WEDDINGS BY BAY CITY EVENTS INC.





12 Month Wedding Planning Checklist for All Engaged Couples





12 MONTHS BEFORE



Collect design inspiration..



Get Inspired... Scroll through Instagram, leaf through bridal magazines, and browse your favorite lifestyle and fashion sites for inspiration. Take a good look around your home and closet, too—you'll never know where you'll find unexpected design ideas.



12 MONTHS BEFORE



Work Out Your Budget



Work out your budget. Determine how much money you have to spend on your ceremony and reception, based on your families’ contributions and your own.



12 MONTHS BEFORE



Who Will Be In Your Bridal Party



Pick who will be in your wedding party. As soon as you’re engaged, people will start wondering who’s in.



12 MONTHS BEFORE



Your Guests List



Consider your guest list. Make a head count spreadsheet to use throughout your planning process, with columns for contact info, addresses, RSVPs, gifts, and any other relevant info. (Planning a party on a budget? It may be brutal, but the best way to cut costs is to reduce your guest list.)



12 MONTHS BEFORE



Get In Touch with Bay City Events



Hire a planner, if necessary. A good planner will always have relationships with top-rated vendors. BCE can assist you with all the planning and details from start to finish. We will set you up with a photographer, videographer, florist, caterer, band, and other must-have wedding vendors. Keep in mind that the best event pros tend to book up over a year in advance.



12 MONTHS BEFORE



Venue Search



Book your venue and lock down your wedding date. Decide whether to have separate locations for the ceremony and the reception, factoring in travel time between the two venues.


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9 MONTHS BEFORE



Entertainment



Book any remaining entertainment. Attend gigs of potential acts to see how they perform in front of audiences, then reserve your favorite. We will go over all the details including looking over any and all contracts and insurance policies that the venue may require from the entertainment.



9 MONTHS BEFORE



Food & Beverage



Determine your dinner and drinks menu and figure out if you want a seated dinner or buffet style. If your wedding venue doesn’t offer its own catering service, BCE will handle it for you. We will go over menus and food beverage selections.



9 MONTHS BEFORE



Fashion Design



Purchase a dress, suit, jumpsuit, or your wedding outfit of choice. You’ll need to schedule time for at least three fittings. Veil shopping can be postponed for another two to three months.



9 MONTHS BEFORE



Travel & Hotel



Reserve a block of hotel rooms for out-of-town guests. Pick three hotels at different price points close to the reception venue.



9 MONTHS BEFORE



Get Registered



Register for gifts. Sign up at a minimum of three retailers across a range of budgets. You can also register on-line so your guests can shop from anywhere.



9 MONTHS BEFORE



Personal Website



Create a wedding website. Create a personal page where you'll tout the date of the nuptials, travel information, accommodations, and registry info.


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6 MONTHS BEFORE



Invitations



Select and purchase invitations. Hire a calligrapher, if desired. Addressing cards is time-consuming, so you need to budget accordingly and BCE can assist with this chore.



6 MONTHS BEFORE



Honeymoon



Start planning your honeymoon. Make sure that your passports are up to date, and schedule doctors’ appointments for any shots you may need.



6 MONTHS BEFORE



Dresses & Color Scheme



Shop for bridesmaids’ dresses and Allow at least six months for the dresses to be ordered and sized. Pick a color for the dresses that everyone has agreed to, we can also use this color for the entire wedding decor.



6 MONTHS BEFORE



Officiant



Meet with the officiant. Map out the ceremony and confirm that you have all the official documents for the wedding (these vary by county and religion).



6 MONTHS BEFORE



Save-The-Date



Time to Send out save-the-date to all the guests you have invited. This will give time for any out-of-town guests to make all travel arrangements and to make any necessary hotel accommodations.



6 MONTHS BEFORE



Rentals



If you are getting married at a private home or park this is a great time to reserve structural and electrical necessities BCE can make all the reservations for you. We will book the portable toilets for outdoor events and all the chairs and tables along with all the lighting components, and so on.


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4 MONTHS BEFORE



Invitations



Select and purchase invitations. Hire a calligrapher, if desired. Addressing cards is time-consuming, so you need to budget accordingly and BCE can assist with this chore.



