The process of wedding planning can be complicated, detailed, and frustrating. It’s great that you’ve found this article as it contains a ton of great advice which will assist you in making sense of all the choices you must make for the big day!
Practice how you’re going to walk the aisle a lot before your wedding date arrives. Do it at your actual wedding site to test out its floor with your chosen shoes. Your overall flow will be far smoother for your big day.
Keep in mind that for many, religion plays a significant role on both their wedding day and their actual marriage. Make time to talk to your fiance and their family about their religion.
You can save a lot of money by buying your wedding gown online, but buy it with enough time to spare so you can get it altered prior to the big day. Even though a gown can be fairly cheap, having it altered to fit your perfectly can sometimes be more costly. Budget in this additional cost.
Makeup Artist
Use a friend or family member’s property for your wedding. If you’re friends with someone who owns a large backyard, you can have a cheaper wedding there. You can make sure the cleaning and setup is done, of course, but that is the only thing you should have to pay for regarding the wedding venue.
Look at samples of past work before hiring a makeup artist. Ensure you like their style of makeup. You need to be sure you’re going to really like the style. You don’t need to be around an hour before the wedding stuck with a makeup artist that did a poor job.
Really consider your vows, as this is one of the central parts of a wedding ceremony. Marriage is supposed to mean the rest of your life, including both ups and downs. Write your vows so that they express your love for your spouse and remind you of why you love them.
Go easy on the number of fresh flowers you put on the guest tables for your wedding reception. Often, flowers interfere with guests being able to converse across the table. It’s possible that there might be a few guests with flower allergies. In order to provide a romantic look, you can place unscented candles centered on the table.
Divide your table settings evenly. Don’t put an odd number of people at any table. Facilitate conversation by making table arrangements according to age groups.
Tell your DJ about songs you like and songs you dislike. It could be rap, metal or country-western. Make sure to tell your husband-to-be what type of music won’t be played.
Although you may have found and purchased the perfect dress, it is a good idea to have the bridal shop hold it until the big day. By putting it in your closet, it could get wrinkly or get stained. Keeping it at the bridal shop ensures that it will be fresh and pressed for your big day!
Receptions are best held in the early afternoon. You can cut down on bar costs when you have a reception during the day, when people tend to drink less. Lunch receptions are often cheaper and will allow you to use more money toward other needs for the wedding.
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. To make things interesting, fabric can be solid, patterned or heavily textured materials of silk, satin or velvet.
Reception Venue
Consider silk flowers for your wedding instead of spending a lot of money on luxurious floral arrangements. If you use silk flowers instead of fresh flowers, you can purchase them well in advance and eliminate the worry of having the right flowers delivered the morning of your wedding.
The lighting at the wedding reception venue should be able to be dimmed. This small detail allows for little things like low lights on the first dance, and bright for the duration of the event. Inquire about details, such as lighting, before you decide on a reception venue.
For instance, you may plan your menu around ultra-modern fusion cuisine, including popular dishes from both cultures. You might even want to consider expanding your culinary options with wedding favors that are ethnically identifiable.
Keep your guests happy while waiting for food by giving them a tray of sweets. Try sugar roses that are able to match the wedding’s colors, edible sugar petals, or even crackers that are flavorful to help them not be too hungry.
Do your research before hiring a wedding planner. Consider creating a scrap book of appealing fabric swatches and wedding images that represent the look that you are going for. Your project can be made up of photos, clippings and other objects that will help you communicate your ideas to your wedding planner.
If you and your intended come from vastly different backgrounds, find ways to blend both of your heritages into a unique fusion that honors both families. This allows you to set up a great contrast that will allow both sides of the family to enjoy the wedding as much as possible.
Be considerate and think of your guests who need to travel when having a destination wedding. Some guests may have conflicts with the timing or with the costs of attending. Send your invitations or the cards with save the date on them at least eight months in advance if you can. This can help guests plan as they need.
If you decide to give a wedding speech, be sure to plan and practice 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.
Make sure you know what you are doing when it comes to a destination wedding. Whether you have to worry about residency, fees, forms, or any other bureaucratic red tape, make sure everything is in place before you start booking your hotel, venue, or services for your big day.
Your plans for a wedding outside should always include a solid backup plan, in case it rains, or other unforeseen problems occur. Look into renting a couple of tents, or find a location that has a community hall in addition to an outdoor space. One helpful trick if it’s wet, but you can still stay outdoors, is to use boards as walkways through wet or muddy areas.
When you are beginning your wedding plans, make a list of your priorities. Some people will have the venue as the most important item while others might list the guest list. Put the most important things for you at the top. A prioritized list will help you plan your budget, and delegate the funds to the right area.
Wedding Planner
Instead of forking over cash for fanciful floral arrangements, consider relying on potted plants to add a touch of green to your ceremony site. Ceramic pots that have been painted or decorated with ribbons make a wonderful table centerpiece. You can offer the potted plants as wedding favors or if the new couple chooses, they can use them in their landscape.
