Planning a wedding is a huge undertaking that requires a great deal of assistance. Luckily, this article is packed with a variety of useful tips that should demystify the planning process, making you more knowledgeable and confident in your abilities.
You will need to make a choice about how much alcohol you want to pay for, and which type of serving will be most cost efficient. Open bars can be expensive and can be more so if they’re open a long time. The folks running your venue may have affordable bar services, so be sure and ask them about it.
One of the biggest mistakes people make is not practicing the big walk enough. It takes more than two run throughs on rehearsal night to overcome the fact that items could be in the way. Make it second nature by doing several practice walks down the aisle. Be sure that this is done where the wedding will take place so the floor can be tested along with the footwear. This is going to make you feel confident on your big day.
If you will be catering your own wedding, look to wholesale markets such as Sam’s or Costco to buy supplies. This will enable you to save a lot of money. 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.
When planning your wedding, think about what type of alcohol serving you want, and what type will be the most cost efficient. If you have an open bar that is available for long intervals of time, the bill can run up really hard really fast. The folks running your venue may have affordable bar services, so be sure and ask them about it.
Buying your wedding dress may be expensive. When you shop for a dress, try dresses that aren’t categorized as wedding dresses. For example, a bridesmaid dress is typically much less expensive and may be just what you’re looking for. Even if this dress is not perfect and you need some adjustments made to make it your dream dress, it could still run you quite a bit less then an actual wedding dress.
Ask anyone who is giving a toast to share his speech with you ahead of time to ensure that the comments are appropriate. Some material, especially jokes, may fall flat or offend some of your guests, so you want to correct these problems ahead of time. If there are going to be different generations there, you don’t want to offend anyone.
For a high-impact look that won’t drain your budget, consider renting diamonds for your big day. This gives you that look you want but won’t cost you a ton so that you can stay within your budget.
Tie little decorative items into all the elements of your wedding decor. Use a similar ribbon for your bouquet as that on your gown or your centerpieces. These little details make all the difference in the effort you make in creating the perfect day.
Spend quite a bit of time writing your vows so that they include all the things that are important to your union with your spouse. The institution of marriage is lifelong and marked by willingness to enter into a major commitment. Express your love for the person you will marry when writing your vows.
When choosing a venue for the reception, be sure to account for enough space to dance. People love to dance at weddings and no one wants to be crammed in a small space. If needed, move tables and chairs to free up some room for dancing.
Practice your walk in front of mirrors to feel comfortable on your wedding day. Go with flats if you’re worried about twisting an ankle. Losing the allure of heels will pay off if it saves you from taking a nasty spill.
You can save a lot of money by purchasing cupcakes or mini tarts rather than a large tiered wedding cake. Times have changed and despite the oddness you may feel based on tradition, guests tend to prefer this and it saves not only money but also prevents waste. Each guest can just grab a cupcake or tart, then put them into special take-out inspired box.
If you have a destination wedding, consider inviting family to stay for the honeymoon. Everyone will enjoy a discount for the longer stay, and that will save everybody money. That will also help them to have a great day and a wonderful vacation!
Your family or friends could carry the gear for you. The assistant can help line up family members and round them up for group shots.
When making wedding dinner seating arrangements, be sure to have even numbers of people at each table. If you put people of the same age together at tables they will have more to talk about.
Don’t make guests wait as you take photos. The photos concerning the rest of the wedding party should be done in advance. The pictures for the bride, groom and immediately family can also be done in advance.
Even if your dress is picked and already paid for, it is a good idea to keep it safely at the shop until the big day. When you put it in your personal closet, it may get stained or wrinkled. If it’s in the bridal shop, it will stay pressed and fresh for the wedding day!
If it is within your budget, you might want to take a wedding cruise with just your closest friends and family. This would make the honeymoon begin immediately following the ceremony. Some cruise companies even have special rates for those getting married and honeymooning on their ships.
If you choose to use a wedding cake that is colorful, you might want to place it on top a coordinating piece of fabric. There are many options that you can choose. These include patterns, solids and fabrics that are heavily textured. You can use silk, velvet or satins to blend the elements together.
Silk Flowers
Getting a relative or friend ordained online can give him authority to officiate the wedding ceremony. This can be a wonderful way to honor someone special in your life, and to make them an important part of your big day. First, make sure your area allows this to happen.
Consider silk flowers for your wedding instead of spending a lot of money on luxurious floral arrangements. One advantage to silk flowers is the fact that they can be purchased ahead of time and the arrangements can be made prior to your wedding day.
