Try one of our 2 simple Wedding Planning Checklist s for planning your Beach Wedding or destination wedding at NC or SC stateline area beaches, or a cool Vows Renewal! These steps should take you 1-5 days to complete. READ ALL STEPS before starting! BTW: we offer “one-stop shopping” in our Packages, but you still need to plan, too:
- FOR BIG GROUPS ~ is for medium and large guest lists, all day, hotel or house, hair, music, food, frills, etc. Scroll down to bottom.
- FOR ELOPERS ~ is for elopements, renewals, or simple, very small, quick, no guests (or a few immediate kin) weddings, see it next:
FOR ELOPERS ~ D.I.Y. Wedding Planning Checklist for Simple, Small, Quick:
(We offer ‘One-Stop Shopping’ in our Packages, but you still need to plan)
- CHOOSE LOCATION: at least pick a state (North Carolina, South Carolina?), and a preferred city/town or beach or second best-a region around a town. Consider your mobility on long boardwalks, shifting sand, staircases, standing for 60 mins, maybe hot weather.
- Consider hiring a simple, cheap videographer-Bob Collins is very reasonable, scroll down on our Suggested Vendors.
- CHOOSE DATE or DATE RANGE: or at least a specific week or few days window, or at least the month and whether you want a weekend or weekday. OR, see #4…
- Got FAVORITE VENDORS / SERVICES? Such as a certain minister or photographer etc? 😉 Contact your must-haves to check availability on dates/location that you want. SET A DATE among those they name. Reserve those favorites (not book yet). TELL those vendors that you love them, and you need to find accommodations first, and you are coming right back. Most normally do a Courtesy Hold for a few days.
- RESEARCH YOUR ACCOMMODATIONS CAREFULLY. We post hotel/house/condo/resort Rentals on our Suggested Vendors webpage. Those names are hot links to their websites. Research next BUT:
- WARNING: most travel websites (tripadvisor, kayak, trivago, hotels, expedia, etc) are paid to list other businesses which are “kinda” nearby but may be up to an hour away! More than 20 mins is a long drive at the beach. So…
- BEFORE you book accommodations, check the actual, physical address of that building! They do post the street address if you dig and click a little bit. Next…
- IF you aren’t sure how far it is from your ceremony site/beach, you may check by putting that street address on Google Maps. Need address of ceremony site? Ask your favorite vendors for that info.
- Some resorts or hotels offer wedding services too…you might not like their fees vs. their actual quality. You can check!
- Choose and BOOK YOUR ACCOMMODATIONS.
- BOOK YOUR FAVORITE VENDORS now. Go back and do the paperwork for them. Read all contracts before signing.
- BOOK OTHER SERVICES: we also offer custom pro flowers, live music, honeymoon basket, but we recommend other good ones only on our Suggested Vendors page. FYI: an experienced hairdresser is a lifesaver for windy, humid beach weddings…worth it even for casual hairdos! (plus all men and other short-haired people NEED to use hairspray/ gel to avoid looking like cockatoos in the wind).
- SET your colors, your theme, tell your vendors.
- GET MARRIAGE LICENSE (Renewals don’t need it): All 50 states require a marriage license from the ceremony location state, NOT your home state:
- See how to get your NC or SC license near these beaches HERE.
- We supply free witnesses to NC weddings while maintaining your privacy. Even for last-minute couples!
- A license from any county can be used in any other county WITHIN the same state!
- 99% of offices are open Mon-Fri only and you must go together with certain IDs and cash.
- Notice: SC requires a wait-period plus 2 visits in-person, so plan that trip well ahead of wedding date.
- Get your rings, choose colors, get your wedding clothes, and get gifts for each other
- Go to engagement parties, answer vendors’ questions quickly.
- Talk privately to each other about:
- what you expect from marriage and from a spouse-name at least 3 things each
- what you plan to contribute to this marriage
- what are your goals and plans for money, income, children, in-laws and home location, legal stuff
- practice listening without planning your reply-just listen actively, take notes, without distractions
- what is difficult for you to imagine or express or do
- Remember you are teammates… work together to help achieve goals, solve problems, make changes
- ask other people who are married for more than 10 years what they do to stay married
- plan your vows
- For wedding trip, email us for good local restaurant and entertainment suggestions (we have lists of websites by email instead)
- Before you leave home: Contact and confirm with all your vendors, pay off balances (or whatever the contracts say).
- IF ceremony is outdoors, be prepared to flex for weather with this advice HERE.
- Pack your suitcases, remember to pack your license and rings, come have fun getting married!
