Many people think about the type of wedding they want. Weddings can be delightful and full of friends and family that celebrate your commitment and love, but they take tons of work. Here are some tips to make sure your wedding goes well.
Before your wedding day, practice the aisle walk as much as you can. Do it at your actual wedding site to test out its floor with your chosen shoes. By doing this, you will not have any issues with obstructions in the floor or nervousness from those watching you during the big moment.
Religion will play a big role not only in your wedding ceremony but in your marriage as a whole. Talk not only with the person you are planning to marry, but with their family as well to understand their religion.
When wedding planning, think about what alcohol you want to serve, how you want to serve it, and try to be cost efficient. An open bar is very costly and can become extremely expensive if open for long periods of time. If holding the wedding at an outside venue, they may have alcohol serving options available that can control costs.
You can not serve everyone’s favorite top-shelf drink or you would quickly exceed the price of the dress, so consider what you like, and what will keep you within your budget. Keeping an open bar doesn’t come cheap, but keeping it open for an extended time can be even more costly. Inquire with your wedding venue as to what their alcohol options available are.
If you choose to take care of your own food serving at your wedding, try going to wholesale stores, such as Costco. This is no secret but buying your foods from the big club stores will save quite a bit of money over retail grocery chains and that is considering the membership charge. It is acceptable to ask others to assist with these costs in lieu of gifts if finances are tight and you do not want to run out of food at the reception.
If you’re taking care of the food yourself, shop at a wholesale store, like Costco. This will enable you to save a lot of money. You may want to ask your friends to chip in with buying food.
Buying your wedding dress may be expensive. When you shop for a dress, try dresses that aren’t categorized as wedding dresses. A Bridesmaid dress can be a good fit, and it doesn’t cost half as much as a wedding dress does. Remember, the dress you chose can be altered to change the styling, and the total cost will still probably be less than the cost of purchasing an official wedding dress.
Wedding Dress
Do not place too many flowers on the tables at your wedding reception. Oftentimes, those flowers are simply in the way for your wedding attendees. Some people attending your wedding may have pollen allergies, as well. Adorn the tables with romantic, non-scented candles instead.
Buying a wedding gown can be very expensive. To save money, consider looking at dresses that have the same appeal as a wedding gown, but aren’t categorized as such. A bridesmaid dress may fit the bill and be much cheaper than a wedding dress. Many times, you can alter the dress to make it look like a wedding dress for a fraction of the cost of an actual wedding dress.
The venue that you select for your wedding reception should have enough space for dancing and activities. There is little worse than a crammed dance floor, so make sure to move tables and chairs prior to grooving!
If the idea of a thousand-dollar, thousand-calorie wedding cake leaves you with cold feet, contact local boutiques and specialty bakeries and ask about smaller, individual-sized portions. Some bakeries will even ship fresh cupcakes with fewer than 100 calories per serving as well as healthy options like gluten-free ingredients, fruit-filling instead of frosting, no-calorie sweeteners, or even tart meringue toppings.
When you invite your family to your destination wedding, see if they’d like to stick around for the honeymoon, too! It’s a great way to get a group discount and they can share in the special memories you are going to make at your chosen destination. Not only will they have a great day to remember, but also a great vacation too.
Be certain to look for skilled photographers with experience before committing to one in particular. You never want a photographer who is unlikely to make you happy in the end. It is smart to look online for user reviews of photographers or seek personal recommendations from those you trust.
If you are on a budget, consider scheduling your reception for around lunchtime. Doing this, people will likely drink far less alcohol and keep your bar tab lighter. By having a lunch reception, the costs for food will also normally be less expensive. This could allow you to put the money saved towards other services required for your wedding.
Your guests shouldn’t have to hang around while your pictures are taken. These photos should be taken in advance. Pictures with the parents should be done before too.
When planning table seating arrangements, try to assign your guests so that there are an even number at each table. Group people at tables by age so that common ground for conversations exists.
One detail to consider is that the venue lighting can be dimmed, if necessary. This may seem like a minor factor, but many couples like dimming the lights for a first dance, and switching to brighter lights for the remainder of the event. Discuss this with the venues you’re considering before making your final choice.
Of the various kinds of flowers you can choose for your wedding day, silk flowers offer a unique and practical option. Silk flowers can be chosen and bought months in advance which will save you time and energy.
Plan an itinerary and post it online. Share this with your guests, so they are aware of what is happening when. For family members and members of the bridal party, give them information about the rehearsal dinner, as well.
Be sure to make wedding plans that incorporate the cultural and social backgrounds of both parties in the marriage. This will create a beautiful blend of traditions for the couple and their families.
