Anyone experienced with planning a wedding will tell you it’s not all peaches and cream. There are many things to consider, including caterers, venues, florists and bands. Fortunately, the tips below were written to help during this stressful time.
If you will be catering your own wedding, look to wholesale markets such as Sam’s or Costco to buy supplies. Wholesale prices are generally lower. See if your friends can split some of the cost.
Before your wedding day be sure to practice walking down the aisle multiple times. If possible, practice your aisle walk at the site where your wedding will be. This will give you an opportunity to practice on the actual floor using the shoes you will be wearing on your wedding day. Doing so helps to ensure a smooth and confident walk when your wedding day comes.
It is important to get high quality wedding photos so that you can truly cherish them throughout your life and hand them down to your descendants. Make sure that you hire a professional photographer and spend a little extra money on this if you have to so that you can document your experience wonderfully.
Going online to purchase your wedding dress can save you a small fortune. However, you should make sure that you order it well before the big day in order to allow time for any alterations to be carried out should they be needed. A certain person claims to have spent only $100 or her gown, but had to spend another $200 to get it altered. Make sure to allow for additional expenses in your total budget.
If you’re short on money, consider renting diamonds for your wedding day. This helps you turn heads during the ceremony without turning your bank balance into a bunch of zeroes.
Make your wedding personal by including elements that embody you, your soon-to-be spouse, and your relationship. A theme should be selected that matches the time that you’ve had together.
Do not place too many flowers on the tables at your wedding reception. Often, flowers just get in your guests’ way. Additionally, many people are allergic to flowers. You might consider placing non-scented candles in the middle of the table for an understated, romantic look.
Try ethnic-themed catering to add some spice to your reception. Let’s face it, the menu at these events is pretty standard so why not take it in a direction that makes it more memorable. Variety is the spice of life and it is sure to make your wedding dinner something to remember!
Although it’s important to give the wedding DJ a list with songs you want to play at your reception, it is also important to inform him of those you DON’T want played. Maybe you like metal, country, or have a great song that reminds you of someone from the past. Whatever the case may be, be sure the DJ does not play it, and avoid becoming upset at your wedding.
When it comes to the decor of your wedding, spice things up with small, but meaningful decorative items. You can use the same ribbon on centerpieces, your dress or as a hair embellishment. The little details like this help you pull all of the various aspects of the wedding together into one coordinated event.
Check around for photographers who have glowing credentials. You don’t want a photographer who disappoints. If you would like good tips on finding the best local photographers, make sure you read all the reviews online, and solicit advice from family and friends.
Makeup Artist
Your guests shouldn’t wait while you are having pictures taken. Have pictures of the couple and groomsmen in advance. Pictures with the parents should be done before too.
Make sure you view examples of work from any makeup artist you’re considering hiring. Are you comfortable with the makeup they’ve done before? So choose a makeup artist carefully and consider having them do your makeup in a test session weeks before the wedding. Don’t be one of those people who is stuck with makeup they don’t like an hour before they walk down the aisle.
When making plans for table sitting, make sure the number of guests is even at each table. Also group the tables by age, this will give people things they can talk about.
Always hunt for skilled, experienced photographers prior to making a final choice. You would not want to be stuck with a wedding photographer that does not meet your high standards. To find reputable photographers near you, browse online review sites or get a personal recommendation from someone you know.
If your wedding cake is a more colorful one that easily serves as the star of the show at your reception, after you and your new spouse of course, consider having it displayed sitting on a piece of fabric that coordinates with the colors in the cake. A pretty tablecloth made of textured fabric, velvet, shiny satin or a lace that matches the wedding dress are all nice choices.
During your wedding planning, arrange for even numbers of guests at each table. Another thing to consider when arranging your table seating is the age of the people at the table. Try to group the same aged people at each table.
If you want to discover local talent to assist with your wedding, try Craigslist. To ensure your safety, meet the interested party in a public place before giving them any money.
Once you have your dress paid off and all ready, it is wise to leave it at the store so it can be properly stored until the big day. Your dress may get damaged or become a wrinkled mess in your closet. If you keep it at the shop, that means it will remain pressed and fresh for your wedding.
Consider silk flowers for your wedding instead of spending a lot of money on luxurious floral arrangements. Since they can be chosen months in advance, you won’t have to worry about their freshness, which will be one less thing to worry about as your big day approaches.