Do your homework before meeting 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. Photographs, song lyrics and magazine clippings can be used to display your ideas in such a manner that your wedding planner can get a visual image of your ideas.
You want your photographer to capture your event perfectly. When meeting with a photographer, ask how he approaches the day. Inquire about the way in which they participate in each aspect of the day. You need to be sure that their work style is compatible with your needs.
Avoid planning a destination wedding until you look into legal requirements. You should be aware of things like fees, requirements in residency, and other logistics before you make hotel reservations and book services for the wedding day.
Choose a tuxedo that fits you perfectly. Ask for different opinions before choosing your tuxedo. Keep in mind that photographs will be taken during your wedding, so you should look your best, in the way that you would want to be remembered.
Make sure that your flowers are beautiful Vintage themes will make your wedding classy, and should carry the appropriate flowers to bring out the nostalgia. These may include peonies in yellow or pink, bright daisies, and red poppies.
It’s always a nice touch if you can write your wedding vows yourself. Although it is easier to borrow a copy from another source, writing your own vows is special. Writing your own vows can add more meaning and romance to your special day and make your loved one feel closer to you. Draw on inspiration when looking at sources, but put things into your own words and speak from the heart.
Plan group fun times on your special day. Avoid having everyone sit in boredom waiting for your wedding ceremony to be over. Organize contests, games or even sports. The more fun your guests have, the better the entire event will be for everyone.
Do your research on the band or DJ you want to hire. You want references regarding all people you consider, and you need to contact them before you make a hiring decision. Before hiring a DJ or band, be sure that the date of the wedding is set in stone. Further, there should always be a signed contract. You don’t want to wind up without music at your reception!
Silk Flowers
You might want to think about serving a smaller dinner for your reception. If you want to have a lot of guests at your wedding, you may need to cut costs in other areas. You can stick with a budget if you’re able to give people a smaller meal than usual. If that is not an option, you will have to cut your guest list instead.
One big expense in a wedding is using fresh flowers in all of the traditional ways. For instance, the flower girl could carry elegant ribbons instead. Use silk flowers, not live ones. Silk flowers save you money and will last forever. You can also move these flowers anywhere you want with little mess.
Make sure you know what the weather is going to be. Outdoor weddings are great but you must plan for inclement weather and have a back-up plan. Even if the chance of poor weather is small, weather is unpredictable. It is best to be prepared with a site ready as an alternate.
When searching for wedding music, research bands or DJs you want to use. A good DJ or musician will be able to provide references of satisfied customers. Once you decide, make sure they know the date, and make sure there’s a signed contract binding them to an agreement. These things are of utmost importance in making sure there will be music instead of silence for your wedding.
Be sure that those assisting you have made all of their preparations well in advance of helping you with yours. During the last several minutes before the wedding ceremony, you need to be the main focus. If they’re busy getting themselves ready, they won’t be able to help you.
Plan well ahead of time. A year may seem like a long time for planning a wedding, but waiting can make your services and venues cost more and they could get booked completely with short notice. Planning early ensures that you have more choices for venues and vendors.
There will be plenty of guests at your wedding that you will desire to take pictures with. If your wedding is particularly large, finding all the folks you want shots with can prove to be a real hassle if you don’t schedule dedicated times. Decide on a specific time for pictures to be taken, and inform your guests in advance as to where you would like them to be for their pictures.
Credit Card
In terms of wedding photos, do not rely on friends. Friends cannot take proper pictures, unless he or she is a professional, of course. You want to have memorable, quality photos that capture the moments and build memories. A friend might capture a few of these moments, but not all.
Before you pay for services for your wedding, make sure you have a credit card that has a rewards program. When planning your wedding, you will likely accumulate numerous expenses. You may not be able to avoid the expenses, but you might as well try to make them work to your advantage! Putting your wedding-related expenses on a credit card that offers rewards can be a good idea, but only if you are able to quickly pay off your credit card dept.
Be sure that you have a little time between the reception and the wedding. Weddings often run longer than planned. Receptions, however, have to start on time. You usually book the wedding reception for a certain block of time. If your ceremony is running late, you will be charged for time at the venue that you won’t be using.
If your mother, bridesmaids, or other special people are going to assist you with your wedding gown, have them be dressed and ready to go well in advance of when you expect to be dressing. You should be the focus, during the last minutes before the ceremony. If they’re concerned about getting ready, they’re not focused on assisting you.
The later in the day the wedding is planned for, the less stress that will be on you. By doing this, you will give yourself plenty of time to get ready without needing to wake up too early. If your time allows, do something for yourself that is relaxing and calms your nerves.
Use the helpful information you have just read and you can create a wedding you can be proud of. Implement the tips and tricks above to take the stress out of getting wed, and enjoy the glorious event that you’ve created.