Weddings are stressful, but with the right outlook, they can be fun. You will need to have a lot of knowledge to plan these appropriately. Here are some helpful tips to help make everything happen.
Purchasing your gown on the Internet can save you thousands of dollars, but it’s important to buy early so you’ll have time to alter it before the big day. I bought my gorgeous gown online for only $150, but it cost me another $200 to have it altered to fit me perfectly. The cost of an alteration should also be included in your budget.
If you plan to serve your own food at the wedding, try shopping wholesale at places like Costco. When you’re shopping wholesale, you will be able to purchase a lot more food for a lot less than if you were to shop elsewhere. Think about asking people you know to assist with the food costs.
Have your wedding at a friend’s home. If you’re friends with someone who owns a large backyard, you can have a cheaper wedding there. Make sure you hire someone to set up and clean up, but even that cost will be minimal.
Ask the members of your reception who plan to give a speech to practice them with you so you can vet their content. There will be people of all ages present, and what may seem funny to a younger person may not be humorous to an older crowd.
Don’t forget about the transportation on your wedding day. If anyone needs a ride to or from their hotel for the event, you should arrange limos or taxis. In addition, this benefits those who drank alcohol during the festivities.
Your wedding photos are of the utmost important, since you will view them forever. Therefore, it is very important to hire the best professional you can afford.
An overabundance of flowers on reception tables causes trouble. Flowers can be obstructive to guests a lot of the time. Additionally, many people are allergic to flowers. Try putting some scent free candles on your wedding tables.
Makeup Artist
The music ranks up there with the videographer in terms of importance. Make sure the person you hire knows what type of music you do not want played. This is far more important than getting every tune you want to hear played, as a song from a genre you and your guests hate can kill the entire mood. There is probably one song from your past that you no longer like. No matter what, be sure to make your preferences known to avoid irritation later.
Select your makeup artist carefully. Be sure to view his or her work before hiring. Evaluate the makeup artist’s techniques. They must be able to deliver the precise look you want. You do not want to be an hour before your wedding with a make up artist who does your make up in a way that you dislike.
Don’t postpone the reception while you have photographs taken. The bride, groom and wedding party should take the photos in advance. You can also take your pictures with your respective parents in advance of the wedding. This will leave you more time to spend with your guests.
Instead of one large, expensive wedding cake, consider serving cupcakes or several small cakes. Many bakeries offer beautiful cupcakes with a variety of healthy fillings.
Midday is your best bet for planning a wedding reception. Most people will drink less at this time, which can cut down on your bar needs. Lunch receptions are generally less expensive than evening ones and give you the freedom of having more food choices or taking the money you saved in this area and putting it toward another aspect of your wedding.
Tell your DJ the songs that you do not want to be played. You may not like country music or metal, or you may have a certain song that is associated with an old flame. No matter what you don’t want to hear, tell your DJ.
If you opt for a colorful wedding cake that can stand on its own as a focal piece for your reception, you might choose to present it atop a coordinating swatch of fabric. You can also try solids, patterns and heavily-textured fabrics like satin, velvet or silk for more visual interest that helps bring everything together.
If you want to add some sparkle and class to your bouquet, use crystals, diamonds, or rhinestones. For example, incorporate vintage brooches, Swarovski crystals or costume jewelry into the design. Make sure it goes with your dress and accessories, and that the color, cut, and size of the stones compliment your ensemble.
You can easily have a member of your family or a friend get ordained online, making them an ideal candidate to officiate your ceremony. This adds a personal touch to your ceremony, and also saves you on the costs of an officiant. Check your local laws to ensure that this does allow you to have a legally binding marital union, some locations need you to use an official ordained in a church.
A relative or friend can serve as your assistant, as often the only requirement for the job is being able to haul your gear. They can assist you in getting the family together for group shots, too!
Craigslist is a good place to look when you want to locate someone local to assist you with a wedding. Be sure you meet up with them in person, safely, before you pay them any money.
A great gift for your guests at a destination wedding is a basket that you have delivered to their room full of vacation goodies. You will want to include useful items such as a disposable camera, tourist map that shows fun places in the local area, sunglasses and a hat. Additionally, you may want to include a local restaurant guide so that your guests know where to eat.
If the couple likes to travel, find decorative elements that incorporate their love for it. Use a little artistic skill to get your invitations appearing like aged postcards from a far-away land. A vintage leather suitcase can be propped open to display wedding programs, family photos, or favors.
If you want your colorful wedding cake as the focal point of your reception, present it on a coordinating fabric tablecloth. You can opt for patterns, solids or heavily textured fabrics, such as silk, satin or velvet, to add visual interest and tie all elements together.
If your environment is humid and tropical or it is cool and dry like in the Mediterranean, it can be difficult to find seasonal flowers from your state. Speak to pros near your destination to see what is readily available.
