Wedding Planning
How to plan for a wedding: guidelines – Planning for a wedding is not an easy task, it involves thorough organization, accurate planning, and a good head for punctuality and good memory. It can be extremely stressful especially as the big day approaches when couples worry about coordinating all of the details of the wedding, just to make sure everything goes according to plan. But it can also be a rewarding experience.
If you’re planning your wedding yourself, it’s a good idea to hand over some control of the wedding planning duties to a member of your family such as a parent, as the countdown to your wedding day gets closer and closer. This way, you’ll have time to do some essential bridal preparations, including wedding gown fittings, a selection of bridesmaid’s dresses, and the arrangements for hair and make-up.
But regardless of whether you can afford to hire your own wedding planner or instead have to rely on yourself and your family to get your wedding plans running like clockwork, it’s important to maintain a tight rein over your wedding preparations to ensure things go the way you want them to.
So, it is advisable to set a budget, even before you start to make plans. This way you’d be able to organize the details according to the budget you can afford.
Compile a guest list. It’s a good idea to determine your out-of-town guest list first, and then draw up an entire guest list. You’ll also need to decide key dates, such as your engagement party, your bachelor/bachelorette bash, your rehearsal dinner, and of course, your actual wedding day.
One of the most important details of the wedding that you have to decide on is the actual date of the wedding. This is usually the detail that is taken care of first. Factors in choosing a date include the availability of the venue where the wedding will take place and the availability of friends and family on the assigned date.
Some venues where weddings are held offer discounts on days when traditionally, weddings are not held. The time the wedding takes place also become a factor in the expense. For example, morning, and afternoon receptions are somewhat cheaper than receptions held at nighttime.
It’s also crucial to calculate how much space you’ll need before you decide on where to book the location for your wedding. You might have had your heart set on the lavish ballroom at the local hotel, but if the space available at the venue is simply too big (or small), it won’t be practical to hold your wedding there.
Once you’ve chosen your ceremony location, make sure you don’t just book it for the day of your wedding but also book for your rehearsal as well! Also, choose a florist and invite them to look over the wedding location with you, so your flower arrangements can be tailored specifically to harmonize with your ceremony as much as possible.
Once you’ve done this, you can now choose a venue for the wedding. Some places offer discounts, depending on the time of year. Just after the holidays, would be a good time to hold a wedding if you are considering the cost. This time is not considered a ‘peak time’, therefore the price tends to be less expensive.
If you choose to have your wedding in a hotel, you’re sure to find many hotel wedding packages to suit you. This way, you’ll be able to house your out-of-town guests in the same hotel as the wedding ceremony and take advantage of the expert wedding planning advice that experienced hotel experts can give.
For couples who are about to get married, it is important to talk about the size of the wedding they both have in mind. The dream wedding of one person might not be that of the other. So it is necessary for couples to discuss details regarding the arrangement of the wedding, such as the location of the venue/reception, the number of people who get invited to the wedding reception, and the choice of entertainment.
When making the guest list, consider the space capacity of your chosen venue. It is important to reach an agreement pertaining to the guest list and the entourage.
Whether a couple wants to keep the wedding an intimate affair, in which case the bride and groom will just invite their family and friends; or maybe, they’d want to make this affair, into the wedding of the century. In which case, the bride and groom get to invite the whole neighborhood, long-lost relatives, high school buddies, etc., in addition to their friends and family.
Hire a professional to capture this momentous occasion. Sure your friends can take good pictures, and most of them own a camcorder. But for this special occasion, you would want something special, lasting, and visually presentable. So you’d have something to remember this occasion by. This way you could also share them with your friends and family.
Don’t forget the cake! It’s best to have a tasting first, before settling on a cake. Invite your family and friends, for the cake tasting. This way, this task becomes fun for everyone!
Order wedding invitations. If you want to get creative, you can always print your own invites. This way, you can customize them, and add a more personal touch to the invitation.
Don’t forget to start looking for a wedding gown months before the wedding. This way, the bride has plenty of time to make a selection. Also, the groom should make arrangements to rent or buy a tuxedo, preferably in advance also. Just in case you encounter some trouble with the fitting, you’d have some time to make other arrangements.
And while it’s easy to get caught up in the more romantic bits of wedding planning, like choosing what music to have and buying wedding rings, it’s also important to keep in mind certain legal necessities, such as applying for a marriage license and looking into changing your name (if applicable).
If you don’t have enough time on your hands, or just find the preparations that go into planning a wedding too overwhelming, you can always hire a wedding planner. This way, everything gets organized and coordinated for you.
Wedding Planning Books
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