Planning your big day can be one of the most daunting tasks you have ever experienced. Most of us Sri Lankans fret a lot when we get invited to someone else’s wedding regarding what to wear and what to take as a present; so, imagine the hassle one might feel when it comes to their own wedding! However, all this worry can be eliminated with a proper plan and a timeline, crafted with care and attention to details months prior to your big day. Being prepared and having planned everything beforehand is the ultimate key to being relaxed and worry-less on your wedding day and this article will give you a clear idea on what you should do to make your dream day come true, using a carefully thought-over timeline. First thing you ought to know is, don’t worry, whatever time you have left is enough for you to plan a beautiful wedding if you organize it correctly. Find out more on how to correctly schedule tasks that lead up to your wedding on the following carefully laid out itinerary specially designed for Sri Lankan weddings.
6 – 12 Months Before The Wedding
When it comes to your own wedding, no date is too early to start planning. What you need to do first is decide where you want to have the wedding and what type of function it should be. Decide whether you want the wedding at a hotel or your home and whether it should be indoors or outdoors along with whether it is a day event or a night event. You and your partner are the two who should decide on the time frame you want your big day to happen. Roughly decide when you want to tie the knot, then as per the Sri Lankan custom, consult an astrologer along with your horoscopes and ask him to give you several dates what fit into your decided time frame. For those who do not consult astrologers, the process should be easy as you are free to select your own days at your convenience. Discuss with your partner and family regarding the budget. Clarify all the grey areas and note down how much each party is willing to contribute to your day, so that you can set budgets for each tasks with the utmost efficiency. Finalize the date and the auspicious times with the astrologer and decide on the ceremony location. As soon as you finalize the date and the location, book the location by paying them an advance. This is the base of your entire function, so you do not want to delay it. Now you can book the marriage registrar since you have the time and date on your hands. After you make these initial preparations, start on a wedding file with ideas and pictures on how you want your big day to happen. Get ideas through social media, the internet and magazines. Since there are many wedding exhibitions happening every now and then all over the country, keep an eye out for them because you can get many discounts and additional benefits at these wedding exhibitions. Choose your wedding party; the bridesmaids and the groomsmen. After deciding on the wedding party, choose what attire you want to be dressed in. Make a shortlist for florists, photographers, videographers and beauticians and get quotations from them. Go through the quotations carefully and choose who can accentuate your needs and your budget. Reserve the florist, photographer and the beautician as these vendors tend to get booked by others very easily according to their demand. This is the best time to start drafting on your guest list as it will surely get changed as the planning goes on.
4 – 6 Months Before The Wedding
Now that you have finalized the reception venue and the dates, look whether there are any free services that come with the venue. This can prove to be highly effective during the hassle of your wedding, so make sure you don’t miss this. You should research wedding invitations and cake boxes 4 – 6 months before the wedding. Selecting a wedding cake structure and a wedding cake piece caterer is crucial during this time as they tend to get booked frequently. After deciding on these, order the invitations and cake boxes considering the size of the cake piece. Select whether you want a band or a DJ to provide music at your wedding and finalize it by making an advance payment. If you and your partner are working individuals, make sure you are getting leaves from your work for your big day and honeymoon. Since it takes a bit of time for jewelers to make jewelries, place your order for the wedding rings and necklace. This is the time you should be finalizing the decorations with your florist, so pay attention to that task as well. Chanting of Ashtaka and Jayamangala Gathaa are crucial in a traditional wedding, so pay your utmost attention to this. There are many professionals who provide these services along with Kandyan dancing groups and Kevili table, hence, make sure you choose the right one carefully who will also suit your budget accordingly. Book your wedding car for going away. Buying saree/suit materials for you and your group are highly important and this is the time to pay attention to this. Discuss with your seamstress/dress maker about how much material you and your group will be needing and buy the materials from a suitable vendor that can accommodate your needs and budget.
