Wedding Planning Advice for a Memorable Wedding
Thinking of making your wedding a memorable one? The right way to make it a grand one is by considering wedding planning advice.
A wedding might be a complex job if you don’t know how to arrange the wedding. But you can easily make it an easy task with the wedding planning information and tips. Planning a wedding is necessary as it helps you execute all your ceremonies on a nominal budget.
The fundamental thing you need to apprehend about planning a wedding is the budget. It is because of a budget one seeks wedding planning advice.
Wedding planning advice usually takes care of everything that you are looking for to make your reception ceremony grand including your honeymoon plan.
There are few tips that mention (do’s and do not’s) to make your wedding ceremony popular. This day is precious for you so you do not want to make everything displeased.
With the wedding tips, you can avoid the mess that usually pops up during the arrangement of things. By following the guidelines of wedding advice you can make the ceremony less stressful.
Wedding planning starts from purchasing of engagement ring and ends with your honeymoon trip. You can choose the dress, rings, flowers, venues, and also book hotels for your honeymoon without any hassle. The design of the ring and its budget are all included in the planning.
The wedding planners are professional and very well know how to make a wedding ceremony popular and memorable. They will advise you to choose things that best suit your taste and also overhaul the wedding venue.
The planners will book venues and also take care of the videographer, photographer, food and drink, flower locations, music, and related decorations. They will decorate the setting so that it looks like a fairy world. You can also get wedding planning advice online which is available every season.
With wedding planners, you can get hints to make your wedding memorable. If you are seeking advice and share your excitement with dear ones then start a blog.
The blog gives you the opportunity to update your party arrangements and also get connected to your friends. Blogs are a potent networking tool and give you the unique opportunity to remain connected.
A wedding blog does not differ much and also are interesting to readers who immediately respond to your writing which motivates you in turn.
The most excellent way to make your wedding a joyful moment is by seeking the advice of a wedding planner a few months earlier. They are professional and can plan your wedding in a more suitable manner.
Wedding Planning Where To Start
Wedding planning can be intimidating at first and for good reasons. Nightmares of late tux deliveries, ugly wedding cakes, and makeup-stained wedding dresses could scare anyone. The best way to have the “perfect wedding” is to start off on a good foot. You can start planning your wedding right now without spending a dime.
Select a Wedding Date
After you’ve told the world that you’re tying the knot, it is a good idea to not take too long to select a wedding date.
That way when you are shopping wedding vendors, you know what date you need beforehand. It keeps you from putting things off because the wedding date will be quickly approaching.
It gives your friends and family time to plan ahead. It is a good idea to tell them as early as possible, especially if you’re getting married in the summer, due to many people planning vacations during that time.
Wedding Coordinating Help
Hire a wedding coordinator. I know you think it is expensive, but you will thank yourself in the end. If you don’t want to bear the expense of hiring a wedding coordinator, get talented family members to help you. Any type of help will do.
Sometimes getting a second opinion can help you think about issues that you would not have thought of before. Above all, you should be enjoying yourself and not stressing out, and getting some help will help you accomplish that.
What Type of Wedding Do You Want?
Your wedding coordinator can help you determine the type of feel you want your wedding to give. Do you want it small and intimate, big and formal, or somewhere in between? How about the time? If you have a lot of out-of-town guests it may be a good idea to have your wedding in the early evening, but not too late. Having your wedding at 10 AM may not go over too well with them.
Wedding Organizer
Wedding Organizers like notebooks or software can keep you from going into the insane asylum, as you probably can’t and shouldn’t try to keep all those numbers in your head.
This way you are less likely to forget the small expenses that tend to add up in the end like wedding dress shoes, slips, and veils. At the very least, attempt to carry a notebook with you and record your wedding budget, expenses and tasks.
Wedding Planner & Organizer – Designed for American weddings, Amazon’s choice
Wedding Guest List
Making a wedding guest list now is not too early. Well, at least attempt to do it! Combine the guest lists of future in-laws with your parents and your own guest lists for a good starting point. Don’t fret too much at first, because this will only be a rough draft.
