Now is the time for your wedding planning adventure. You’ve probably dreamed of this moment since childhood, even down to the littlest detail. Identifying the best is simple, but the cost can be daunting. How can you plan around your budget? The following advice is going to guide you with sensible strategies for planning your wedding.
Prior to your big day, practice walking down the aisle. Make sure that you do this at the actual site of the wedding, as you will want to test out the floor with the shoes you are going to wear. That way, you will know precisely how you should move.
Consider getting married outside of wedding season. The traditional season for weddings is May to September. This will be the time where the costs are the highest. If you really want your wedding during this season, book as far in advance as possible for a great deal.
Make sure you hear everyone rehearse their speeches before you if they are appointed to speak at your wedding. This way, you will know that it is all appropriate for your big day. For example, you would want to eliminate any jokes that apply to a very specific group within your guests in order to avoid anyone feeling excluded and to make sure the speech is well-received by all who attend your wedding.
One consideration in wedding planning is alcohol service. You’ll want to determine the way that meets you needs, including the cost and the way to serve the kinds of alcohol that you prefer. Open bars are expensive, especially if they’re open for a long time. Inquire at your venue what your alcoholic beverage serving options are.
Personalize the wedding so that it reflects your personalities, and that of your relationship. Select a theme which reflects your relationship.
You can save a lot of money by purchasing your wedding gown online. However, remember to give yourself plenty of time for alterations. You may only spend $100 on the gown when buying it online, but it may cost another $200 for the alterations. Budget in this additional cost.
Have your wedding on the property of friends or family. If someone you know has a nice backyard or a large farm, this can save a lot of money. Offer to pay someone to come in ahead of time and after the event to do the cleaning for them, but that should be your only cost.
Include in your wedding elements of yourselves, your relationship, and your life’s events. Pick out a theme that reflects your time together.
The most important part of your wedding is your future spouse, so be sure that you are ready to spend the rest of your life with them. Don’t be in a hurry to get married. Marriage changes your life forever, and if you truly want your marriage to last a lifetime you need to move slowly towards this step. See your partner as she really is–the good and the bad. Think not only about the reasons you love her, but all her bad habits and quirks that might irritate you after months or years together.
You may want to utilize ethnic dishes for a unique reception. Use lots of different foods rather than the more traditional chicken and steak. Make sure that your wedding feast is something that everyone will remember for years to come.
If you are looking to dazzle your guests but cannot afford a hit to the wallet, consider renting diamond jewelry. This will allow you to look stunning without actually having to invest in the diamonds.
Keep transportation in mind when planning your wedding. If anyone needs a ride to or from their hotel for the event, you should arrange limos or taxis. This is also good for the people who have alcoholic drinks during your wedding.
Do not place too many flowers on the tables at your wedding reception. A lot of times, the flowers may be getting in the guests’ way. Additionally, many people are allergic to flowers. Instead, you could place candles (non-scented) on the table tops to add a romantic feel to the reception.
Check around for photographers who have glowing credentials. You never want to hire a photographer who doesn’t fit your style. For good local photographers, look at online reviews or ask loved ones for recommendations.
Luxury-loving and fashionable brides could choose to make their bouquet sparkle; try adding rhinestones, Swarovski crystals or even some diamonds. For example, incorporate vintage brooches, Swarovski crystals or costume jewelry into the design. To create a cohesive look, be sure that the colors, cut, and the size of any stones you use match or compliment each other.
Check your wedding venue to emsure that there will be enough room for a dance floor. Forgetting this can end with a cramped reception, so don’t forget this important detail. You can always move chairs and tables to have more space for dancing.
Practice your walk for when you walk down the aisle. Flats may be a better choice if you think you may hurt your feet. Losing the allure of heels will pay off if it saves you from taking a nasty spill.
Provide your guests with an online itinerary of events so that everyone, including out-of-town attendees, know what they should be scheduling and planning to attend. Also, let your guests know what events they need to be present for, so they will be where they are supposed to be, when they’re supposed to be there.
One detail to consider is that the venue lighting can be dimmed, if necessary. This may seem minor, but lighting is important to setting the mood and dimmed lights are preferable for your first dance. Before giving the venue the thumbs up and your money, ask them about this detail.
If money isn’t an issue, you may want to get married on a cruise ship with close members of your family and close friends. Your honeymoon will start right after the ceremony. Many cruise companies have special deals for wedding and honeymooning couples.
When making wedding dinner seating arrangements, be sure to have even numbers of people at each table. Use age and relationship models to help group your tables, as this will help people locate good company.
Ask a close friend or family member if they’d be interested in becoming ordained online to be able to officiate your ceremony. This saves you money, and makes your wedding feel more personal. Make sure this is a legal practice in your state before you get somebody ordained.
