Anyone experienced with planning a wedding will tell you it’s not all peaches and cream. Dealing with services like caterers, florists, jewelers, and others can make your head spin. Hopefully, these tips will help you get through everything gracefully.
If you’re catering your own event, try purchasing the food from wholesale stores. This will enable you to save a lot of money. See if your friends can chip in for food costs.
As you plan your wedding, you must consider the type and amount of alcohol you wish to serve, especially if you’re working with a budget. Open bars are typically very expensive, especially when they are open for long time-periods. Ask about which alcohol serving options are available through your venue.
The first thing you have to think about is the person you are marrying. Never rush into this decision that will change your life. Think hard about this person and what things in your life you can’t do without, as well as the things that will drive you up the wall.
The right wedding dress can be quite expensive. Don’t limit yourself to considering dresses that are marketed specifically as wedding gowns. A bridesmaid dress, for example, could look stunning on your figure and will typically be less than half the price of an actual wedding gown. Even after some alterations to spruce it up, it can still prove a more affordable alternative to a dress that says wedding on the label.
When choosing your makeup artist, make certain to review portfolios of their work. Ensure you like their style of makeup. Be absolutely certain that you are happy. The last thing you need is to wind up looking like you are going trick or treating right before the ceremony begins.
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. You can purchase wedding gowns for as low as $100 online, but sometimes the alterations may cost you double that amount. Be sure to include the potential alterations cost into your budget.
You want to make sure the photographer you hire is experienced by checking them out beforehand. You don’t want to end up with wedding pictures that you’re unhappy with. To find reputable photographers near you, browse online review sites or get a personal recommendation from someone you know.
Never go on starvation diets just to fit into a dress. Just like an athlete who is training, starving yourself could cause dehydration. Of course, you would not want to pass out as you are saying your vows. Choosing a dress in the correct size that fits you well will help avoid your dress feeling a little tight on the big day.
Choose sweet cupcakes or miniature tarts in tiers over a bulky expensive cake tower. These arrangements are more convenient, versatile, and more cost effective. Guests can choose a couple cupcakes when they leave and put them in the embellished takeout containers.
Try tying small decorative items into each element in the wedding decor. For instance, the ribbon on your bouquet can go with ribbon for your hair, dress, or centerpiece. This will help with the elegance at your wedding.
Your guests shouldn’t wait while you are having pictures taken. Have pictures of the couple and groomsmen in advance. Pictures with the couples respective parents should also be taken in advance to cut down on wait time for the guests arriving at the reception.
Avoid cluttering tables with too many flowers at your reception. Much of the time, table arrangements will just be in the guests’ way. Make sure to keep in mind that some guests may have flower allergies. Because of this, you should think about putting candles that are non-scented onto the table in order to achieve a more romantic look.
If you plan to serve your guests a meal with multiple courses, keep them entertained during the serving process by placing small dishes of appetizing sweets on each table. You could consider sugared flower petals, sugar roses or maybe some bite size crackers to tide them over.
You know to provide the DJ with an idea of all the right music to play, but you should also give a list of all the wrong things he might play. Perhaps you want to avoid country crooners or hard rock tunes. Regardless of the reason, let your DJ know to prevent you cringing at your reception.
If the bride and groom hail from highly divergent cultural backgrounds, honor both sides by planning a wedding ceremony that incorporates one side’s traditions, followed by a reception that includes traditional dishes, rituals, or decor from the other side’s background. This will give lots of contrast and make it memorable.
Make a detailed itinerary with directions, so guests know when and where the wedding and reception will be held. Give them clear direction, times to be there and what they need to bring, so that things go smoothly.
Before meeting a wedding planner for the first time, do your homework. Follow the lead of fashion designers and stylists who create “look books” and mood boards comprised of fabric swatches, imagery and other inspirational tidbits that can serve as a starting point for the finished product. The details will involve mounting images of bridal dresses, hair styles, music, foods and anything else you wish to include in order to show your wedding specialist exactly what you want.
One way this is done is by offering a menu consisting of popular ethnic dishes. Make the menu unique by adding ethnic desserts, beverages and wedding favors that are edible.
If the cost of extravagant floral arrangements is too high, one cost effective alternative that you should consider is potted plants. You can obtain potted plants in various sizes and place them throughout the ceremony area and reception. Plants can be dressed up with ribbons, silk flowers, lights, or painted ceramic pots to dress them up. When the wedding is over, the newlyweds can either plant the potted plants in their yard, or the guest can take them home.
