You may have been dreaming your your wedding day all your life and the time is finally here to begin planning. It’s the most important day of your life and you will want it to be perfect. Identifying the best is simple, but the cost can be daunting. How can you have what you desire and stay on budget? You’ll find that this article is packed with tips to help you make smart decisions about your wedding and reception.
You may be able to save money on your wedding by planning it during an “off season”. This would be sometime that is not between May and September. Wedding venues can be pricier at this time. If you need to book during this time, make sure you book far in advance to get the best deal.
For a high-impact look that won’t drain your budget, consider renting diamonds for your big day. Renting earrings or a glamorous necklace can complete your look but will not leave your pockets empty.
You can make great use of big box stores, like Costco, when planning your own food service for your wedding day. When shopping wholesale, you can get large amounts of food for cheaper than you could if you did not wholesale shop. Think about asking people you know to assist with the food costs.
Choose one item to incorporate into all the different aspects of your wedding. For example, use the same ribbon that is in your centerpiece on your bouquet. These little details make all the difference in the effort you make in creating the perfect day.
Purchasing a wedding gown online can save a lot of money. If you decide to go this route, purchase the dress early so you will have time to get it altered. In fact I spent $300 in total, $100 for the gown itself, and only another $200 for the tailoring. Include the additional cost in your budgeting.
When you are planning your wedding don’t forget that people are going to need to get from your venue back to their hotel. Make taxis and limos available to transport people to their accommodations after the affair is over. This allows people to enjoy themselves and not have to worry about drinking and driving after the reception.
Your wedding should be as unique as your relationship is, so add a few touches specific to your personalities or relationship. Pick a theme that relates to who you are as a couple!
Avoid having guests wait while taking the photos. Take the bridal party photos ahead of time. Pictures with the bride or groom and their respective parents can also be taken ahead of time, reducing the amount of time guests have to wait for your arrival at the reception.
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 rush this decision, as it alters your life like no other. 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.
If you conduct your wedding in a vacation spot, have a basketful of themed goodies delivered to each guest’s room. This gift basket can include helpful items such as sunscreen, sunglasses, disposable cameras and tourist maps that add a nice touch of flavor to the vacation. You may also want to include a guide for the restaurants in the area so they can choose where they prefer to eat.
Practice walking towards a full length mirror to ensure you know how to do it, especially if you are not used to heels. If turning your ankles scares you, choose flats. Having footwear that is less sexy but will keep you from falling is an easy decision to make.
If your meal entails several different courses, make sure you add in little sweets between the plates. You could consider sugared flower petals, sugar roses or maybe some bite size crackers to tide them over.
When asking friends or family to come to a destination wedding, you may want to ask them to stay around for your honeymoon too. Everyone will enjoy a discount for the longer stay, and that will save everybody money. Your guests will have a memorable trip as well.
Ask a friend to borrow something from them to wear at your wedding ceremony. This helps you save money, look beautiful and will make your wedding day extra special.
As you decide the seating arrangements for your receptions, strive to have an even number of individuals at each table. To keep table conversations flowing, group the people you have sitting at the tables by their age.
One way this is done is by offering a menu consisting of popular ethnic dishes. You might even want to consider expanding your culinary options with wedding favors that are ethnically identifiable.
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. It is important that you let people know about events, such as the rehearsal they need to attend; this ensures that they show up at the appropriate time, when they’re needed.
Improve your wedding by enhancing the flowers. The theme should be complete. Flowers could include bright red poppies, daisies and peonies.
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. There are many different styles and options, such as various types of fabrics and textures. It is up to you how to put it all together.
Choose group activities to fill your special day with fun. Avoid having everyone sit in boredom waiting for your wedding ceremony to be over. Examples of activities could include a volleyball game, or a contest of who can get to know the most people prior to the wedding. This will make your wedding more memorable while letting others enjoy themselves by interacting with one another.
You can easily have a member of your family or a friend get ordained online, making them an ideal candidate to officiate your ceremony. This gives your wedding ceremony a personal touch, while also saving you money as you now do not have to hire an officiant. Make sure to check with the local officials first to see if it’s legal in the area.
As a groom, you should make sure that your tuxedo is a perfect fit. Accept opinions from your friends and family to decide which tuxedo should be your final choice. Aim to look even better on your wedding day than you do the rest of the time so that you can show yourself off in the wedding pictures.
