YOUR ULTIMATE WEDDING PLANNING TIMELINE!

FROM YOUR MALLORCA WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHER

We want to share our Wedding Planning timeline tips, for a relaxing Wedding Booking and organizing process

Congratulations! The love of your life has decided to knee down and ask………and you said ¡YES!. Now as many things we do for the first time, you find yourselves opening the gate of an immense field and do not know in what direction to go, or know the basics, but there is a lot to it.

Step two, Start planning your Wedding! you are so ahead in time for yiour Wedding day, but with so many things to do………maybe there is no so much time, but do not panic. We are Professional Wedding Photographers in Mallorca and have experienced a lot of Weddings and when there is good planning ahead of time, you really notice it and you see how the Bride and Groom enjoy every single moment of their Best Day in their Life.

There are invitations to send, menus to taste, seat planning to decide, decorations to pick, and a whole lot more before you throw your celebration and officially tie the knot.

Do not get stressed, we are here as professionals to help you out. We have created a 12-month guideline that we recommend you follow step by step. Tasks, dates, from booking a reception site to distributing a wedding-day schedule to your vendors.

Consider this a countdown to your new life together, and prepare for wedding planning to be a breeze!

12+ Months:

Each of you make a list and start from the Top VIP people you want at your Wedding. These have to be the absolute minimum you would invite if getting married, therefore, the people who really matter. Do not think you are obliged to invite people, just think who are the ones you love and the ones that love you.

12+ Months: Set a Budget

Before you begin any sort of planning, it’s important to determine what your budget is. While tradition deems the bride’s parents responsible for wedding costs, modern day celebrations rarely stick to that rule. Instead, sit with both your parents and your groom’s parents down and politely decide if they’ll be contributing, and if so, how much and for what.

12+ Months: Find and Secure Your Venues

You need a clear idea of approximately how many people you will invite to your Wedding. From a minimum to a maximum amount. Falling in love with a Venue in Mallorca and wanting to have more guests than its real capacity is heart-breaking.

Depending on the Wedding Venue you choose, they may have additional costs you need to take into care and figure if it falls in the Budget you have made.

Take into care the investment in Decoration. Do not choose a venue where you have to waste money to reinvent it. Once you love a Wedding Venue, set a Wedding Date. Avoid Holiday Weekends as it will make Travel for your guests more expensive and maybe paying their whole Holiday in Mallorca.

It is so important……….Let me repeat “SO IMPORTANT” to choose a Wedding in Mallorca Venues with a Plan B. We have 300 days of sun in Mallorca per Year, but from the end of August we tend to have occasional very intense storms. If your Wedding Venue does not have an indoor option and you are certain you are in Love with that Mallorca Wedding Venue, book a Tent 6 months in advance. You can cancel if the weather looks good and only loose a deposit.

12+ Months: Book a Wedding Planner

A Mallorca Wedding Planner is after the Photographer, the most important Vendor you have to have at your Destination Wedding. Take into mind, it is not a cost, it is an investment. Find a Professional Wedding Planner, with good reviews and referrals, that fits the Wedding style you are looking for and get in contact with her. The cost of a wedding planner depends on their tasks and responsibilities. Many full-service planners charge anywhere from 10 to 20 percent of your overall wedding budget.

12+ Months: Put Together Your Wedding Party

Ask people who love and support you to be attendants. You don’t need an even number of groomsmen and bridesmaids. Loved ones don’t come in matched sets; your wedding party doesn’t have to, either.

9+ Months: Begin Registering

People will send gifts starting with the first party thrown for you, be it an engagement celebration or a shower. Set up your wish list (ideally, at two national stores and one local) to make their lives easier

9+ Months: Order Your Dress

It can take up to nine months for a gown you’ve ordered to be made; if you select one early, you’ll avoid rush fees. Very short engagement? Don’t panic. Purchase a sample from a bridal shop, or buy off of the rack from a store or resale website.

9+ Months: Book the Catering, Wedding Photographer, and Band or DJ

If the venue doesn’t provide food, you’ll want to start looking into catering companies now.

When hiring a Wedding Photographer or Videographer, these are going to be the most important Vendor you need to focus and book for your Wedding.

