You’re officially in the final month before your wedding. Exciting? Absolutely. Slightly terrifying? Also absolutely! Last-minute wedding stress? Let’s try to avoid that!
After months, or maybe even years, of planning, it can suddenly feel like there are a million little things left to do. Final payments, seating plans, supplier timings, speeches, fittings, RSVPs, music choices and DIY projects. And somewhere amongst all of that, you’re actually supposed to be getting excited about getting married!
If you’re feeling a little wedding stress creeping in, don’t panic. Pretty much all of the big decisions have been made, and we’re now in the final month. Which is basically about wrapping up all the little elements that bring it all together!
So, if you’re saying “what should I do in the final month before my wedding?”, here’s what we recommend adding to your final month wedding to do list.
Finalise Your Wedding Day Logistics
By now, you should have a pretty good idea of what your timeline looks like and what moving parts are happening throughout the day, so let’s just finalise those timings and make sure it all works.
Think about when you’re getting ready, how early everyone needs to be where, and make sure your bridesmaids know what time they have to be in the chair! Work out what time suppliers are arriving, who is greeting them, when the ceremony starts and when you need to be ready, who is greeting your guests and at what time, when photographs are happening and when food is being served.
Reconfirm delivery and arrival times with your suppliers too. It might be that your florist is actually able to get into the venue the day before, and that may work better for them. Know what time your photographer is arriving and tell them where they need to be going. You don’t want to be giving them directions whilst having your makeup done!
Check what time your cake is arriving and, if it’s going to be a hot day like we’re having this year, does it need to go straight into a fridge? Your band will also want to know when they can load their equipment in, but you don’t want that happening while you’re eating if they’re going to be setting up in the same room as your wedding breakfast.
If you’re having a marquee wedding, dry hire wedding or lots of different suppliers, this becomes even more important.
Chase Those Final RSVPs
If there are still guests who haven’t replied, now is definitely the time to chase them. You need the final numbers to send to your caterer and venue, especially when it comes to those dietary requirements!
You’ll also need your final numbers so you can complete your seating plan. It’s also a good idea to let your venue or coordinator know if any of your guests may need extra help on the day, if they have restricted mobility, or if any guests are only coming for small parts of the day, such as just the ceremony instead of the whole day.
Finalise Your Seating Plan
Once your RSVPs are in, you can finally finish your seating plan! Yay, what a task…
This can sometimes feel like the world’s hardest puzzle, particularly when you’re working out who gets along with who and where on earth to put Uncle Bob! But really, it’s 2 hours of their life, so don’t overthink it too much.
Once it’s decided, you can get it printed or ordered and have your place cards, table numbers, and menus all sorted too. Make sure you double, no, triple check spellings before anything gets printed. Don’t rush it!
Confirm Your Music, Vows And Speeches
This is a big old task, well, it feels like it. Deciding on your first dance song is not the only music you need for your big day. You also need:
- The getting ready playlist, obviously. But feel free to delegate that job to a bridesmaid!
- Ceremony music for guests entering
- Bride aisle entrance songs
- Signing the register music, usually three songs
- Ceremony exit song
- Entrance into the wedding breakfast, with waving napkins obviously!
- First dance
- Second dance, sometimes? It’s a bit old-fashioned, but some couples still do parent dances after the first dance. It’s cute, we like it.
- End of the night song!
Honestly, the end of the night song is so massively underrated. You want to end that night on the dance floor on a high, so make sure it’s a good one.
If you’re having live musicians, make sure they have everything they need too. Make sure you know well enough in advance who is playing the music and, if it’s on a Spotify playlist, download it. Do not rely on dodgy WiFi!
And don’t leave your vows or speeches until the night before! Practising out loud can be cringey, but it’s worthwhile and will help you work out where to pause, breathe and make any last-minute changes.
Book Your Final Appointments
Now is the time to get all of your final beauty appointments booked and in the diary, as well as making sure your wedding outfits are completely sorted.
We’re talking haircuts, nails, lashes, brows, tan, waxing, facials or any other treatments you usually have. Make sure everything is booked well in advance, but not too close to the wedding day. It’s a fine balance!
Please do not try something new, including, but not limited to, a new hair colour, dramatic haircut or brand new skincare product. Your wedding morning is not the moment for surprises!
It’s also time for your final dress fitting, including any bridesmaid alterations, and to make sure your suit fits properly and all of your accessories are sorted. Oh, and don’t forget to break in your wedding shoes! We’re talking the grooms as well as the brides on this one. We do not need blisters and sore feet on the day.
Finish Your DIY Projects
If you’ve been working on your own stationery, decorations or personal details, then this is the time to get them all finished, and please do not start anything new because you feel your wedding suddenly needs something you’ve seen in a TikTok reel!
When it’s done, pack everything away into labelled boxes so it doesn’t get damaged and so whoever is setting it up knows what it is. We don’t want to be stressed the day before trying to locate things.
Prepare A Small Emergency Kit
It’s always handy to have a small emergency kit, especially if you don’t have a coordinator.
Just a small bag with plasters, deodorant, stain remover wipes, safety pins, hair grips, tissues and anything you might need for quick makeup touch-ups, like your lipstick, perfume, hairspray and maybe some mints! Make sure someone knows where it is. You don’t need to carry it around, but make sure it’s nearby and not in the car or locked away in your hotel room!
Don’t Forget What Happens At The End Of The Night
Often forgotten, but have you thought about who is taking your cards and gifts home? Who is collecting all your personal items at the end of the night? What happens to leftover alcohol? Who is taking the cake? Are there decorations or hired items that need returning?
Make these decisions before the wedding day and make sure you know when your suppliers are coming in to collect their things, such as the florist or furniture hire company. If you’re nominating someone to be responsible for these things, make sure they’re aware of their responsibilities in advance. You don’t want to be standing outside your venue at midnight with logistical details and then taking a big, deep breath!
Your timeline, supplier contacts, arrival times, seating plan, dietary requirements, ceremony details, music choices and setup information are all finalised, and we know what your day is going to look like.
And if there is something you’re worried about, tell us. Even if you think it’s tiny, it’s good for us to know what your concerns or worries are.
The final month should be about getting excited, not getting stressed. So get those final details ticked off, hand over what you can and take a big breath.
You’re nearly there. You’ve done the planning, and now it’s time to enjoy the wedding, without the wedding stress!
If you’re getting worried about who is going to manage everything, worried about getting wedding stress on the day, and want to see how our On The Day Management service can help you, then book a consultation with Chloe here.
And if you want to listen to Hannah chat all things weddings, tips and planning, then be sure to head over and listen to the Let’s Get You Wed! podcast.