Wedding Duties: Responsibilities of the Bride

So you’ve just gotten engaged and you’re floating on cloud 9 – now the fun part starts: Planning the Wedding! For many engaged couples, this is a daunting task and can be quite overwhelming. Most of us use Pinterest as a tool to collect ideas for the big day, but setting those plans in motion is a whole new task. If you’re unsure where to start, we have just the solution for you! Today we’re kicking off with a series to help you know who has to do which tasks – so start delegating and let the planning begin! Our first installment is the duties of the Bride.

Budget

Discuss your budget with your fiancé and your parents. This is the most important step in planning your wedding as it will determine the suppliers you will be able to book. Keep track of your budget by compiling a spreadsheet, setting out the amounts you can spend on each supplier. Keep it updated as you pay suppliers to stay within budget and prevent over-spending.

Organise Engagement Party

This is an optional step. An engagement party is a great way to celebrate your upcoming wedding with your friends and family. It also allows you the opportunity to introduce your family to your fiancé’s family, allowing them to get acquainted before the big day.

Choose your Bridal Party

Your Maid of Honour and Bridesmaids will play a crucial role in the planning and execution of your wedding day, so choose wisely. Pick friends or siblings who you know you can rely on, and who will help you wherever they can. 

Make a Guest List

Decide on the size of the wedding you and your fiancé would like to have. This is where determining a budget first comes in handy, as it will help you know how many guests you can realistically invite. If you’re having an intimate wedding a good piece of advice when it comes to who gets invited is: If you see yourself still being in contact with them in 10 years, invite them. If you’re opting for a wedding with many guests, this is the time you can ask the respective parents if they would like to invite guests too.

Book your Suppliers

If you are getting married in the peak season, it’s best to book your suppliers as soon as possible. At the top of the list should be your Venue. Other important suppliers to book are Coordinator, Photographer, Videography, Caterer, Hair and Make-up Stylist, Stationery, DJ/Band, Florist, and Wedding Cake (find all of our top suppliers in your area right here).

Choose and Order Wedding Invitations

If your photographer offers an engagement shoot in their wedding photography package, you can use those images for your Save the Dates and Invitations – stationers are more than willing to incorporate photographs in your design. If you would rather follow a non-photographic route, your stationer should be able to provide you with examples of their previous work and help you with your perfect design. Keep in mind that your wedding stationery is what sets the tone for your wedding day – and design your stationery according to your theme.

Choose Wedding Gown and Hairstyle/Make-up

Whether you hire, buy or have your wedding gown custom-made for you, it’s always a good idea to try on different styles before you make a decision. It’s best to see what shape suits you before you go to the big expense. This will also help determine what your hairstyle should look like – whether it should be up or down, and how your make-up will tie in to complete your look.

Bridesmaids Dresses

After you’ve decided on your theme and colour scheme, you can discuss options with your bridal party for their dresses. It is quite acceptable that the bride determines the colour scheme of the dresses. Many brides have been giving their bridesmaids the choice of dress in recent times however, just requiring them to stick to the colour scheme. This is a great gesture on your part because it shows you value their opinion and take into consideration what looks best on each individual. You should also decide if you want Flower Girls in the procession, as they will need to have dresses too.

Send Invitations

If you’re sending Save the Dates, that can be sent far in advance to notify guests of your upcoming wedding. Anything from 8-12 months is fine. In that case, the wedding invitations can be sent 8-12 weeks before the wedding day, as your guests are already aware of the wedding date. If you are not sending Save the Dates, you should send your wedding invitations out 3-4 months before the wedding. Just remember to notify out of town and overseas guests much earlier than that.

Shop for your Registry

This is a really fun part of the wedding planning process and can be done 3-4 months in advance. If you have a favourite store, ask if they have a Registry service. You can also make use of online shops that offer Registry services. Be sure to add relevant Registry information to your wedding invitations so your guests know where to buy your gifts.

Pack for Honeymoon

If you are involved in the planning process, this will be an easy task. If you’re not sure where you are going on honeymoon, ask your Maid of Honour to coordinate with your fiancé, and she can pack for you.

Purchase Groom’s Wedding Ring

Traditionally the Bride pays for the Groom’s wedding ring. You can have this done relatively quickly and can be done at your wedding jeweller, or you can purchase a ring from a jewellery store. Be sure get his input on the design – he is the one who has to wear it after all!

Complete all Legal Paperwork for Marriage

The most important is discussing your Antenuptial Contract with your fiancé and having that drawn up. Your Officiant will also notify you of any other additional documents required for him to obtain your marriage licence. Other documents you will have to change after the wedding is your ID, Passport and Driver’s Licence.

Now that you know what your duties are, you can start planning! Be sure to follow our series – the next in our series is the Groom’s Duties. We have also covered Responsibilities of the Couple, and the Maid of Honour’s Duties. Have a look at our Duties of the Wedding Party board on Pinterest for more! Feel free to leave us a comment if you have any questions.