Take into care that we will be the Vendor that most time will be with you and your partner, as well as being with your family and friends. We will be with you from the getting ready to the party. Therefore, we recommend you book a photographer you feel comfortable with, a photographer you connect with during the interview. When I mention interview, you can see fantastic photos on the Wedding Photographer’s webpage or on his/her Instagram, but you should meet several photographers and see how you connect, if they make you smile, laugh, if they feel passionate about their work.

They need to add magic and sparkle to your special day, and create everlasting memories of your Destination Wedding. When you prepare your budget do not underestimate the cost of a photographer. The memories of that fantastic day will not be repeated, you will not get all those people together again. We all take a few epic images at a Wedding, but ask to see an entire wedding he or she has shot, not just the highlights.

Lighting Tips: Photography is an art….well it is the art of capturing light, you just need to choose the photographer that will capture the light in that special way.

Also secure the band or DJ for your big day.

9+ Months: Help Your Guests

Consider booking a block of hotel rooms your guests coming to your Mallorca Wedding to stay in. And while you’re at it, begin to build your wedding website, where guests can find travel information and even RSVP.

We at Ivan Pomposo Photography & Design can create a Wedding Page for you, where you gather all the information for your guests. Just imagine sending all the information via WhatsApp and having constant feedback from your guests or even worse, creating a Group for your Wedding. It can be so distressful. We recommend creating a webpage, where you offer highlights and regular up-to-date recommendations, from Hotels you recommend to book, your wish list, timing of the Wedding, transportation to and from the different Wedding locations or even interesting places to visit during their stay.

6-9 Months: Order Stationery

The first hint guests will have of your wedding’s style is your invitations. Make sure they represent it well.

Send out save-the-dates if you feel your wedding requires them.

They’re best for destination weddings or any other celebration that requires extra guest planning or travel booking.

6-9 Months: Book the Florist

Do you want a florist who just deals in blooms, or an event designer who handles flowers, lighting, and décor? Naturally, you’ll want a bouquet and centrepieces (which should either be shorter than 14 inches or raised more than 24 to allow for conversation).

You should book a florist from the island, that assures you will have no problems with having fresh flowers on your Wedding Day and that knows the locations to perfection and can give you the best tips.

2-6 Months: Mail Invitations

All invites should be sent at least six weeks ahead, allowing your guests adequate time to respond and ensuring that you’ll get a reliable head count a week or two before the event. For destination or holiday-weekend weddings, the earlier they’re sent, the better.

2-6 Months: Plan the Service

When it comes to walking down (and back up) the aisle, you can stick to the standard order. The groom waits at the altar as the wedding party enters, then the ring bearer and flower girl, then the bride escorted by her father or parents. Or, mix it up. You might ask a person of mutual importance to escort both of you, one on each arm; walk one behind the other with your respective parents; or proceed down the aisle together hand in hand.

Do keep guests comfortable and provide seating, even if the ceremony is 10 minutes or less. Don’t make Grandma stand or torture Uncle Rick with his bad knee. Also offer shelter from rain (umbrellas or a tent) or sun (parasols). And set up a water or lemonade station if it’s a hot day. “As simple as this sounds, it can be overlooked,” notes Savage.

Traditionally, the bride’s guests sit to the left of the aisle and the grooms to the right. Reserve the first rows for family, then have ushers escort guests to a spot on the groom’s or bride’s side of the aisle, or let attendees know it’s open seating with a sign that says, “Have a seat—anywhere!”

2-6 Months: Book the Hairstylist and Makeup Artist

Schedule hair appointments for three hours before and makeup appointments at least an hour before; you won’t be harried and attendees won’t be kept waiting. Also test-run a few different options beforehand. No bride wants an ugly surprise the day-of!

2-6 Months: Place Some Orders

By this time, flowers should be decided on, favours should be bought, and groomsmen outfits should be ordered.

2 Months: Get Buying (And Asking)

Order gifts for your wedding party, as well as any extras for the wedding day. These include everything from cake knives and toasting glasses to guest books and unity candles.

And while you’re treating them, let them treat you, by asking your closest guests if they’d be willing to deliver a toast.