Your wedding coordinator can help you with this also. A good idea for all of you is to start off with those you must invite and end with those who you would like to invite and go from there.
Choose Your Colors
Picking your color scheme will, of course, make decorating a whole lot easier. The wedding décor that you want so badly may not come in the colors that you want, so it is good to do this early on. The same idea goes for the wedding party’s attire.
Above all, relax! It is your wedding day, not a final exam. And if something goes a little awry on your wedding day, try not to panic. Usually, things work out in the end when you have loved ones to help you.
Wedding Planning Stress-free
Top 5 Ways To Have a Stress-free Wedding
Stress, anxiety, and weddings seem to go hand in hand. There are so many small details to look after, so many decisions to make. Everyone wants a say in how you do it. So how do you get through it all with stress? It’s pretty simple. Just decide not to let yourself get stressed out.
You do have a choice in the matter. How you approach wedding planning and the people you work with will decide how your experience goes. Things can and do go wrong, however, if you let it ruin the entire process, then you are the one that suffers. Cope with things the best you can and know it will work out in the end.
1. Have a Good Attitude
It’s true that life is what we make of it. If you go into wedding planning with a negative attitude, then things will go wrong. If you have a positive attitude, things tend to fall into place. A better attitude also makes people want to work with you and do their best for you. Remember, your wedding is going to be incredible and beautiful as long as you see it that way.
Your guests will also pick up on your feelings, so spread a little happiness and let yourself enjoy the planning, the day, and the celebration. Be sure to be kind to yourself during the planning, whether this means visiting a spa or taking a long walk to regroup.
2. Money
More fights happen over money than anything else. It’s the source of most of the problems with weddings. One way to get over that is to figure out how much money you have to spend. Figure out your ideal budget, and then have a meeting with everyone who will be contributing.
This may just be the groom or it may be the bride’s parents or the groom’s parents as well. Once you know how much money you have to spend, stay within that budget. Even if it’s not as much as you had hoped for, create the most incredible wedding with what you have. You might need to get a little more creative than usual, but make that a fun challenge.
3. Be Kind To The Groom
While little girls dream about their weddings and plan them for years in their imaginations, men don’t. They usually don’t care what dresses the girls are wearing or what colors you choose for a color scheme.
This DOES NOT mean he doesn’t care about you. He does. When he tells you he wants you to choose what will make you happy, he means it. So be kind. If he wants to be involved, let him, but if he’d rather watch football, then set aside a little bit of time each week to get his input, then make the decisions that will make you happy.
4. First Thought Best Thought
When you make a decision, let that be it. Don’t second-guess yourself. Once you’ve decided, then go to the next decision otherwise you will make yourself crazy. There are so many options for dresses, hair, table settings, and more. You know what you like, so go for it and don’t waste time with regrets.
5. Love Your Family
You don’t have to love your family all the time, but on your wedding day, show them some love. Put past differences behind you and be gracious. If you are negative, that negativity will spread and you’ll end up being upset.
If you encounter someone who is rude or disrespectful, then walk away and don’t waste any energy on it. Be kind and loving and it will come back to you.
Your wedding day will come and go whether you follow this advice or not. However, to get the most out of your experience and your special day, let yourself be happy, enjoy it, and forget about stress.
The Importance Of A Wedding Planning Guide
Unless you plan weddings for a living, you might not realize all of the things that need to be done to get a wedding off the ground. There are so many tasks that some brides begin to become stressed and overwhelmed by the job.
Having a good wedding planning guide will help you to understand the importance of each task and how you should get it accomplished. There should be tips and advice for brides who are planning their own wedding.
There are some things that you know you need to have accomplished but do not know how to go about it. For instance, you know you have to hire a caterer, but unless you have done this before you might not be aware of the questions you should ask and the special requests that you can make.
A wedding planning guide will help you through every step of the process and aid you in making the right decisions.
