Eight, seven ...

In the holiday rush, I've pushed aside my wedding calendar countdown. Time to check off what I should be doing with eight and seven months to go.

Eight months:
1. Book all vendors. -- We are sending the deposit check to the hotel/caterer by the end of the month. The flower guy only needs a month's notice and no deposit. The lovely photog will accept her money this spring.
2. Register for gifts. -- Given the destination wedding, we are not asking for gifts. But we did tell guests that we are setting up a "honeymoon account" if they want to give us money.
3. Make a preliminary guest list. -- Oh, so far ahead. We've sent out the save-the-date cards already. But we are getting some mixed reaction from my family, so we might end up swapping out their invites for other friends. We'll see.
4. Order a wedding dress if you're going traditional. -- Hey, that's what got this whole thing started. I did try it on the other day to make sure it still fits. I'm in the clear as long as I resist hitting the bottle and binging on Christmas cookies.

Seven months:
1. Decide what type of honeymoon you want and research destinations. -- I think Damen Avenue in Chicago suits us just fine at this point.
2. Rent any supplies you will need for the wedding. -- Hotel/caterer owner is doing this.
3. Book hotel rooms for out-of-town guests. -- We have this taken care of for some guests, but we still need to contact an "overflow" hotel.
4. Shop for bridesmaids' dresses. -- No need. We are having everyone stand up for us, or at least stand up, during the ceremony. Dress code is look pretty and stay cool.