6 Weeks: More Essentials

Are you doing a garter toss? Buy the garter. Have your rings been bought? Get them now. Want a signature cocktail at the reception? Start concocting.

And make sure your venue has its loose ends tied as well. Power, for example, is a huge thing to check on. Is there enough for your performers and décor? Where are the outlets?

4 Weeks: Chart, Schedule, Sign, and Plan

By now, your ceremony should be finalized, but small details still need to be taken care of. Arrange seating charts, confirm who’ll be reading and toasting, write your vows, and print your programs. Also shoot your vendors a day-of schedule, so that they’re on the same page as you are.

If rehearsal dinner invitations haven’t been mailed, send them now. Then, research your state laws and secure your marriage license. You won’t be official without it!

2 Weeks: Confirm Details

Make sure your photographer knows the short list and your band or DJ knows the playlist. Whoever’s decorating the reception site should be well informed, and transportation leaders should be assigned if lots of site-to-site guest travel is involved.

Also run the final head count by your caterer. There’s nothing worse than too little food!

Week-Of: Use Those Vacation Days

Job permitting, Take a few days off before the wedding, you need the time to wrap up details, greet traveling friends and family, go to appointments, and to breathe!

Details to Wrap Up

• Picking up your dress and the rings
• Putting together favours and welcome bags
• Confirming delivery and arrival times with vendors, hairstylist, and makeup artist

Tasks to Assign

• A guest-gatherer for photos on wedding day
• A day-of point person for guest questions and concerns
• Someone to take wedding gifts home post-reception

Week-Of: Start Packing

Think like a Boy Scout, and be prepared. You’ll need all of the following gear on the big day.

You Should Bring

• Your dress, shoes, undergarments, and jewellery
• The groom’s and attendants’ gifts (if you didn’t give these tokens of appreciation the night before)
• Your vows, if self-penned, and the wedding bands to hand off to the best man

Your MOH Should Bring

• Ibuprofen
• Bobby pins
• A sewing kit
• Earring backs
• Buttons
• Krazy glue
• Deodorant
• Baby powder
• Stain remover

Day Before: Final Arrangements

Day-before tasks include everything from arranging tip envelopes (for certain vendors and waitstaff) to preparing snacks for the getting-ready rooms (unless they’ve been pre-ordered through your caterer).

To look your best on your special day, invest in a mani and pedi (you’ll need the break, we promise!), and after confirming times and addresses with your transportation (limo, etc.) service, head over to your rehearsal dinner and practice, practice, practice.

Posing Tips: Maybe you wish to check some Posing Tips to get the Absolute Fab Images of your Wedding.

Day-Of: Take Care

Naturally, you’ll have butterflies in your stomach, but having all under control, or having a Wedding Planner will keep you smiling and glowing.

Hydrate: “It’s not just an important day, it’s one of the most ‘talky’ days of your life,” says Savage. Sip water regularly as your wedding day approaches, and take it easy on the alcohol. And while a massage sounds relaxing, don’t have one just before the wedding; it can be dehydrating.

Eat: Breakfast has never been more vital. Be a blushing—not fainting—bride.

Don’t Rush: You can take your time, within reason. Allow up to 15 minutes for stragglers to find seats, but don’t annoy guests with excessive primping.

Day-Of: Enjoy It!

Your monumental day will go by so fast. Take care to stay in the moment.

First, stay close to your new spouse. “Try to stick together the entire reception,”

Also, don’t forget Dad. If you have a good relationship with your father, build a memory by having a moment with him after you’re dressed. “It gets forgotten in the first look with the fiancé.” The same reasoning goes for mom, your sibling, or a grandparent.

Hope these tips are a help to you! Check back for more tips, and be sure to get in touch with any wedding photography questions, or for Mallorca wedding photography bookings. Of course, we’re available for destinations worldwide – but some of our most cherished wedding photos are from wedding albums shot at home here in the Balearic Islands. Get in touch! Be sure to check out Ivan Pomposo Photography & Design if you’re looking for a Mallorca Wedding Film Studio.

Will You Be in Mallorca or Ibiza sometime soon? We’d love to meet you!

Contact Us Here To Arrange A Complimentary Engagement Photography Session!

Happy Planning

Ivan Pomposo