You will also find some truly unique ideas if you use a wedding planning guide. You will get the latest news on trends in the wedding industry. Weddings change all the time and every year there is something new that is happening in the industry. Keep informed on all of this information and find some great ideas that you never even thought of.
There will also be some great ideas for the decorating and table settings at your reception. You don’t have to stick with the traditional unless that is what you want.
There are many new ideas that have been tried to great success at weddings today. The latest trend is action pictures for the photographer. Find out if your photographer can accommodate this for your photos.
The bottom line is that brides need to be super organized to plan an event of the size of a wedding. That is the reason that many people choose to hire a wedding planner for their planning needs.
You will not need to hire an outside consultant if you use some of the free wedding planning guide programs online. This will give you all of the benefits of a wedding planner without the cost.
Find a good wedding planning guide and use it to help you be more organized. If you are trying to coordinate a large wedding you will need any help you can get to stay organized and sane.
Ask for help from your fiancé and bridesmaids during this very stressful time. It isn’t necessary for the bride to have the entire burden on her shoulders for a perfect wedding. Take advantage of the help that is out there for you to plan the wedding you have always dreamed about.
Step By Step Wedding Planning Guide
Some might say that one’s wedding day is the most important day of their lives. It is a union that is only surpassed by the birth of one’s children. The key to a happy and well-organized wedding is preparation and organization. That is the goal of this step-by-step wedding planning guide.
Some people may think that all the hype about wedding planning is just overplayed, however, that is not the case. Planning your wedding can be one of the most complicated things to do, especially if you don’t prepare yourself for the long list of things that need to be done.
This quick little wedding checklist should help you get all aspects of your wedding moving in the right direction.
The Breakdown
Let’s break down planning your wedding into 3 sections. First, we will talk about the budget, location, guest list, and theme for the wedding. Once we have a direction on the where; we will move to the when. Those are the first and foremost things that need to be considered and decided before any further steps are taken.
Then we will move over to all the booking and reservations that are involved with wedding planning. This would include aspects like catering, the band, and the photographer.
The last thing that we will cover in this wedding checklist will be the maid of honor and the bridesmaids; the best man and the groomsmen; the ushers, the ring bearer, and the flower girls.
Section 1
The first thing to consider when you begin planning your wedding is the budget. This is usually a touchy subject; as it is traditionally the parents of the bride who will foot the bill. However; now that we have entered the 21st century; just like many other common traditions; the parents are no longer expected to carry all of the financial weight.
The funds can come from anywhere, but the most important thing is getting a realistic estimate of what you will have to spend. Once you know how much you can spend; you know how much you can afford.
The next thing on the wedding checklist in this step-by-step wedding planning guide is the guest list. Many think that this is the hardest part of wedding planning because it has to be based on the budget.
Deciding how many are going to be on your guest list does take precedence, to most people, over the location and theme. This is because of how special this day is.
It all revolves around how many close friends and family members you want to share your special day with. Some may want to decide the location, theme, and guest list all at once; as these will be the major contributors to the overall expense.
Either way, the guest list is a crucial factor when considering the realistic budget you have to divvy up for the other aspects of your wedding.
Now the wedding checklist comes to the location and theme. The further ahead that you book the place in which you want to have the wedding ceremony, the cheaper it will be.
Some people are very traditional and want to be married in a church, but for those who want to choose another special place; there are many alternate locations to consider when planning your wedding.
Here are some ideas for planning your wedding location:
The Park
The Beach
A Place of Historical Significance
A Place of Personal Significance
At A Family or Friends Home
Overseas
Once you have decided on the location; the theme is next on the wedding checklist. The theme and location sometimes go hand in hand. For example; if you choose to have a beach wedding; then the theme will most likely be based around a luau of some sort.
After choosing a theme to match your budget, location, and guest list; you can move onto the more intricate pieces of planning your wedding; like the actual reservations and bookings. (See section two of this step by step wedding planning guide)
The final aspect covered in this wedding planning section is all about the when. Ask yourself: When do I want to have my wedding? There are 12 months every year. Some are warm; some are cool; some are hot; some are cold.
