Are you interested in having a wedding during the summer or winter? Do you want flowers? If so, will they be live or artificial? There are a lot of decisions that have to be made for this special day. Regardless of whether you are the bride or groom, or simply someone helping plan the event, the advice that follows is sure to aid in creating a wonderful day.
You can get a better rate on almost any venue by booking during an off period. Most people get married between May and December. When this is going on, it will cost more to have a wedding. If you can’t plan your wedding at any other time, book your venue as soon as possible to get a great deal.
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. Get acquainted with the floor you will be walking on and do this with the same shoes you plan on wearing. Doing so helps to ensure a smooth and confident walk when your wedding day comes.
Purchasing your gown on the Internet can save you thousands of dollars, but it’s important to buy early so you’ll have time to alter it before the big day. You can purchase wedding gowns for as low as $100 online, but sometimes the alterations may cost you double that amount. The cost of an alteration should also be included in your budget.
You can save money by choosing an off season wedding date. The traditional season for weddings is May through September. This will be the time where the costs are the highest. To help ensure you are able to book the perfect venue, plan well in advance.
Hold a dress rehearsal for all members of the party that are giving speeches at the reception. This will give them a chance to practice, and you’ll also be able to make sure no inappropriate remarks are planned. Remember that your guests will include people across a wide range of ages, and a joke that younger generations find amusing might be offensive to older guests.
For food, consider going to a store such as Costco. This will allow you to save loads of money. Think about asking people you know to assist with the food costs.
Practice walking in your wedding dress and shoes. If you’re worried that you will twist your ankle, you can wear flats instead. It’s better to have slightly less sexy footwear than to fall!
You don’t want to starve yourself leading up to your wedding day just to fit into your dress. Starving yourself will just dehydrate you and make you feel sick. Fainting is a distinct possibility, and you don’t want that to happen to you! Choosing a dress in the correct size that fits you well will help avoid your dress feeling a little tight on the big day.
While you are taking your wedding photos, do not let your guests wait. The pictures with the groom’s and bride’s parties should be shot ahead of time. Pictures with those being wed and their parents should also be taken beforehand if possible.
Look at the portfolios of any makeup artist you are considering for your wedding day. It would certainly ruin your day to have you and your bridesmaids looking harsh in makeup that does not suit the colors or the styles you have chosen. It is critically important that you know they can meet your needs. You do not want to be an hour before your wedding with a make up artist who does your make up in a way that you dislike.
Even if you’ve already chosen and bought your dress, it’s wise to leave it in the bridal store until the day of your wedding. Putting it away in a closet could cause it to become wrinkled or even stained. This will keep your dress as fresh as possible.
Brides who have sensitive skin should start a skin care regimen well in advance of the wedding. Look for facial treatments that soothe and brighten with ingredients like sea salts, oatmeal, rose, and creamy scrubs.
You may want to consider a wedding aboard a cruise ship. The honeymoon can ensue right after the wedding is over! Some of these cruise companies have special prices for weddings and honeymoons on the ship.
You don’t want to have your guests waiting as you have your wedding photos taken. The bride, groom and wedding party should take the photos 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.
Having someone close to you get ordained online allows them to preside over your wedding. This makes the wedding a bit more personal, and also means you don’t have to pay the fee for a justice of the peace. Just be mindful of all legalities in your local area, so check with an official who handles these sorts of issues.
Vacation goody baskets make great delivery presents to guests at your destination wedding. You will want to include useful items such as a disposable camera, tourist map that shows fun places in the local area, sunglasses and a hat. Additionally, you may want to include a local restaurant guide so that your guests know where to eat.
You can look for local talent in many places; Craigslist is a great start to find people. To ensure your safety, meet the interested party in a public place before giving them any money.
Have a mid-afternoon wedding reception. Three or four o’clock is ideal. People drink less during this time and you will not spend as much on alcohol. Also, dinner receptions tend to be more expensive than lunch receptions, and you’ll be able to spend your savings on something else.