If you have a large wedding cake decorated in brightly colored icing that has its own stand, consider placing the stand on some color-coordinated fabric to create a stunning focal piece. Good options include designer prints, novelty fabrics or special occasion fabrics like satin, velvet or silk.
If you have decided to give a speech in a wedding, make sure that you plan for it and practice it enough. If you are unprepared for the speech, this can become very obvious very quickly, and leave you feeling humiliated in front of the other guests.
You can turn one of your friends into a “mail-order minister” so that she can officiate the ceremony. Your ceremony will have a personal touch, and you can also eliminate the expense of an officiant. Make sure to use caution by asking the local officials, to make sure doing this isn’t against the law where you are.
Do not plan a destination wedding without taking the legal requirements of your location into account. Before you start making travel arrangements and booking accommodations, be sure all the nuts and bolts (e.g. license fees, residency requirements, etc.) are attended to.
As an example, you might want to try a menu that includes popular contemporary fusion dishes. You can also offer desserts, drinks, or edible favors with an ethnic twist.
Ensure your flowers look great. Retro and vintage themes that use bright and happy color palettes need bold flowers to showcase that air of nostalgia. Pink peonies and bright daisies are great choices to have at your wedding.
If the happy couple have different backgrounds, both ought to be taken into consideration when planning for the wedding. This means having a ceremony that fits the groom and bride’s culture and at the reception, having decor, food and rituals from both backgrounds. Both families will be happy when each person’s culture is taken into consideration.
Different heights for your floral arrangements and accessories is going to turn out to be more visually appealing. If you have long stemmed flowers that are compact in bloom, select a tall vase. Then use shorter vases around the taller ones, filled with big flowers like peonies or hydrangeas. The full flowers should be a lighter color than the tall flowers.
If your reception does not involve a sit down meal, hire furniture instead of traditional tables. You can witness far more social interaction among your guests if they are seated in chaises, lounges and maybe even comfortable sectionals. You can group the chairs into separate seating areas at the venue, plus the relaxed setting will flow onto your guest’s mood also.
If you’re wearing a tuxedo at your wedding, take the time to get one that fits well. Seek out opinions of friends and family before choosing the right tuxedo. There will be pictures at the wedding so you should attempt to look your best.
Make sure to prioritize your wants when you are starting to organize your wedding plans. For most brides, where they are having the wedding takes precedence over who they are inviting. The flowers they are going to carry is often more pressing than the cake they will be cutting. If you create a budget which lists the items in order of importance, you’ll have a much easier time picking out what you can afford and what you’re happy to live without.
Your wedding location is important when you are planning details like flowers. Detailed floral arrangements may be fine for an indoor wedding, but would not be suitable for windy or outdoor ceremonies. You may also need special supplies to decorate for an outdoor wedding.
Add flowers of all different heights. If you want long stem flowers, then choose tall, elegant vases to show them off properly. You can then surround the vases using flowers with more show and volume but that are shorter. Short, full blooms ought to be light in color.
Consider what the weather may be like on your wedding day. If you have an outdoor wedding and the day is very humid, your attendees may not be up to celebrating for too long. On the same note, winter weddings might chill your guests to the point of leaving early too. Do make sure that your guests are provided for during weather extremes at a wedding, such as having fans available if the heat is high.
Come up with group activities to entertain your guests. Don’t make your loved ones just stand around and wait for the wedding to be over. You can plan any number of fun games, from wedding couple trivia to musical chairs. Your wedding will be a more memorable event when everyone has fun and interacts with each other.
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. All attention should be on you, right before you walk down the aisle. If they have themselves to worry about in order to get ready, they will lose the focus and not help you.
Floral Arrangements
Open an account to hold the funds that you will use for your wedding. This gives you a crystal clear idea of what your wedding budget will be. You may choose to open such an account before you are engaged, to ensure that you have adequate funds when the appropriate time arrives.
When deciding on wedding decorations, and particularly floral arrangements, remember to take into account the location of your wedding. Floral arrangements with lots of components won’t work well if it’s windy out. If however, you are having your wedding indoors, you can go as elaborate as you want.
Solid gold rings are not always an option for couples who are on a budget and luckily there are many different options available. There is titanium, platinum, stainless steel, silver, tungsten, and more. These other metals are less expensive and often times just as beautiful. Never be afraid to think outside the box.
Planning a wedding can be a lot of work, but in the end it’s all worth it. The key is to keep your mind on the overall goal and make sure to have fun. This advice can help you plan a great wedding.
Allow for a comfortable time cushion between the end of the wedding and the start of your reception. This will allow for people to mingle a little bit before the reception begins. A reception is supposed to start on time. Most receptions are booked for a specific time frame. If your wedding happens to end up running late, you might have to pay extra money for time your guests can’t enjoy.