2 – 4 Months Before The Wedding
As the wedding draws nearer, 2 – 4 months prior is the time to place orders or buy your shoes and shoes for your companion group. Make sure you choose a comfortable shoe design so that you don’t have to scratch or adjust your shoe straps every now and then during the reception. Here, the heights of you, your partner and the group will be very important. When you go to buy or place an order for customized shoes, take your entire posse with you. This is special when it comes to the bride because all the bridesmaids and the bride will be wearing high heels. Take your groups to the seamstress and give the measurements and the earlier-bought materials so that she can also easily pan out and adjust to your schedule when preparing your dresses. Wedding pre-shoot is an extremely sought-after trend in modern weddings and this is the time you should be doing it so that you can display the photos at your special day. Discuss with your wedding photographer on a pre-shoot theme and have it done 2 – 4 months prior to your big day.
1 – 2 Months Before The Wedding
You should be sending out the wedding invitations at least one month before your wedding day, so that you can get them to RSVP and allocate some others if they are unable to attend. Before sending out the invitations, it will be convenient if you can count out those who drink liquor so that you can arrange the number of bottles and the amount of bites withoutadditional, unnecessary expenses. Finalize the song list with your partner and family and discuss it with your band or DJ. Remember that they have good experiences regarding this, so take their insights into account as well. This is the time to finalize all the decorations with the florist and the menu and other amenities with the reception hall. It is always better to double check with all the vendors and that is what you should be doing during this time. Since the jeweler should have finished making your rings and necklace, make sure to pick them up and keep them in a safe place until the wedding. Just make sure you don’t forget
what the safe place is! Pick up the shoes from your store or cobbler and break them in. You will be spending your entire day wearing these, so make sure that your feet are used to them to avoid blisters and pain. If the shoes are uncomfortable in any way, take it back to the store and get it fixed. Your shoes are extremely important when it comes to your mood and your partners mood on your wedding day and you don’t want to be complaining or gritting your teeth throughout the day. Schedule the final fittings at the end of this time periods. Try out your outfits along with your shoes to make sure that they are the right length. Giving gifts to the in-laws and the Ashtaka chanting person are traditionally done during the poruwa ceremony, so buy them appropriate gifts and appoint someone close to you to take them to the venue on the big day.
2 – 4 Weeks Before The Wedding
Go over the seating chart arrange the seating. This depends on the reception hall you choose, so discuss with the reception hall manager regarding this. Go over all the invoices and advance receipts issued by the vendors and finalize all the final payments that are to be made. By doing this, you will be completely worry-free on your day. Finalize and go over the wedding menu again with the reception hall manager.
2 Weeks Before The Wedding
2 weeks before the wedding, follow up with the guests that have not RSVP’d yet. You might want to assign someone else to their seats or make last-minute invites accordingly. Schedule a trial make-up and hair session with the beautician so that both of you are on the same page when dressing you and your group. If you are planning to get facials or your hair done, this is the time to get them done and not in the last minute.
1 Week Before The Wedding
Collect all the outfits from the seamstress and prepare an emergency kit for the wedding day which includes plasters, medicine, safety pins, etc., and entrust it to someone who will be close to you on the big day. Make sure to pack all the accessories with the relevant outfits so that nothing goes misplaced. Entrust the outfits for the person who is going to wear them so that you do not have to worry when it comes to the wedding day. Get the final facial done without delaying it any further, so that you will have time to get another one done if necessary.
2 – 3 Days Before The Wedding
Appoint a family member or a trusted friend to gather the gifts at the end of the reception and another one to return all the rented equipment back to the vendors. You should also figure out on any tips for the vendors and put them in marked envelops and entrust them to a family member to hand over at the end of the ceremony. Meet your bridal group and make sure everyone is on the same page for the ceremony to run smoothly.
Day Before The Wedding
Double check whether all the outfits and accessories are in order and confirm your transportation method for you to go to the salon or the hotel. Make sure that your transportation is there on time because time will be crucial on your wedding day. Get a manicure/pedicure the day before the wedding and try to go to bed early to get a good night’s sleep.
On The Wedding Day
Watch everything run smoothly and enjoy your wedding day!
Your wedding day is the memory of a lifetime so it must be preserved in every way possible both in your own mind and the mind of your guests. Take these steps into account very carefully and plan your itinerary with these tips as the guideline and you will have nothing to worry about on your most special day. Enjoy the day you tie the knot with your loved one beside you along with your friends and family and have the time of your life dancing through the day!
