Are you holding your wedding in July or January? Do you go with traditional roses or buck tradition? Wedding planning involves a large number of decisions, and it can feel overwhelming. Whether you are the wedding planner, or the person actually getting married, the following tips will help you plan and create the best wedding.
For food, consider going to a store such as Costco. Shopping wholesale when it comes to food helps you get the necessary items at a much cheaper cost. Also, ask friends and family members to help cover the cost of the food.
Try using the property of a loved one for the wedding venue. If you know anyone with a large enough backyard, you can save a lot of money on your wedding. Pay someone to clean for them before and after your wedding.
You can rent diamonds for your wedding if you desire to look great but have a tight budget. You will look stunning but won’t have to spend a lot, so your budget stays intact.
Keep transportation in mind when planning your wedding. You definitely want to have transportation for yourself, as well as others in the area, that need to be able to get back and forth. This helps those who have drank too much.
An overabundance of flowers on reception tables causes trouble. A lot of the time flowers in the middle of the table are an annoyance. Furthermore, one or two of your guests could be allergic to certain flowers. Consider placing non scented candles on the table for a romantic look.
You do not have to get a wedding cake that is filled with countless calories. There are some bakers who are able to prepare delicious and beautiful cakes that are individually sized to be just enough to give someone the cake they want without the calories they do not want. Alternatively, consider something like low-fat cupcakes, gluten-free cake, fruit-filled low calorie cakes, or other such healthy alternatives.
The wedding DJ needs a list of the songs you want played at the reception, but make sure they know what you dislike. You may not like country music or metal, or you may have a certain song that is associated with an old flame. Be sure your DJ is well aware of your preferences in advance to avoid discomfort.
Place a full length mirror at that head of the aisle and practice walking toward it. This will help insure a trip-free wedding day. Find attractive flats if you find the walk difficult. A sensible pair of shoes is better than injuring yourself by wearing high heels.
Practice your walk for the aisle when you’re standing by a mirror so that you can be sure of how to walk right, especially when you want to wear heels. If you fear turning your ankle awkwardly, think about flat heels instead. Comfortable footwear is a wonderful trade off to protect you from falling.
You could get help from someone else who is attending the wedding. They could help you carry your gear. They can also help round up family members for group portraits.
Instead of spending a lot of money to get a huge cake for your wedding, think about tiers of sweet, delicious mini-tarts or cupcakes. These arrangements are convenient and affordable. Guests can take home wonderful treats as they depart.
If you have a destination wedding, consider inviting family to stay for the honeymoon. There is a lot of money to be saved when lengthening the stay because of hotel discounts for longer periods. This will not only give them a special day to remember, but will also give them a vacation they have dreamed about.
Midday is the best time to have wedding receptions. You will find that people are not so ready to drink heavily during the day, which will cut back on the costs of an open bar. Post-lunch receptions usually cost less, too. The money saved here can be used elsewhere.
Always guarantee full control of a lighting system at the venue, particularly the ability to dim or brighten the output. You will probably want to lower the lights for your first dance, but have brighter lights during most of the reception. Before giving the venue the thumbs up and your money, ask them about this detail.
Share an online itinerary with your guests, especially the out-of-town ones, so that everyone can plan their schedules in advance. Inform people of events, like rehearsals, that they are required to attend, so they will be where they are supposed to be at the scheduled time.
Ensure that all guests understand the scheduling of events by emailing everyone involved an itinerary of events; include maps for those who may be unfamiliar with the area. Give them clear direction, times to be there and what they need to bring, so that things go smoothly.
Consider the appearance of your wedding cake when deciding how to display it. For example, if your cake is unusually colorful, match its color to the hue of the fabric underneath it. You can also try solids, patterns and heavily-textured fabrics like satin, velvet or silk for more visual interest that helps bring everything together.
Even if your dress is picked and already paid for, it is a good idea to keep it safely at the shop until the big day. It can get stained or wrinkly inside your closet. Having it at the shop means it will be unwrinkled for the big day.
Silk flowers offer great alternative for many of the flowers that you would include in your wedding anyways. You can avoid the hassle of wilted flowers and even make your purchase in advance, making them one less item to worry about on your big day.
If you have the budget, consider a cruise as the venue for your wedding and just invite those who are dearest to you. If you do this, you can start your honeymoon immediately after the ceremony ends. Some cruise ships offer special wedding and honeymoon packages.
If children will be playing a role in your wedding, you should dress them comfortably. Select loose, soft, natural fabrics that allow children to move around without any discomfort. New shoes need to be broken in so that they don’t cause pain on the big day. With an entire ensemble of comfortable clothes, the children can put their energy into their designated roles and leave the outfits alone.
You can have a special relative or friend become ordained online so that they can perform your wedding vows. This will give your loved one an important roll in the ceremony, while also saving you a bit of money. Make sure to use caution by asking the local officials, to make sure doing this isn’t against the law where you are.
