2018_July-August.indd

the Wedding issue Wedding Checklist

6-8 MONTHS BEFORE Date: ]] Hire the priest, rabbi, minister or other religious or civil officiant. ]] Book the rehearsal and rehearsal dinner location. ]] Order rental items. ]] Place your wedding cake and groom’s cake order (6 months). Call the Rouses Market closest to you to set up a complimentary consultation. ]] Plan and book your honeymoon. Decide where you want to go and make sure both of your passports are up to date. 4-6 MONTHS BEFORE Date: ]] Attend pre-wedding counseling, if required. ]] Order invitations. ]] Shop for and buy wedding bands. ]] Buy or rent the groom’s tuxedo. ]] Book the bride and groom’s transportation. ]] Book transportation for guests, if needed. ]] Plan your menu with your caterer (4 months out). ]] Book hair and makeup appointments for wedding day. 3 MONTHS BEFORE Date: ]] Finalize the guest list. ]] Order the invitations and hire a calligrapher. ]] Select and reserve groomsmen’s attire for the wedding day. ]] Order wedding favors or gift bags for your guests. ]] Meet with the officiant and invite him or her to the rehearsal dinner. ]] Have your final tasting with the caterer.

Bride, Amanda Bourgeois Kennedy; Rouses Markets Marketing & Advertising Associate Bourgeois-Kennedy wedding, photo by Melissa Friloux Photography

10-12 MONTHS BEFORE Date: ]] Determine your budget.

8-10 MONTHS BEFORE Date:

]] Shop for and buy your wedding dress. ]] Select the bridesmaids’ and flower girls’ dresses. Schedule fittings within the month. ]] Send save-the-date cards. ]] Create your gift registry. ]] Meet with potential florists. Call the Rouses Market closest to you to set up a complimentary consultation. ]] Contact rental companies if you need to rent anything for the ceremony or reception, such as chairs, tables and a tent.

]] Decide formality and overall theme. ]] Find a venue for your ceremony and reception, and reserve your date. ]] Arrange hotel room blocks for out-of- town guests and book your own suite for the wedding night. ]] Hire a wedding planner or day-of coordinator. ]] Choose your wedding party. ]] Make a preliminary guest list. ]] Schedule and take engagement photos. ]] Create your wedding website. ]] Select your caterer. Call the Rouses Market closest to you to set up a complimentary consultation. ]] Hire vendors who typically book up quickly, including your photographer, band, DJ and videographer. ]] Start looking at invitations (you’ll need to order them 4-5 months out).

“ All thank-you notes should be written within three months of the receipt of the gift. Ideally, a response should be written on the day you receive a wedding gift .... It’s a lot easier to write three or four notes a day than to have to write a hundred notes in a month after the wedding!” —The Emily Post Institute​

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MY ROUSES EVERYDAY

JULY | AUGUST 2018