The key to ensuring your wedding runs smoothly is preparation and organisation. Elena Papargiris chats with celebrity wedding planner Colin Cowie to uncover the tricks of the trade and presents a timeline to help you plan your wedding with ease.

Classic case scenario: as you rummage through the stack of bridal magazines and flyers piled around you, trying to hold onto all the advice given to you by those recently married, you begin to feel lost when it comes time to start planning your wedding – but it doesn’t have to be so daunting.

The secret is to stay organised and take one step at a time, and the best way to do this is with a timeline. Here, we present you with a 12 month guide to help you along your way, with the expert advice of celebrity wedding planner, Colin Cowie. He’s planned parties for Oprah Winfrey, Jennifer Aniston and Hugh Hefner, just to name a few, and makes regular appearances on The Ellen DeGeneres Show and The Today Show, as well as having authored eight bestselling books.

With your own timeline and advice from the very best wedding planner, you can begin planning your wedding with confidence.

12 MONTHS TO GO
Picture your ideal wedding; the colours, the details, the dress, the smells and sounds – then you can begin to plan it as close as possible to your dream within the boundaries of your set budget.

“My philosophy is to dream big, then fill in the details,” says Cowie. “Assemble a mood board of things you like, [such as] dresses, bouquets, cakes, centrepieces and linens, so you can articulate your vision with your vendors,” he advises.

A good buy to help you find inspiration is Wedding Chic, a book by Cowie which includes over 1000 images of weddings he has created. Buy yourself a bridal diary to keep all your wedding documents in and to write down all your appointment and booking dates so you stay organised.

Then, set the date and decide on your budget. Many people set their date based on availability of the reception and ceremony venue where they would like to be married, so give yourself time and visit a few venues before you decide.

Bride-to-be Jasmine Hassan has done just that. “I am in the process of trying to find a venue that suits our budget, as I think it’s very important to have a budget before you start booking anything,” she says.

You must then decide on your theme or style and whether it will be informal, formal or semi-formal, classical or modern.

“There seems to be a big trend towards formality again. This is clearly a result of the British royal wedding, the Monaco wedding and Chelsea Clinton’s wedding last year. Bigger and more expensive weddings are starting to pop up again,” explains Cowie.

Before you hit the eight month mark, you want to have your main wedding services booked in so the structure of your wedding is set. Secure your ceremony and reception venue, the band/DJ and the officiant. Venues are sometimes booked over a year in advance, so if you find one you’re happy with, make sure you put a deposit down to secure the date.

“After I book the venue, the next important thing for me is getting my dress,” says Hassan. Your dress is one of the most important things to plan. Couture and custom-made gowns can take between eight months and a year to create, so start dress hunting as early as possible. You have to allow time for alterations, fittings and, of course, choosing your accessories to match.

8 MONTHS TO GO
So what’s next? If you haven’t already done so, the eight month mark is a good time to choose your bridal party. They will take care of jobs such as your kitchen tea and hens night so you won’t have to worry about them.

Next, book the caterer. Before you do, participate in multiple tastings and work out a menu that reflects your sense of taste and style. Most venues will provide a caterer, but if they don’t, make sure you find your own!

When planning your menu, Cowie recommends choosing quality over quantity. “Offer a better cut of meat and quality of wine instead of party favours, serve a delicious three-course meal including dessert instead of an elaborate multi-course menu, and offer a signature cocktail instead of the proverbial red wine, white wine and water – save them for the meal service,” he says.

“There is an art to throwing a wedding and it’s all in the timing. If it’s a seated meal, it should be served within an hour and a half with no lag between courses, and appropriate music playing in the background to enable conversation when guests are seated around the table.”

This is also the time to meet with photographers and videographers. You need to choose the right person as their job is important. A good option is to go with someone who is recommended by a close friend. You should start shopping for your bridesmaids’ dresses, allowing enough time if you want to get them made. Around this time you should also begin your list of desired guests and their addresses. With all of your friends and family, this can sometimes get out of hand, so agree on a maximum number of guests with your fiancé early on.

If you choose to have a gift registry, start organising this now before the six month mark. A gift registry will make gift buying easier for your guests as they will know what you need and want, but make sure you choose items of a range of prices so there is something for everyone.

Another big aspect to plan is your hair and makeup. It is important to have a trial before you decide on booking anyone, so look around and take recommendations from others seriously.

Take cut outs from magazines to trials to provide a sense of the look you want. Even if you don’t have your trials at this stage, ensure you start looking at different companies and book hair and makeup trials for around the 5–6 month mark.

Don’t forget the rings! Although you don’t have to purchase them right away, now is a good time to start looking at options with your fiancé.

6 MONTHS TO GO
By this time you should have the main services booked in and ready to go, but it’s not done yet.

You need to finalise the guest list you prepared earlier and send out your save the date cards. This is also important so that you can determine the number of invitations and thank you cards that you need to order.

