographer, check their gear, their style of work and most importantly see if their personality matches with yours. You don’t wanna be working with a photographer which is not compatible with you on the most important day of your life.
Find a decorator: start deciding wedding theme, color palettes, flowers and stage decoration you would need on your wedding. Contact decorator, look at their portfolios, see the styles you like, check the pricing and book one.
Book Hair & Makeup Artist (HMUA): Look up HMUAs that inspire you. Most of them offer free trials. Try them out and decide on the look you want. Book your HMUA.
Look for a DJ: Decide what kind of music do you want for you wedding? Meet DJs, check-out their sample selection, decide and book!
3-6 months before the wedding
Decide a caterer: if your venue doesn’t offer catering then you need to look for a caterer. Decide your menu.
Choose a Florist
Pick a cake
Create a gift registry
Book officiant: whether you get married in a church, mosque, gurdwara, mandir or at a hall you need to book an officiant. Most often the venue won’t provide one. You need to book one yourself.
Order invitation cards: check out prices and styles of invitations cards. Customize one based on your wedding theme, order!
0-3 months before the wedding
Send out invitation cards
Follow-up with vendors: Call your photographer, caterer, florist, baker to confirm everything. Any last minute changes will need to be made now.
Make an itinerary for your big day: If you want things flowing smoothly and on time then make a detailed itinerary for the night. Makes copies of it and distribute it amongst key people.
Payments: lot of payments are due on the day of the event. Delegate this task to the best man or your siblings. Have cheques or cash ready so that you can pay vendors in a timely manner.
I can’t help but agree that getting married is a huge project. It requires a lot of planning, coordination and unfortunately money! But there’s no way around it so better accept it and get on with it. Best of luck!