You may want to choose a special time of year that is significant to you both when planning your wedding date. This could be a reminder of when you met, based around a special holiday that you shared, or just simply your favorite time of the year.
People come in all different likes and dislikes; meaning the groom may want to have the wedding in the dead of winter; while the bride may want the flowers to be blooming while she walks down the aisle.
Coming to a compromise on the time of year to have the wedding is only one of the many compromises that will need to be made throughout the wedding planning stages.
Section 2
This part of the wedding checklist covers the reservations and booking of all the fine details of a wedding; this includes everything from the caterer to the band; from the wedding location to the photographer.
When planning your wedding; if one thing is not reserved or booked correctly it could throw the whole wedding off course. Double-checking and then triple-checking again can never hurt. The last thing anyone would want is to show up at their wedding location and there is nothing set up.
For the most part; booking and scheduling your wedding activities months prior to the actual wedding will save lots of money. Last-minute weddings always tend to cost more than ones that are scheduled way ahead of time.
This next section basically consists of the more intricate and detailed tasks that are outlined in this step-by-step wedding planning guide. This is instrumental to the overall flow of the wedding in general.
You will need to choose a caterer for the reception meal. The catering company needs to be reliable, professional at what they do, and most importantly offer a quality of service and great food. Caterers can provide testing samples during your decision stages to assure that the proposed menu will meet the tastes of the bride and groom.
Coordinating the music is usually a pretty easy aspect of planning your wedding. All that is really needed is a musician, band, or DJ that can be versatile enough to meet the music likings of the bride and groom. It is important to seek out a semi-professional band, as one of the worst things would be if they never even showed up.
You would also want to look for someone who has experience with weddings; as they will need to entertain the guests and keep the mood and events of the reception flowing; leading your guests through a series of predesigned reception events.
So at this point of the wedding checklist, one must first look at the type of music that the married-to-be couple enjoys together. This same logic applies to choosing your photographer, as this is an important decision because the pictures taken will be wedding keepsakes forever.
Section 3
This is the final section in this wedding checklist and it covers the wedding party. This part of wedding planning may just be the toughest. Choosing the actual wedding party is very important; not only to the bride and groom; but to the ones who are chosen.
It is a great honor for most to be chosen as a best man or maid of honor, that’s a given, but it is also an honor to just be chosen to participate as a bridesmaid, groomsman, flower girl, or ring bearer.
This is usually what makes up the wedding party, though additional roles and positions can be added or removed depending on the bride and groom’s wishes.
In Review
Though there are other aspects of planning your wedding that should be on your wedding checklist; this Step By Step Wedding Planning Guide should get you well on your way to making the appropriate arrangements and decisions.
The key thing to remember when planning your wedding is the budget. Once you know how much you have to spend, everything else will fall into place!
Simple Wedding Planning Advice
Wedding Planning Guide to Make Everything Simpler
If you were still not dealing with wedding planning, you probably thought that the process would be a piece of cake. You are the kind of person who loves organizing things. You keep a checklist to make sure that you won’t forget anything at home and at work and you even have a handy calendar that reminds you about the birthdays of people who are close to you.
Now that you are dealing with your own wedding checklist, it no longer makes sense, that is why many couples end up quitting after they have dealt with such hard task of planning for the event.
This is the time when you just wish that you were doing a checklist for things that you want from Santa than what you are really faced with. This may be hard, but worth it, that is why many people want to have the best event they can for this day.
Make Everything Simpler
To help you with the checklist, you can go online for downloadable forms or the kinds that you can fill out on the site and print copies later on. These are very helpful because the lists already contain the essential factors and elements that you should pay attention to at this point.
You simply have to supply the answers to the space provided, like how many guests do you intend to invite, their names, and your plans for the seating arrangement. The list will also remind you about the different providers that you need to get in touch with.