4 MONTHS BEFORE



Invitations



Check on the wedding invitations. Ask the stationer and calligrapher for samples of the finished invitations and revise them to suit your needs.



4 MONTHS BEFORE



Cake Tasting



Taste and order the wedding cake. Some in-demand bakers require a longer lead time. Attend several tastings before committing to any one dessert pro and BCE has a great baker to help you along with your questions or concerns.



4 MONTHS BEFORE



Bridal Shower



Now is a good time to send your guest list to the host of your shower. Provided you, know about the shower.



4 MONTHS BEFORE



Accessories



Purchase wedding shoes and start outfit fittings. Bring the shoes along to your first fitting so the tailor can choose the appropriate length for your look.



4 MONTHS BEFORE



Hair & Makeup



Schedule hair and makeup artists. Make a few appointments with local experts to try them out. Snap a photo at each so you can compare results.


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3 MONTHS BEFORE



Menu & Flowers



Finalize the menu and flowers. You’ll want to wait until now to see what will be available, since food and flowers are affected by season.



3 MONTHS BEFORE



Favors



Order favors, Some crowd-pleasing ideas: monogrammed cookies or a treat that represents your city or region. If you’re planning to have welcome baskets for out-of-town guests, plan those now too. We have some great ideas for favors!



3 MONTHS BEFORE



Toasts & Speaches



Make a list of the people giving toasts. Which loved ones would you like to have speak at the reception? Ask them now so that way they have time to prepare and work out the nerves.



3 MONTHS BEFORE



Readings



Finalize the readings. Determine what you would like to have read at the ceremony—and whom you wish to do the readings.



3 MONTHS BEFORE



Fittings



Purchase your wedding dress accessories and schedule your second or final fitting.



3 MONTHS BEFORE



Printings



Print menu cards as well as programs. No need to go to a professional printer, if that’s not in your budget: BCE can easily create these at for you.



3 MONTHS BEFORE



Jewelry



Purchase the rings. This will give you time for resizing and engraving for both bride & groom



3 MONTHS BEFORE



Communications



Send your event schedule to every vendor especially the DJ or Band leader. Giving them a first draft now allows ample time for tweaks and feedback.



3 MONTHS BEFORE



Music



Set your music playlist. What should be playing when the wedding party is announced? During dinner? To kick off the dancing? Keep a running list of what you do and don't want played. The DJ or Band leader will go over all the details during the meeting. A wedding coordination form will be detailed with all the information.


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2 MONTHS BEFORE



Photographer



Meet with the photographer. Discuss specific shots, and walk through the locations to note spots that appeal to you.



2 MONTHS BEFORE



Review



Review the playlist with the band or DJ. Though you probably won’t be able to dictate every single song played, you should come prepared with a wish list.



2 MONTHS BEFORE



Invitations



Send out the invitations. The rule of thumb: Mail invitations six to eight weeks before the ceremony, setting the RSVP cutoff at three weeks after the postmark date.



2 MONTH BEFORE



Pre-Celebrations



Enjoy a bachelor/bachelorette party. Arranging a night out with your girlfriends generally falls to the maid of honor. But if she hasn’t mentioned one to you by now, feel free to ask—for scheduling purposes, of course!—if a celebration is in the works.



2 MONTHS BEFORE



No Respond



Enter RSVPs into your trusted guest-list spreadsheet. Contact people who have not yet responded.



2 MONTHS BEFORE



Hair & Makeup



Get your marriage license. The process can take up to six days, but it’s good to give yourself some leeway. If you are changing your name, order several copies.


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1 MONTH BEFORE



Rehearsal-Dinner Invite



Give plenty of time for all those that are included in your wedding party including the parents of the bride & groom. Mail off the rehearsal-dinner invitations and be sure to put the date, location, and the time. Let them know that dinner will be served and immediatly following the dinner is the rehearsal for the ceremony and reception.



1 MONTH BEFORE



Perfect Fitting



This is a good time for you and your bridal party to visit the tailor for your last outfit fitting. For peace of mind, you may want to schedule a fitting the week of your wedding. You can always cancel the appointment if you try on the dress then and it fits perfectly.