If the future newlyweds enjoy traveling, display decorations that portray a sense of wanderlust. You could also send out invitations that look like postcards or boarding passes, for instance. Design your wedding program and guest favors to match too.
Make certain to send an online itinerary to your guests with the events, so they know how they should schedule their day and which part they are looking to attend. If you share your schedule with your guests, it helps them understand where they are expected to be and when they need to be there, so they can manage their travel time appropriately.
Flowers that might be abundant in your home territory may not be widely available if you happen to be in the Cayman Islands or Greece. It is best to call ahead to a professional in the area where you are planning on being married, to see which blooms are plentiful, and what they suggest for your specific taste.
Perhaps you would consider a cruise ship wedding, with only a few close friends and family. Doing this will allow you to start your honeymoon immediately after your wedding is done. You may even get a great wedding deal.
If you are planning to hold your reception outdoors, it is important to inform your caterer. There are some food choices that will not be appropriate for an outdoor wedding as they may spoil easily in heat or wind, for example. One way to address the wind issue is to use decorative covers for the dishes. If needed, you can keep beverages cool in a small fridge.
You can have a special relative or friend become ordained online so that they can perform your wedding vows. This makes the wedding a bit more personal, and also means you don’t have to pay the fee for a justice of the peace. But do not mar this important day by breaking the law; verify that it is permitted in your region.
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. There are a number of options for decorative pots, ranging from glazed ceramic to terracotta. Consider adding custom details, such as ribbons or decoupage. You can offer the potted plants as wedding favors or if the new couple chooses, they can use them in their landscape.
If the future newlyweds enjoy traveling, display decorations that portray a sense of wanderlust. You could fashion your invitations to resemble boarding passes or vintage postcards. An interesting travel bag decorated with colored bows and ribbons can be set up as a decoration alongside the guestbook or pictures of the bride and groom.
To make sure you are ready for your special first dance, consider practicing your dance before your wedding while wearing a long skirt. You could be used to dancing or walking around in a long skirt, but your future husband might not be used to it. You might feel better about dancing in a very fancy dress.
Your wedding vibe can be translated to each different decorative element. Vintage themes can offer a classy look if the flowers are suited to the theme. That could mean red poppies, daisies, and pink and yellow peonies.
The groom needs to make sure his tuxedo fits before the wedding day to avoid any unpleasant wardrobe malfunctions. Consult with people whose opinions you trust before you make a final decision about your tux. There may be photographs taken, so look your best at your wedding. This will be an event to remember!
A true photographer captures priceless memories and doesn’t just take random pictures. When interviewing them, ask them about their vision for your day. Ask them about their process for handling a wedding day. You will want to match styles with the photographer of your choice.
Plan well in advance. A year-long lead-time might seem sufficient, but you will soon find that many venues and vendors will already be booked. Planning early ensures that you have more choices for venues and vendors.
Make your floral arrangements more complex by incorporating different heights. Different types of vases should be included in the design. You can then surround the vases using flowers with more show and volume but that are shorter. Also, opt for darker shades for your long stem flowers and lighter shades for the shorter flowers.
Keep an eye on the weather. Should you be planning a wedding outdoors, you will want a plan B in place in case of inclement weather. Even during times of the year when the weather should be favorable, it is a good idea to have another site prepared.
Think about whether children will be allowed at your wedding. You can spare yourself a lot of aggravation and money if you don’t invite children. But be aware that some parents may not have access to a babysitter so you could offer names of available babysitters to out of town guests.
Your mother, and any bridesmaids that are going to aid in helping you get ready, should be dressed and ready to go by the time they are needed to help you with your wedding gown and accessories. 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.
After reading these tips, it’s safe to say that you probably weren’t aware of even half of these ideas. And that’s because no one ever realizes just how much goes into planning a wedding until they’re actually staring at it in the face. A wedding is perhaps the most detail-oriented celebration out there, so be sure that you’re using these tips to help you out.
Try to reduce the tan lines that you have. This is important because you may try to get a nice tan before the wedding but tan lines may be distracting when in your dress.