When it comes to providers, there are websites that contain a complete database of the contact details of known companies and individuals offering various services in this field.
You will have a choice where would you want to avail the flowers, where you intend to hold the reception, what churches are near your area and a lot of other factors that are easy to miss if you won’t be reminded about them.
Most of the checklists that you fill online have a specific time frame of 18 months. If you need more time or you need something that can help you for a shorter duration, you have to manually adjust, edit and reformat some of its parts.
If you are finding it hard to edit, you can use the online checklist as a guide in doing your own version. The online form can help you deal with the things that people tend to forget at such an event.
When creating a handy checklist, make sure that you have a calendar with you. You can do this using an Excel or Microsoft Word program on the computer. Leave enough space so that when you print the forms, you can still add quick notes to these.
Wedding planning may appear tricky especially at times when you are confused about what else needs to be done. This is why it is very vital that you have a comprehensive checklist that you can look into as the event draws near.
Wedding Planning Tips
Here are some important wedding planning tips to get you started:
1. Plan a wedding that you can afford. Young couples just starting their lives together should not carry an added burden of wedding day debt.
Sadly, some couples start off their bright future with a debt leftover from their ‘dream day’, and that doesn’t even include debt they may already be bringing into the marriage as individuals (e.g. college loans, etc.).
This is particularly critical now, during this economic downturn. Consider shaving your guest list from 200 to 100. Trust me, everyone will understand…
2. If you, the couple are not flipping the bill, you should remain considerate of who is. If a budget has been set, you should honor the person(s) who’ve blessed you with this ‘gift’, and honor their budget, at all costs.
3. Money is not everything. Finding a good deal doesn’t always equate to a good deal. Sometimes vendors who ‘low-ball a price are either inexperienced or are not always as quality-conscious as honest vendors.
4. When the budget has been set, make every effort to hold yourself to it, which may mean trimming away a few of the items you thought were ‘essential.’ If luxuries can be afforded you can always work those things in at a later date.
6. Time-saver – Brides are quite an internet-savvy bunch these days. Saving trips to the store, jaunts to the mall, and numerous visits to stationery stores to view wedding invitations can now be accomplished online.
7. Centralize your tasks. Keep it together! Get started with a basic planning notebook, however, we highly recommend the use/purchase of Wedding Software.
8. Another time-saver. As you compile your wedding guest list, input it into the planning software. The program will help you to keep track of your guest list, gift lists, thank-you replies, RSVPs, and seating arrangements all at-a-glance. Your lists can easily be handed over to your wedding planner and calligraphy handled behind the scenes.
10. When you are making a major wedding purchase or signing a contract, whether it’s to book your venue, buy your wedding rings or your wedding gown, make sure that your receipts are specific before you leave the place of business, or sign a contract.
(For example: If you bought a White, Size 10 Oscar de la Renta gown, don’t walk out the door with a receipt that says, “Size 10, Gown, White). Who wants to get surprised when you return to a fitting to find that the bridal shop has replaced your dream gown with a generic? Shop smart, shop wise, shop with your eyes open, always!
5 Wedding Planning Tips – Overlooked
Here is a list of 5 wedding planning tips that happen to get overlooked in the hustle and bustle of wedding arrangements. While wedding planning is important, sticking to the plans is by far of more importance. After all, what good is having a plan if you’re not going to follow through with it?
The following 5 tips are intended to guide you through your wedding planning as smoothly as possible:
1. Don’t Go Over Budget
We’ve seen it happen time and time again. Newlywed couples think they have everything figured out to the penny. But when the wedding is over they’re left with unpaid bills and unexpected expenses.
The solution? Don’t go over budget! Plan everything for your wedding in advance: the cost of the caterer, DJ, photographer, and any other vendors you intend to hire.
A word of advice: Don’t over invite if you can not afford it. Start with immediate family and close friends, continue from there. It’s really rude and embarrassing to dis-invite someone at the last minute just because you discovered you can’t afford to.