When you are planning a multi-course meal for your guests, offer some sort of appeasement on the tables to keep people occupied during the change in courses. Get sugar roses that go with the color palette or your wedding. Or, opt for some thin crackers.
Large centerpieces are unnecessary on your tables as they not only eat away at your budget, but serve as an unneeded distraction. Choose a simple, small and elegant centerpiece with pizazz. Guests will appreciate an environment without distractions, making conversations comfortable and natural.
Choosing centerpieces for your reception tables can be a difficult and costly decision. Use a small, simple center piece instead of a large one that takes up a lot of table space. This will allow for the free flow of conversation, as guests will be able to view each other without distraction.
If you plan on giving a wedding speech, plan it and practice enough. Being well prepared will help you to not freeze up, or babble on nervously, and will help you give a thoughtful and well spoken speech that you can be confident about.
Be sure to prepare well for your first meeting with your wedding planner. Copy the stylists and fashion designers who make mood boards and “look books” comprised of imagery, fabric swatches and other inspiring tidbits which can be a great start for the final product. Include photos, magazine clippings, and songs lyrics if you like.
Make a list of the things you want for your wedding, and list each thing by level of importance. After doing this, you may realize that the flowers, or the venue, are more critical to you than the number of guests, or the type of cake you choose. With this prioritized list, you can budget your finances according to what is most important and add and subtract to accommodate any budget. This will help ensure that you have everything that you want and keep within your budget.
Potted Plants
Your floral arrangements will be more interesting if you select flowers in varying heights. Use vases that are tall for long stem and compact head flowers. Peonies and hydrangeas are wonderful flowers to incorporate. Short and tall blooms can help to distinguish your wedding.
If dramatic floral arrangements are out of your budget, you can use a variety of different potted plants instead. Plants can be dressed up with ribbons, silk flowers, lights, or painted ceramic pots to dress them up. You can offer the potted plants as wedding favors or if the new couple chooses, they can use them in their landscape.
Well before the wedding day, grooms should take the time to ensure that their tuxedo and that of their best man fit perfectly. Before you pick a tuxedo you should get some opinions. There will be pictures at the wedding so you should attempt to look your best.
The arrangements should stand out quite a bit adding to the atmosphere. You can do this by adding flowers of varying heights or floral containers that are similar in appearance yet not identical. Use long-stemmed flowers with tall vases. Then, surround them with shorter vases that have voluminous flowers, such as peonies or hydrangeas. The shorter flowers should have more prominent blooms and be more lightly colored.
As far as bridesmaids go, select the gowns that will be worn before asking them to be a part of your wedding party. Many friendships end over a disagreement about the bridesmaids’ gowns. Find something affordable and loved by all your bridesmaid’s. This will ensure a great wedding day free from hurt feelings and misunderstandings.
Try to plan some fun group activities that your guests can enjoy on your wedding day. This is a wonderful change to having your guests simply loitering around between the nuptials and reception. You can choose to have a lot of different kinds of things to do, from volleyball to contests. This will make your wedding more memorable while letting others enjoy themselves by interacting with one another.
When thinking about a videographer, be certain to see clips from prospective candidates, and do a lot of interviews. Note the editing and sound quality that the videographer provides. The days of VHS tapes and grainy film are long gone, and you can now choose from digital or DVD formats. Go with your gut and the factors above when making the choice of which videographer to hire.
Designing a wedding that lives up to the bride’s expectations is the best way to ensure that she is thrilled on her wedding day. Once the bride starts worrying about her wedding, if the fear of a poorly planned wedding sets in, she will quickly start to feel devastated. Run everything by her to avoid a “bridezilla!”
Make sure not to procrastinate. A year is not really a long period of time to prepare when there are so many details to take care of. Begin planning as far in advance as you can in order to have many choices.
When looking for music for your wedding, be sure to research the DJ or band that you are considering using. Get references and speak to those people to find out about their experiences. Have the band or DJ sign a contract for the planned date. This will help that there is great music on the day of the wedding.
Ask for recommendations. If you have a photographer whom you really like, see if he has a recommendation for a band. You can then ask the band for referrals to other services. People who work weddings frequently in one capacity or another are bound to have inside information.
With the helpful wedding advice above, you have the knowledge it takes to plan and have a wonderful wedding. The information you have learned should be kept with you at all times as you plan.
Consider taking time to practice smiling when looking in the mirror. In this way, you will be sure of having an attractive smile in your wedding pictures. With enough practice, you will be able to get the look you want.