Finalise the menu for your reception with the caterer and do a tasting. Also, find a good wedding vendor so you can buy your invitations, centrepieces, bomboniere, linen and any other décor, like candles.

“Make it as personal as possible; the food you serve, the music playing, the vows you read, [and] the colours you work with are all elements that should be personalised … at the end of the day, when you walk down the aisle it’s that single thread of well edited ideas that will create the look, feel and spirit of your wedding story,” says Cowie.

And don’t forget the honeymoon. Visit a travel agent and discuss different destinations with your fiancé. The earlier you book, the lower the airfares will usually be, so keep the honeymoon in mind amidst all the planning for the day.

With around four months until the big day, book your florist. Decide on your bouquet so they can start organising it, as well as your bridesmaids’ flowers and any other arrangements you want to incorporate on the day.

When asked what he would leave until later to plan, Cowie says: “I usually design the cake last – I like to assemble a board of all the materials and fabrics being used for the wedding décor, and then take a meeting with the cake baker to go over design inspiration and to use elements from your wedding integrated into the décor of your cake, making it that much more personal vs. selecting a cake from a portfolio.”

3 MONTHS TO GO
The most important thing at this stage is sending out the invitations. Your invitations will set the toneof what’s to come – no pressure! You should also arrange your transport for the day and choose your playlist for the night with your band or DJ.

Choose a location for your rehearsal dinner, making any necessary deposits and reservations. Stay organised on this night by making a list for everyone to follow so they have no doubt about what is required of them on the day.

By this stage your dress should be almost ready. Book in your final fitting and alterations for yourself and your bridesmaids. Your checklist will begin to look a lot more manageable at this point and you will be thankful you followed a timeline.

If you haven’t already organised your and your bridesmaids’ jewellery, accessories and shoes, now is a good time to do so. Ensure you choose a pair of shoes that will keep you happy throughout what will be a very long day with the spotlight on you. You should have also chosen your hairdresser and makeup artist. If you haven’t started trials already, do so now.

1 MONTH TO GO
All you should be worrying about with one month to go is finalising the last tiny details and, of course, keeping calm.

Design your wedding programs and name cards if you haven’t already done so and apply for your marriage licence. Your hens night will also be around the corner, so choose something fabulous to wear and get ready to enjoy a much deserved fun night.

You should have a final gown fitting and work with your hairdresser to incorporate your veil, if you have one, into your hairstyle. You also need to call all the services you have booked for the day to finalise everything and make sure it’s all on track and confirmed in writing.

Even though you will naturally think about all the things that could possibly go wrong, try to banish them from your mind and assure yourself that you will have a fabulous day regardless of whether everything is perfect or not. Whatever happens, nothing could be worse than the crisis Cowie encountered at the very first wedding he planned!

“It was in a gorgeous Sir Herbert Baker home set on 250 acres with rolling lawns and beautiful scenery just outside of Johannesburg. All was going well until a herd of Brahmin cattle decided to make their way across the pasture toward the wedding site in search of the fragrant flowers I used to decorate the arbour.

“Within minutes it was an all-you-can-eat buffet, with cattle feasting on the flowers decorating the ceremony area. Seeing what was happening, my staff and I ran to every table to get the centrepieces to a safe place. The herder corralled the cattle after their fragrant feasting and fortunately we were able to reset the tables and carry on with the luncheon. Definitely something I’ll never forget. Thankfully the bride and groom found it amusing!”

Rule number one – ensure your sense of humour is intact on the odd chance cattle decide to crash your wedding! Of course, this is unlikely, but remember to enjoy the day for what it is.

2 WEEKS TO GO
Two weeks before your wedding you should prepare final payments for your vendors and write and/or rehearse your vows.

Make sure you are happy with your dress, hair, makeup and shoes, and if not, fix any problems now to ensure you have your dream look.

You should also call any guests who haven’t responded about their attendance and then call the venue and the caterer to give them a final head count. Then you can also finalise your floor and seating plan.

Pick up your marriage licence and organise all the legal documents required for changing your name, if you decide to take your husband’s name.

All that’s left now is to confirm your services once more and look into parking arrangements for the day.

WHAT’S LEFT?
Pamper yourself! Get a pedicure, manicure, facial, massage, spray tan – little extras to make you look radiant and feel special and relaxed after a hard 12 months of planning.

Check on your seating arrangements and make any last minute changes, and try on your outfit. From the dress to the shoes and accessories, make sure everything is there and that you are happy.

Run through your checklist and ensure everything is ticked off and then, finally, pass the rings over to the best man or woman. Make sure you get your beauty sleep the night before and remember to eat something on the day! Make the most of what will be one of the most memorable days of your life.

In the wise words of Colin Cowie, “A great party is more than just beautiful flowers and great music; it’s a combination of all the elements weaved together that creates a journey from the moment guests arrive until they depart, with a carefully thought out beginning, middle and end.”

Last but not least, enjoy every step of the planning process!