1 MONTH BEFORE



Payments



Let's get this out of the way. Send out as many final payments to pros as you can. It's not a good feeling when you need to pay vendors on the night of your wedding. To make life much easier and hassle free Bay City Events can processes all payments on your behalf, that way you only make one payment.



1 MONTH BEFORE



Readings



Finalize the readings. Determine what you would like to have read at the ceremony—and whom you wish to do the readings.



1 MONTH BEFORE



Fittings



Purchase your wedding dress accessories and schedule your second or final fitting.



1 MONTH BEFORE



Printings



Print menu cards as well as programs. No need to go to a professional printer, if that’s not in your budget: BCE can easily create these at for you.



1 MONTH BEFORE



Jewelry



Purchase the rings. This will give you time for resizing and engraving for both bride & groom



1 MONTH BEFORE



Communications



Send your event schedule to every vendor especially the DJ or Band leader. Giving them a first draft now allows ample time for tweaks and feedback.



1 MONTH BEFORE



Music



Set your music playlist. What should be playing when the wedding party is announced? During dinner? To kick off the dancing? Keep a running list of what you do and don't want played. The DJ or Band leader will go over all the details during the meeting. A wedding coordination form will be detailed with all the information.


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WEEK OF YOUR WEDDING



GUESTS SEATING



Assign seating. Draw out table shapes on a layout of the room to help plan place settings. Write the names of female guests on pink sticky notes and the names of male guests on blue sticky notes so you can move people about without resketching the entire setting.



WEEK OF YOUR WEDDING



THANK YOU'S



Purchase thank-you gifts for family and the wedding party. You’ll present them at the rehearsal dinner.



WEEK OF YOUR WEDDING



VOWS



Write your vows, if necessary and practice ... practice ... practice take the time to go over all the details in your vows and read them to your maid/matron of honor. If BCE is providing the sound for your ceremony we will have a microphone set up for the officiant and so your guests can here the exchange of vows nice and clear.



WEEK OF YOUR WEDDING



CONFIRMATIONS



Bay City Events will reconfirm arrival times with all your vendors including time schedules with the venue and the time to pick up the bride & groom.



WEEK OF YOUR WEDDING



SMALL TASKS



Bay City Events staff will be there to do small wedding-day tasks. Our staff will bustle your dress, carry your things, be in charge of gifts (especially the enveloped sort), and to hand out tips, along with be the point person for each vendor. We have radio communication throughout the entire wedding.



WEEK OF YOUR WEDDING



SAME PAGE



Send a timeline to the wedding party via text message or messenger along with a printed sheet. Include every member’s contact information, along with the point people you’ve asked to deal with the vendors, if problems arise. Each member of your party will have our personal cell phone numbers including the parents of the bride & groom.



WEEK OF YOUR WEDDING



PICK UP



Personally pick up your dress to be sure that it is the right dress and it looks to be in great condition. Have the groom try on the tux or suit ro be sure it fits perfect and no alterations need to be made or make arrangements for a delivery.



WEEK OF YOUR WEDDING



PHOTOS



Check in one last time with the photographer. Supply them with a list of moments you want captured on film.



WEEK OF YOUR WEDDING



FINAL HEAD COUNT



Send the final guest list to the caterer and all venues hosting your wedding-related events.


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The Big Day
(The Day Of Your Wedding)



The big day has arrived. You made all the plans and laid out a game plan for everyone to follow. Bay City Events will handle the rest as the only thing you need to do from here is walk down the isle and marry the person of your dreams. We want you to relax and enjoy this special time with your new husband or wife along with family members that are sharing this wonderful day with you. If any issues arise throughout the day BCE will handle them with poise and professionalism, most of the time you will never know what happen. Pia and Manny take pride in what they do and they understand how important this day is, after planning, arranging, and conducting hundreds of wedding ceremonies & receptions they know how to implement your wishes and dreams. Give us a call or drop us an Email and ask us all your questions or concerns.



Email Us

ALLOWING PEOPLE THE FREEDOM TO CELEBRATE



943 Berryessa Road, B6
San jose, ca 95113
1+(408) 213-0900


info@baycityevents.com



Copyright, Bay City Events Inc. All Rights Reserved 1999-2023


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