If you find it in your budget, you can have your wedding booked on a cruise with your close friends and family. Your honeymoon will start right after the ceremony. Some cruises have specific rates for couples who get married and honeymoon on their ship.
Do some homework before meeting your wedding planner. You can create a board with different books, fabrics, and elements that you want to incorporate into your wedding. Incorporate pictures, songs, magazine clippings and other details that will help your wedding planning understand your vision.
Having someone close to you get ordained online allows them to preside over your wedding. This adds a personal touch to your ceremony, and also saves you on the costs of an officiant. Be careful, though, and check with your local officials to ensure that it is legal in your area.
Tell the caterer that the reception is outdoors. Some foods do not last in the heat, or may not stay on plates if it’s too windy. You may consider using decorative covers for your dishes. Perhaps a small fridge could be used to keep drinks chilled.
If your wedding meal is long and involved, be sure to have appetizers on the table to keep your guests occupied between courses. Whet their appetite with sugar roses in the colors of your wedding, sugared edible flower petals, or tasty thin crackers.
Be mindful of what guest may want to do if you’ve having a destination wedding. You might have guests that plan their vacation around your wedding, so they need enough time to get ready. Try to send out save-the-date cards no less than eight months ahead so that your guests can make the necessary plans.
Plan every wedding detail, from all the events you are having down to the food. Your guests should have a good time, and take part in different activities for your special day.
Create depth in your floral arrangements by using flowers in varying heights. Put taller flowers in tall vases with compact heads. Then, place flowers such as sweet peas, hydrangeas or peonies around the tall vases. The shorter, fuller flowers should be lighter in color than the taller, more prominent blooms.
If you’re having an outdoor reception, tell your caterer. This will allow the caterer to ensure that food and container choices work well with any weather-related issues such as heat, humidity, or wind. Perhaps you can use fancy covers on your dishes. If you can, use a small fridge for keeping drinks cool.
Are you the groom? If so, buy a tux that fits you like a glove. Solicit the input from others before you make your choice of tuxedo. The tux you wear will represent you in your photographs for many years to come, so choose wisely!
Run Everything
As you consider a videographer for the event, always interview each candidate and request samples of their previous work. It is important to verify the editing and sound quality that you can expect from your videographer. It used to be popular to get videos of your wedding on VHS, but ensure that you are receiving a DVD or a digital video that you can play for years to come. Decide on a videographer using the information located above.
You want the bride to be happiest on her big wedding day, so make sure that you run everything through her first so that no surprises arise. A stressed-out or disappointed bride may melt down or get depressed during the wedding. You want to just run everything by her as well as make sure there is nothing that you are missing to ensure her happiness.
As you choose decorations and flowers for your wedding, keep the venue for the wedding in mind. For instance, complex arrangements can be great for indoor events, but they can be problematic when placed outdoors. You may need certain types of arrangements for flowers depending on whether your wedding is indoors or outdoors.
Always do your research before you hire a band or DJ. Get references and speak to those people to find out about their experiences. Always make sure that you sign a contract to ensure the DJ or band will show up on your specific date. This will help that there is great music on the day of the wedding.
The sooner you begin with planning your wedding the better off you will be. The sooner you start, the more choices you will have in every aspect of your special day. This allows you to get services you not only need, but can afford.
Consider a small meal instead of a large feast at the wedding reception. The more money you save, the more people you can invite. You will better be able to stay on budget if the dinner offered your family and friends is smaller. If you don’t feel that’s a viable option, then your guest list might have to be reduced.
Ask the vendors you’re using for more recommendations. If you found the perfect photographer already, ask him to recommend a good band. See if the band can give you a recommendation for another needed service. Not only does this make the search much easier, these recommendations are often made because they do good work. Those that told you about them are not going to want their reputation hurt by someone who offers poor service off of their recomendation.
Ask your vendors if they have any recommendations for your other services. For example, if you are really impressed with the photographer, ask them if they know of any good bands. You can then ask the D.J. or band to point you in the direction of others whose services you may require. You’ll find people you love, and the vendors will be happy, too.
Instead of purchasing a new engagement ring, consider using something else. Perhaps using rings that were continually passed down through the generations of either family. Using such a beautiful piece of vintage jewelry can help you feel that you really belong to the family.
Mother of the bride and any bridesmaids who are going to help you get ready should be ready well before the time for you to put your gown on. The last few minutes prior to the ceremony should be all about you. If they’re concerned about getting ready, they’re not focused on assisting you.
There will be many people that you plan to take a picture with, so you might want to make a list so no one gets left out. If you’re going to have a big wedding, then getting all of the people into pictures without a prearranged plan can be difficult because things are hectic. Set up a time with all of the guests for pictures and let your photographer know to set up a few hours in advance.
Now that you know all these tips, you are ready to start planning for your wedding. Stay positive and joyous for your wedding day.
If you are shopping for a wedding dress while pregnant, remember to take into account your expanding middle. This may be common sense, but it is imperative you find a dress that expands as your body does.