Five to four months before (by November 20)

• Book the rehearsal and rehearsal dinner venues
  We've booked both!
• Check on printing of wedding invitations
  Dude, I am way ahead of you.
• Order the cake
  We have a three-tier cake with chocolate fudge designs, filled with yellow cake and fruit filling, soaked in brandy. It will be AMAZING.
• Send the guest list to the bridal shower hostess
  Not yet. Not worried.
  
• Purchase shoes and start dress fittings
  I have my shoes, but I can't start my fittings until my dress comes in! Any day now...
  
• Schedule hair and makeup artists
  I've had my hair person for months, but I haven't found someone to do makeup yet.
• Choose songs
  We've picked all of our ceremony music (except for the groom's processional) and probably our first dance.
  
• Plan welcome baskets
  I know these can be really nice and thoughtful, especially when people are traveling for your wedding. But most of our guests are not traveling far, and those that are will be staying with their families (who are just as local as D and I are to the venue) and we're not really planning to extend our budget here. So we won't be doing welcome baskets. We might do bathroom baskets.