If you want to have a good wedding speech, see to it that you practice and plan for it sufficiently. If you don’t practice your speech beforehand, you run the risk of forgetting your speech, saying something you didn’t intend to say, or losing the audience.
Borrow something from a friend to put on for your wedding day. This “something borrowed” will enhance the way you look and feel and add a special touch to the day.
If you aren’t planning a reception meal, choose comfortable furniture for seating instead of tables and chairs. Your guests will be more likely to interact if they are in a comfortable setting with lounges and chaises. Comfortable seating will make your guests feel relaxed and at home, permitting them to enjoy lounging areas around your location.
You have to plan your wedding down to each exacting detail, including the food and the reception schedule. Your guests should have a good time, and take part in different activities for your special day.
Maximize your first session with a planner by doing some research first. Start your project by using imagery, fabric swatches and other pieces of inspiration to make mood board and “look books” like the stylists and fashion designers use. Clip out magazine pictures and newspaper articles that you think fit what you want.
Do your research before meeting with your wedding planner. Use fashion designers as inspiration and create a look book of inspiration that can be used as a starting off point. Use photographs, magazine clippings and the lyrics of a special song to describe your perfect wedding to your planner.
Your floral arrangements will be more interesting if you select flowers in varying heights. Different types of vases should be included in the design. Place shorter, bulkier flowers like peonies, sweet peas or hydrangeas around the taller flowers. Make the shorter flowers lighter in hue than the taller blooms.
Take care of all the legal arrangements for destination weddings. There may be red tape you need to address, such as fees or residency requirement, and you should get these ducks in a row before taking care of anything else.
Write your own wedding vows. You know your spouse better than anyone else. Writing your vows will make your future spouse feel more special and will make your wedding more meaningful and romantic. You can look to other people’s personal vows for inspiration and use them to help create your own original ones.
Make sure the style of your wedding is reflected in your choice of flowers too. Vintage themes are great to make your wedding look classy. These may include peonies in yellow or pink, bright daisies, and red poppies.
As you consider the types of flowers and decorations you’re going to use, you must weigh the specifics of your location. For instance, a fancy floral arrangement is beautiful for an indoor venue, but not the best choice for an outdoor venue that is windy. You might also need special equipment to secure decorations in place for certain venues like beaches and parks.
To make sure you have a happy bride, she needs to know that everything meets her standards. If she is left to worry about all of the planning, reservations and meals, and the wedding doesn’t live up to what she has been hoping for, it could be a disappointing day for the both of you. Be sure to get the bride’s approval for all major arrangements well in advance of the big day to avoid last-minute meltdowns.
Consider opening a credit card that offers a rewards program. The expenses of a wedding quickly add up, so using a credit card can earn you a lot of benefits if you use one with a reward program. Use the card for all your wedding purchases, and you’ll be pleased with how quickly you earn rewards.
Before settling on a videographer, view the quality of the work. Also, find out what kind of editing sound he or she uses. You could get wedding on VHS tapes a long time ago, but getting them on digital video or DVDs can help you enjoy them for years. Use your intuition when choosing a videographer, because after all, they will be capturing your most memorable day.
The bride’s mother and bridesmaids who are planning to assist you in preparing should be dressed and ready long before the time comes for you to slip on your gown. The last few minutes prior to the ceremony should be all about you. If members of your bridal party are first getting ready themselves, they can’t possibly give you the undivided attention you need to prepare for the beginning of the ceremony.
Silk Flowers
Instead of going out and buying an engagement ring, try something different. An heirloom piece of jewelry can be a wonderful engagement ring that has great sentimental value. Using such a beautiful piece of vintage jewelry can help you feel that you really belong to the family.
A good way to save some money on your big day is to use an alternative to expensive floral arrangements. For instance, rather than having the flower girl wear a floral wreath, have them wear a ribbon. This still looks great, yet is much cheaper. Consider silk flowers in the place of live ones. Silk flowers save money and can be kept afterwards. Go one step further, and make the silk flowers pull double duty by using them at the reception too.
Since gold is becoming more expensive, get wedding rings in another popular metal. For example,you might use sterling silver, tungsten, platinum, titanium or even stainless steel. This is a cheaper alternative and very beautiful with the right wedding ensemble. You should take time to try out something different.
After reading these tips, it’s safe to say that you probably weren’t aware of even half of these ideas. And that’s because no one ever realizes just how much goes into planning a wedding until they’re actually staring at it in the face. A wedding is perhaps the most detail-oriented celebration out there, so be sure that you’re using these tips to help you out.
You’ll want to take pictures with many different guests at your wedding. This can be hard, especially if it’s a big wedding with lots of attendees and very little time to give them. Inform your guests in advance of where and when to be for pictures with you, and make sure the photographer is free for a few hours to do this.