Be sure that children who are appearing in your wedding are dressed in comfortable, well-fitting clothing. Choose fabrics that are soft against the skin and that fit without bunching or pinching. Shoes need to be broken in and comfortable. By doing this, the children will be less inclined to fuss with their outfits, and more likely to partake happily in whatever roles have been assigned to them.
A tradition linked to weddings is the gift registry. It is always suggested to inform guests they are not required to gift you as this will make them feel more at ease about the amount they should give or spend. Give them varying price ranges and several gift options to choose from. Guests should feel okay with their gift, no matter how much it costs.
Plan every aspect of the wedding from the food to the events that occur within the reception. You want to make sure that every person who is sharing in your special day has as wonderful a time as you do.
Determine in advance if you want kids at your wedding. Having children attend can be aggravating, and it can run up your costs. Some people want their children with them though.
Wedding Planning
Carefully plan out activities that will entertain your guests. Don’t leave your loved ones bored as they wait for your wedding to be over. There can be a variety different games or contests that your guests could take part in. Make your wedding a participatory event for all, and it will be both fun and memorable for everyone.
Do some homework on wedding planning before meeting with a planner. Try to follow the example of stylists and fashion designers who make “look books” or even “mood boards” featuring inspirational design elements that can lead you towards your dream ceremony. Incorporate pictures, songs, magazine clippings and other details that will help your wedding planning understand your vision.
If you are looking to save money, consider cutting down on flowers. Rather than a floral wreath for the flower girl, try using ribbons for an elegant but simple look. You might want to consider using silk flowers instead of live ones. Silk is cheaper than live flowers, and they can be a great souvenir. You can also reuse the flowers at the reception, if you have someone that can move them.
Always understand the legal requirements for your location when planning a destination wedding. Don’t be surprised at the last minute by unknown regulations, red tape or fees that you did not expect.
Think of rain if there is a chance of it interfering with your plans. Outdoor weddings are beautiful but you always want to have a plan B for inclement weather. Even if bad weather doesn’t seem probable, you just never know. You should prepare another site for you and the ceremony to move to just in case.
Potted plants in varying sizes can be placed throughout the reception and ceremony areas for a quick and affordable floral motif rather than using traditional flower arrangements. You can choose pots with colorful glazes or add a little pizzazz to plain terracotta pots with decoupage, ribbons, or creative paint applications. The guest’s wedding favor can be the plants in the pots, or you can put them in your garden.
Brides should remember to practice their smiles in front of mirrors before the big day. This helps you get the exact look you want for your pictures. You always want to have a look that you are comfortable with.
It would be a good idea for you to practice your dance moves in a longer skirt prior to your wedding. You may be used to wearing long skirts, though you future husband may not be used to dancing while you are in this type of clothing. This helps remove any awkwardness that he might feel, especially if the dress that you wear is puffy.
A great gift idea for the bride’s party is a piece of custom jewelry that connects bride and bridesmaids. This way, once the wedding is over, each bridesmaids will have something that helps them remember what a special day it was.
In terms of wedding receptions, think carefully about whether to include kids. This is essential since it may save lots of aggravation and money if they’re not there. If you are not going to allow children at your wedding, be prepared for certain guests to not be able to make attendance.
Have no fear about entrusting tasks of your wedding plan process to others. It’s hard to give up any control over planning your wedding because the event is so important to you. It is nonetheless possible to effectively delegate different tasks in a way that allows you to retain creative control over the event; this also allows you to reap the benefits of more experienced vendors.
Make sure the bridemaids know what type of gown they’ll be wearing before asking if they will be in your bridal party . Many friendships are strained because of simple disagreements on the subject of bridesmaids dresses. Pick something affordable, matches any theme you have for your wedding, and that your bridesmaids love. This allows you to get a wedding put together that people will all enjoy taking part in.
Try to remember that music is the entire mood of the reception so make sure that it is acceptable and enjoyed by all attending. Whomever you hire needs to be able to excite your guests. No one wants to have a boring or lackluster wedding; instead, you want your day to be spectacular and memorable.
After reading this article, you have the information you need to plan the perfect wedding. Whether you are planning your wedding or helping someone else plan theirs, the information from this article will come in handy.
Make sure there is a time cushion between the wedding and your reception. Weddings generally are going to run a little late. Receptions are what people expect to be on time. Most receptions are booked for a specific time frame. If you run late, you will be paying for it in most cases.