FOR BIG GROUPS ~ D.I.Y. Wedding Planning Checklist with all the Frills:
- CHOOSE LOCATION: at least pick a state (North Carolina, South Carolina?), and a preferred city/town or beach or second best-a region around a town.
- GUESTS: decide how many and who-HERE IS HOW. Honest advice: for a destination wedding, fewer is good.
- Consider the health and mobility of elderly and handicapped on long boardwalks, shifting sand, staircases, standing for 30 mins, maybe hot weather.
- Consider whether you help them find hotels/houses. Do some guests need pet-friendly hotels? some need chairs?
- Consider guests’ cars parking space at wedding site, OR renting transportation vans (some hotels offer it).
- Consider school days for guests with kids.
- Consider hiring a videographer to record for those not attending-scroll down on our Suggested Vendors.
- CHOOSE DATE or DATE RANGE: or at least a specific week or few days window, or at least the month and whether you want a weekend or weekday. OR, see #4…
- Got FAVORITE VENDORS / SERVICES? Such as a certain minister or photographer, reception site, etc? 😉 Contact your must-haves to check availability on dates/location that you want. SET A DATE among those they name. Reserve those favorites (not book yet). TELL those vendors that you love them, and you need to find accommodations first, and you are coming right back. Most normally do a Courtesy Hold for a few days.
- RESEARCH YOUR ACCOMMODATIONS CAREFULLY. We post hotel/house/condo/resort Rentals on our Suggested Vendors webpage. Those names are hot links to their websites. Research next BUT:
- WARNING: most travel websites (tripadvisor, kayak, trivago, hotels, expedia, etc) are paid to list other businesses which are “kinda” nearby but may be up to an hour away! More than 20 mins is a long drive at the beach. So…
- BEFORE you book accommodations, check the actual, physical address of that building! They do post the street address if you dig and click a little bit. Next…
- IF you aren’t sure how far it is from your ceremony site/beach, you may check by putting that street address on Google Maps. Need address of ceremony site? Ask your favorite vendors for that info.
- Some resorts or hotels offer wedding services too…you might not like their fees vs. their actual quality. You can check!
- Choose and BOOK YOUR ACCOMMODATIONS.
- BOOK YOUR FAVORITE VENDORS now. Go back and do the paperwork for them. Read all contracts before signing.
- BOOK YOUR FOOD: for catering or a private restaurant room. We have a list of good local ones, email us.
- BOOK a day-of Coordinator if you have 30 or more guests. Seriously, you shouldn’t be working on wedding day.
- SET your colors, your theme, tell your vendors.
- BOOK OTHER SERVICES: we also offer professional flowers, live or recorded music, honeymoon basket, etc, but we recommend other good ones only on our Suggested Vendors page. FYI: an experienced hairdresser is a lifesaver for windy, humid beach weddings…worth it even for casual hairdos! (plus all men and other short-haired people NEED to use hairspray / gel to avoid looking like cockatoos in the wind).
- Book an engagement Photo Shoot…use your fave pic on your invites, Save-the-Date cards, table decor at reception!
- Send out invitations. Require guests to RSVP by one month ahead.
- GET MARRIAGE LICENSE (Renewals don’t need it): All 50 states require a marriage license from the ceremony location state, NOT your home state:
- See how to get your NC or SC license near these beaches HERE.
- We supply free witnesses to NC weddings while maintaining your privacy. Even for last-minute couples!
- A license from any county can be used in any other county WITHIN the same state!
- 99% of offices are open Mon-Fri only and you must go together with certain IDs and cash.
- Notice: SC requires a wait-period plus 2 visits in-person, so plan that trip well ahead of wedding date.
- Get your rings, get your wedding clothes, and get gifts for attendants & for each other
- Go to engagement parties, collect RSVPs, answer vendors’ emails questions quickly.
- Talk privately to each other about:
- what you expect from marriage and from a spouse-name at least 3 things each
- what you plan to contribute to this marriage
- what are your goals and plans for money, income, children, in-laws and home location, legal stuff
- practice listening without planning your reply-just listen actively, take notes, without distractions
- what is difficult for you to imagine or express or do
- Remember you are teammates… work together to help achieve goals, solve problems, make changes
- ask other people who are married for more than 10 years what they do to stay married
- plan your vows
- For wedding trip, email us for good local restaurant and entertainment suggestions (we have lists of websites by email instead)
- Last 2 weeks before ceremony: Contact and confirm with all your vendors, coordinator, pay off balances (or whatever the contracts say).
- IF ceremony is outdoors, be prepared to flex for weather with this advice HERE.
- Pack your suitcases, remember to pack your license and rings, come have fun getting married!