Seasonal flowers in your state are more than likely not easy to come by in a humid tropical environment or a cooler, dry Mediterranean setting. Consult with a florist to see which flowers are in season or most readily available at the time of your wedding.
If you plan on making a wedding speech or giving a toast, you should practice beforehand. You want to write a wedding speech ahead of time, and practice it until you know it by heart. If not, you may become tongue-tied and do a poor job of it when the time comes.
One affordable alternative to elaborate floral arrangements is placing multiple potted plants of varying sizes throughout the ceremony and reception sites. You can embellish terracotta pots with colorful ribbons, paint or decoupage, or you may choose glazed stoneware. You can even used the potted plants as a favor for guests after the wedding or plant them in your yard as a memory of the wedding.
If you are having an outdoor wedding, include a contingency plan for inclement weather or any other unforeseen problem. A couple ways to do this include having tents on standby and renting an area with both an indoor and outdoor space. If the ground is wet you can bring planks of wood to help keep your guests’ shoes clean.
One tradition associated with weddings is registering for gifts. Let your guest know, they don’t need to bring anything. Additionally, choose items with a wide price range. People need to feel comfortable gifting what they are able to afford.
Be sure to take care of all legal details if you are planning a destination wedding. There may be red tape you need to address, such as fees or residency requirement, and you should get these ducks in a row before taking care of anything else.
To make your wedding unforgettable, plan some activities for your guests. Do not just have your friends and family stand around waiting for your nuptials to end. There can be a variety different games or contests that your guests could take part in. Everyone will more easily remember your wedding when they have fun and get to socially interact and mingle.
Be sure to hire a professional wedding photographer who has the ability to create beautiful memories rather than simply snapping photos. When meeting with a photographer, ask how he approaches the day. Ask them how they see the day playing out in their mind. You want to understand their style to make sure it meshes with your own.
In order to make the wedding go smoothly, make sure the bride is satisfied with every aspect of the wedding. You could cause her a lot of stress if she’s doing all of the planning or if there are any surprises that might disappoint her. Run everything by her to avoid a “bridezilla!”
Shorter Flowers
For the bridesmaids, be sure that they are aware of the gowns that they will be wearing before you ask them to be in the wedding party. Disagreements in bridesmaid’s gowns can ruin a friendship. Find a dress that is not too expensive, matches your theme, and will suit and delight each of your bridesmaids. This will ensure that everyone has a good time and no ill feelings are bred.
Floral designs that vary in height can help improve your decor. Put taller flowers in tall vases with compact heads. Shorter flowers of greater volume an be used to surround the tall vessels. The shorter flowers should have more prominent blooms and be more lightly colored.
Write your own vows for the wedding. You may get inspiration from a number of sources; however, you know your betrothed in your heart. Writing the vows yourself can add more romance and meaning to your wedding and make you feel more connected to one another. There is nothing wrong with using outside resources, but your vows will be more personal if you write them yourself.
For the bridesmaids, be sure that they are aware of the gowns that they will be wearing before you ask them to be in the wedding party. Bridesmaids can then offer their input as well, and you can try to accommodate them as best as possible. Pick something affordable that goes with your wedding theme and that all the bridesmaids like. This will ensure a great wedding day free from hurt feelings and misunderstandings.
Ask vendors you’re already using to recommend other services you need. If you already have a vendor that you really like, ask them for their suggestions on other vendors. The band may recommend the perfect caterer. You may also find that you can get better prices by hiring someone through one of your other wedding vendors, plus they will likely have worked well together before.
When choosing a videographer for your wedding, make sure you interview many candidates and ask to see examples of his or her work. Be sure that sound editing is something to which you pay real attention as well. Make sure you will be receiving DVD copies of your wedding, rather than outdated VHS tapes. Use your intuition when choosing a videographer, because after all, they will be capturing your most memorable day.
Many brides go tanning before their big day, but this can lead to problems sometimes. Nothing would look worse on your big day than having tan lines from your bikini top showing on an open back dress.
Instead of allowing yourself to succumb to the pressures and myriad choices involved in the planning process, remember the advice that you have just read. You can find that there are many opportunities and resources that can help your day go smoothly.
When you have a wedding, there are going to be a lot of guests to take pictures with. This can be hard, especially if it’s a big wedding with lots of attendees and very little time to give them. Set up a time with all of the guests for pictures and let your photographer know to set up a few hours in advance.