A wedding cake can serve as a beautiful work of art, making a great focal point for a reception. Add a coordinating table cloth, and you are sure to have a great presentation. A pretty tablecloth made of textured fabric, velvet, shiny satin or a lace that matches the wedding dress are all nice choices.
Ask to borrow something from a friend to wear on the day you get married. This “something borrowed” will enhance the way you look and feel and add a special touch to the day.
Silk flowers are a great alternative to some of the different types of flowers that you can purchase for your wedding. You don’t have to purchase these fresh so you can buy them months ahead, and you don’t have to be concerned with huge floral arrangements.
If the couple getting married has a strong love for travel, try to incorporate design elements that reflect this in the planning and decoration process. You could fashion your invitations to resemble boarding passes or vintage postcards. Consider using a steamer trunk as an attractive, themed display for everything from wedding programs to party favors.
Try to incorporate interests from both the groom and the bride when decorating. For example, if both enjoy traveling, then include little decorative touches that are reminiscent of their travels. Your invitations, notices, and R.S.V.P. cards can be designed to match the theme or your wedding. A classic leather suitcase may be kept open to show family photos, wedding programs or favors.
Take care of all the legal arrangements for destination weddings. Whether it comes down to fees, red tape or residency issues, you need to address all these things first before beginning to book services and hotels.
If a bride and groom are from a different culture, be sure that you have both of the traditions represented in the wedding. Then try to get a reception set up that shows the other side of the marriage if possible. This can make for an intriguing and memorable combination that both families can be happy with.
Potted Plants
Investigate the legalities of a destination if you are planning an event away from home. 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.
An affordable alternative to fancy floral arrangements is to place several potted plants of differing sizes in various areas of your reception and wedding sites. Use colorful, glazed ceramic pots, or dress up earthy terracotta stoneware with ribbons, decoupage, or decorative paint effects. When the wedding is over, the newlyweds can either plant the potted plants in their yard, or the guest can take them home.
In order to prepare in dancing when it comes to your first dance, practice dancing a couple days before the wedding using a long skirt. Though you may have warmed up to your ability to move about in your skirt, it may be a bit cumbersome for your groom, so put on some music and dance together. This will help him adjust to dancing with you in your dress and prevent any awkwardness, especially if your gown is particularly full at the bottom.
Pick a photographer for your wedding who will create memories, not simply take pictures. When meeting with a photographer, ask how he approaches the day. Ask the photographer detailed questions about their work process and what a typical wedding is like for them to work. You will want to match styles with the photographer of your choice.
When selecting a wedding videographer, interview as many candidates as possible and look at samples of their work. Note the editing and sound quality that the videographer provides. Make sure you will be receiving DVD copies of your wedding, rather than outdated VHS tapes. Make your decisions based on the factors mentioned as well as your personal first impressions of different videographers.
Decide in advance if you will be inviting children to your wedding. Not having kids can actually save you a lot of frustration. However, you might run into attendance problems of adults invited due to no childcare options for them.
One creative way to reduce the cost of your wedding is to use other alternatives instead of flower arrangements. Ribbons are a colorful alternative to floral wreaths for the flower girls. Purchasing silk flowers for the tables instead of live flowers can still give an elegant touch. You are saving money while having a forever memento of your big day. You can move it from place to place and even use it from your ceremony to your wedding reception.
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. Many friendships are strained because of simple disagreements on the subject of bridesmaids dresses. Be sure to select comfortable dresses that match your theme and look good on your bridesmaids. This allows you to get a wedding put together that people will all enjoy taking part in.
The bridesmaids and bride’s mother should be ready way before the ceremony so they can help the bride get ready. The last few minutes prior to the ceremony should be all about you. If other members of your wedding party aren’t ready, then they might prevent you from getting ready.
Always do your research before you hire a band or DJ. Be sure to ask for references, and contact those before hiring anyone. When you set a date, confirm the agreement. These steps can help you avoid having your wedding ruined.
It is acceptable to delegate different aspects of your wedding to other qualified people. Due to the fact that you are heavily invested emotionally in your wedding, this may be difficult to do because of your desire to have control over what happens. It is all too easy to overdo it so take the time to step back and let a professional handle some of the details.
So your big day is in sight and you now have a lot of planning to do. You wish for your wedding to turn out perfectly, and you don’t want to go broke in the process. The information you have just read will certainly relieve some of the financial stress associated with this big event. Put the tips to use and have a great wedding day!
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 don’t have a professional photographer and an appropriate schedule, you may end up wasting a good deal of time hunting these people down for the pictures. Tell your guests before the wedding where and when you’d like to take pictures. Also, make sure your photographer knows.