There's no denying that the Covid-19 pandemic has presented unforseen challenges for engaged couples, and we'd love nothing more than to help you proceed with your wedding plans. Unfortunately, it's quite hard to do that with things still looking uncertain, so, today, we've come up with a compromise! We're sharing a list of wedding-planning tasks that you can still do, even in self-isolation, and with countless businesses temporarily ceasing trading. Many couples will feel like taking a break from wedding-planning admin right now, which is completely acceptable and totally understandable! But, for those of you who are feeling antsy and would rather keep busy, we compiled this list of tasks for you to pick and choose from. If You're in the Early Stages of Planning
The situation: You're newly engaged, or you've been engaged for a while, but you've only just started wedding planning. This means that nothing's been booked and you haven't made any of the big decisions yet.
Sit down with your other half for an in-depth wedding-planning chat.
Decide what style of wedding you're having.
Research wedding venues and make a longlist to work from.
Research wedding suppliers and make a longlist to work from.
Wedding music and entertainment is a particularly good area to research right now. Most wedding bands and ceremony/drinks reception musicians will have sample videos or audio clips on their sites for you to peruse, and some are even doing virtual showcases and gigs at the moment.
Make your wedding guest list.
If You're in the Middle Stages of Planning
The situation: The plans for your wedding are well underway. You've set a date, booked a venue and possibly booked the main suppliers, too. This means your wedding is probably due to take place in the autumn or winter of 2020, 2021 or even 2022 - but your plans are now at a bit of a standstill because you're stuck at home, and lots of businesses and wedding suppliers are temporarily out of action.
Set yourself up on a task-management app like Trello, which helps you divide and track tasks among yourself and your partner.
Create or decide upon your wedding colour palette.
Familiarise yourself with which flowers will be in season when you're getting married, so you can communicate your ideas to your florist.
Come up a fun system for naming the tables at your reception dinner.
Order items for your bathroom baskets.
Create mood boards for your wedding décor.
Create your wedding hashtag.
Gather inspiration for your wedding-day look.
Make a list of wedding party members, friends and family members who you'd like to organise thank-you cards or gifts for. Now's a good time to take note of anyone who has been particularly helpful or supportive in wedding planning.
Purchase gifts for the wedding party, or any friends and family members you'd like to treat around the time of the wedding.
Purchase and write thank-you cards for the wedding party, or any friends and family members who deserve a huge thank you!
Recruit friends and family for roles or small jobs in your wedding.
Recruit friends and family to help with DIY wedding projects.
Get working on any DIY projects you were planning to do for your wedding.
Gather inspiration for your honeymoon.
Brainstorm ideas for your Day 2 celebrations.
If you've already settled on your wedding-day look, now's the time to shop for accessories. We're talking shoes, jewellery, veils, headpieces, bow ties, belts, sunglasses, and underwear.
Have a cake tasting at home, if your baker can accommodate this. Some of our favourite wedding cake bakers have organised cake sample deliveries for their couples, so it's worth checking to see if your baker can do the same over the next couple of weeks.
Start a Whatsapp group with your bridesmaids to chat about bridesmaids dress options, and share inspiration, if, of course, you feel it's approprite to do so and your bridesmaids would appreciate the distraction.
Familiarise yourself with the legalities of getting married in your region, if you're not already, and make a schedule for what needs to be done when. Bear in mind that you may need to leave extra time to plan legalities as there's likely to be a backlog once all this is over.
Choose your wedding ceremony readings.
Choose your wedding ceremony songs.
Choose your first dance song.
Create your own wedding playlists for the drinks reception, dinner, or dancing, or test-drive some of ours!
Gather inspiration for your bridal hair look.
Gather inspiration for your bridal makeup look.
Put together activity sets for any children who'll be attending your wedding.
Finalise the text for your ceremony or mass booklets.
Make a list of must-have photos to share with your wedding photographer.
Pen a hand-written welcome note for each of your guests! We've seen a few couples do this recently, and, while it's a time-consuming task, it's one that guests really appreciate.
Plan or refine your wedding timeline.
Make a running order for the day of the wedding, from your wake-up call to the late-night food. It's worth asking one or two suppliers you trust to look over it and spot any potential oversights, although bear in mind that some suppliers might not be answering emails at the moment.
Start a spreadsheet with contact information for all of your suppliers. This is something to share with a couple of wedding party members in the run up to the wedding.
Break in your wedding shoes, if you already have them at home!
Create a wedding website.
Talk to your partner about whether you're doing an on-the-day wedding gift exchange, which have become popular in recent years, but often take one half of the couple by surprise!
Make a plan for your wedding speeches, who's going to give them, when you'd like them to take place, where you'd like them to take place, etc.
Write your wedding speech.
Make a list of everyone who needs to be thanked in the speeches. You can either dole these out among your speechgivers, or include them in your own speech.
Write your wedding vows.
Write your wedding ceremony, if you're having a humanist, non-religious or free-form ceremony. It's a good idea to set up a Skype call with your celebrant, if they're available, to discuss your ideas!
Make a list of guests who have special requirements - elderly guests, pregnant guests, those with dietary or mobility restrictions etc. - and ask yourself if you've done everything to ensure the day runs smoothly for them.
Start a spreadsheet to log any wedding gifts you'll receive, or have already received. This will be very useful when it comes time to send your thank-you cards!
Make a plan for tipping your suppliers.
Make a list of family and wedding party members who will get bouquets, buttonholes, and corsages, if you haven't already. Remember to consider family members who might get forgotten, like in-laws, partners, older children or anyone who will be getting ready with you and your partner on the day.
Make a plan for the night before the wedding. This might be an intimate family dinner, a trip to the local pub with your wedding party, or a night of pampering - it's really your call!
Think about games or activities that will get your guests mingling at dinner, like Wedding Speech Bingo!
Learn how to tie a bow tie! Believe us when we say that this skill will come in very handy on your wedding day!
Learn how to clean your engagement ring and give it a thorough going over.
If Your Wedding Plans are On Hold
The situation: Your wedding was due to take place around now, or in the next few weeks or months, but you've had to make the difficult decision to postpone the wedding. Most couples in this situation are still waiting to set a new wedding date, which makes moving forward with plans particularly difficult.
Set yourself up on a task-management app like Trello, which helps you divide and track tasks among yourself and your partner.
Plan to do something fun when your previous wedding date rolls around. A virtual social gathering with your wedding party is a great idea, as is a special date night at home with your other half.
Start a list of questions to ask your venue and suppliers when it's time to get back in touch. You might want to ask about potential new dates, explore new options, ask whether the pandemic will affect their supply chain, etc. Once the list has been created, you can add questions as they occur to you.
Make a list of wedding party members, friends and family members who you'd like to organise thank-you cards or gifts for. Now's a good time to take note of anyone who has been particularly helpful or supportive in wedding planning, particularly if your plans have been derailed.
Purchase gifts for the wedding party, or any friends and family members you'd like to treat around the time of the wedding.
Order and write thank-you cards for the wedding party, or any friends and family members who deserve a huge thank you!