2. Order Wedding Attire Early
Picture it: The Groom’s Best Man is wearing a tuxedo that’s three times too large for his body. The Bride’s Maid’s dress is so tight, she can barely breathe! These are horrific scenarios that actually do happen and need last-minute resolutions.
Don’t put yourself through this chaos. Get everyone fitted for their dresses and tuxedos as early as 6-8 months in advance. Ladies-don’t forget wedding accessories!
3. Book Accommodations Early
In some tourist frequented cities, guest accommodations need to be set up to a year in advance! Call resorts/hotels and book a set amount of rooms for your guests on a specific date.
Be certain to have enough rooms for all of your out-of-town guests. Shop around for several accommodations, as your guests may be on a budget too! Especially if they just paid to travel to your location.
4. Get a Marriage License From Your Own Country
If you’ve decided to have a destination wedding-don’t arrive at that destination without a marriage license. Most states have a 30-60 day turn-around rate with marriage licenses. It’s worth the wait.
Why do you ask? Different countries have different marriage customs and requirements. Nevertheless, you should bring your new marriage license with you wherever you are going to marry. If you are re-marrying, bring your divorce papers as well.
5. Beautification
Bad tans, allergic reactions to hair dye or other chemicals can be a nightmare. Don’t wait until the last minute to get a pre-wedding ‘make-over’. Facials and waxing can also leave unwanted blotches, burns, and breakouts for those wedding photographs.
Make all beautician appointments a week or two in advance. Part of good wedding planning is being the ‘early bird’ to make sure everything is in place nice and early in the planning stages.
Wedding Planning Tips on a Budget
Just because you are planning your wedding, literally on a shoestring budget, doesn’t necessarily mean it won’t be beautiful, memorable, and talked about.
Planning a wedding on a low budget basically means cutting out all the vulgar pomp and grandeur and extraneous ostentation which some people indulge in during their weddings to show off in front of people.
The problem is that most brides dream about a fairytale wedding right from their childhood, but when the wedding bells start ringing and they realize that such grand fairytale weddings come with an expensive price tag; they get extremely demoralized and despondent.
Well, there is no need to fret so much just because you are going in for a budget wedding party planning. Here, you will get a few solid tips on budget wedding planning reception that won’t eliminate beauty and elegance from your wedding!
Tip # 1 – Wedding Venue
It is in most cases the wedding venue that costs a bomb and burns away your pocket.
Instead of choosing a 5 star or 7-star wedding in the Bahamas, Hawaii, Tahiti, or some other exotic location, why don’t you get married in your local parish church or in the beach closest to your house or in your own beautifully landscaped garden, if you have one?
If you don’t have a garden of your own, convince your grandparents or your uncle and aunt and coax them into letting you use their garden as your wedding venue! This will reduce a heavy expenditure.
Tip # 2 – Photographer
One of the most important aspects of a budget wedding party planning is to get the photographs clicked by your friends and relatives who are good with the camera instead of hiring a photographer who will charge you a bomb.
Come on, we all possess sophisticated cameras and have decent camera skills. There is simply no need for a photographer and videographer in current times.
Tip # 3 – Wedding Cake
Instead of lavishing money on a stupendously big fat show-off wedding cake, go for a small decent-sized, a beautifully decorated wedding cake that will serve as the display centerpiece. Serve the guests with a homemade sheet cake from the kitchen. These two cakes will also double up as your dessert and you can cut out sweets and ice cream from your menu.
Tip # 4 – Hire or Borrow
The last tip is to hire or borrow or make yourself as many things as you possibly can. Come on, it is possible to borrow the bride’s shoes, jewelry, and wedding gown from the bride’s mother or maternal aunts or from granny. You can add a contemporary twist to these items yourself!
Then you can borrow toasting glasses, serving set, cake knife, cutlery, serving dishes, dinnerware, etc from friends and relatives. This way you won’t have to remortgage your house or your parent’s house to conduct your wedding.
Final Note
We wish you and your loved one good luck in planning your wedding and all the best on your long journey of marital bliss.