You may want to consider getting silk flowers for your wedding. You can buy your silk flowers well in advance of the wedding whereas fresh flowers have to be selected, arranged and delivered on the wedding day, which can be more stressful and problematic.
When planning out your wedding music, you definitely want to look into the different DJ’s or bands in the area. Get references and never be afraid to contact them. Also, get a legal contract in place. This will help avoid any unpleasant surprises during your reception.
Choosing centerpieces for your reception tables can be a difficult and costly decision. Try small, elegant decorations to accent tables, and create a nice ambiance. Simple centerpieces help keep the table from feeling cluttered and make it easier for guests to talk to each other.
Make sure you do a little research on what the weather is going to be like. If it’s excessively hot, guests might not be comfortable at a long outdoor wedding. On the other hand, if it is too cold, your guests may exit early. Bring fans or heaters to your wedding so that you can adjust the temperature in the room if necessary.
Be mindful of what guest may want to do if you’ve having a destination wedding. Some of your guests may plan a vacation around your big day, so be sure they have enough time to make preparations. Sending cards to save your date a minimum of eight months ahead of time permit your guests to make any arrangements necessary.
Since many credit cards offer some type of rewards program, you should pick one up before you make your wedding purchases. Perhaps you could get miles for your honeymoon or discounts as a reward for your expenses. Use the card to make purchases related to your wedding and you will quickly accrue points towards rewards.
Make sure that your wedding theme is cohesive throughout all of your decor elements, even the flowers. For example, if you are pursuing a retro, vintage theme, carry the bright, cheery colors over with bold, beautiful floral arrangements. Bright flowers are ideal for many situations.
Brides-to-be should practice smiling in front of mirrors. This makes sure the bride’s smile comes across the right way in photos. By practicing regularly, you will not be disappointed with the results.
Pick a photographer for your wedding who will create memories, not simply take pictures. During the interview, ask them to tell you about their vision. Find out how they plan out his work during the wedding. You should be comfortable with the photographer’s style and presence at your wedding.
Any female participants in your wedding, such as the bridesmaids, should aim to be ready before you are. Right before the ceremony, you need to be the focus. If they have themselves to worry about in order to get ready, they will lose the focus and not help you.
Your floral arrangements will be more interesting if you select flowers in varying heights. Use tall vases for flowers with longer stems and more compact heads. Shorter flowers of greater volume an be used to surround the tall vessels. The shorter and smaller flowers should be paler than the main flowers.
Open a bank account for wedding savings! Keeping a fixed amount of money in a separate wedding account will allow you to monitor how much you are spending, while making it easier to stick to a budget. If you aren’t planning to get married, you can still save up for the big day, easing your stress when the time does come.
It is still possible to have the wedding of your dreams even when your budget is limited. You do not and should not go into debt with a wedding. You can make some things yourself, such as invitations, and ask loved ones to help. You can also make wedding favors, flower arrangements and save money on the venue by having the affair at someone’s home.
Don’t be fearful about letting other people help out with segments of planning your wedding. Because you are very emotionally involved with your wedding, you probably want to be a big part in all aspects of everything that needs to be done. You can overdo it though, so you may want a trusted pro who has expertise in this area.
Always do your research before you hire a band or DJ. Ask for contacts and references before you hire them. Have the band or DJ sign a contract for the planned date. The music is an important element to your wedding so ensuring you make the right choice is vital.
Remember that there are alternatives to purchasing a brand new engagement ring. Try using a piece of jewelry that was passed down in one of the families. A keepsake like this can really make one feel that they have truly become a part of the family, along with having something beautiful and vintage that they can wear all the time.
Think about serving a small meal for your wedding reception. If you have a large wedding, you might have to save money elsewhere. Cutting down on the food at your wedding is one way to save money. If you can’t do that, you can reduce your guest list.
You’ve finally landed the soon-to-be spouse of your dreams, which begs the question of how you can create an equally perfect wedding. You want everything to be perfect, but want to stay within budget. Hopefully you now feel better able to plan the wedding of your dreams on whatever budget you have. Put the tips to use and have a great wedding day!
Know what type of weather is being called for on your wedding day. Your guests probably won’t be willing to stay at your outdoor wedding and celebrate, when it’s miserably hot. Winter weddings are especially difficult to plan because you have to deal with potential cold, ice and snow. Guests may not be able to travel to your wedding if there’s a blizzard, and may be afraid of getting sick and go home early, if you don’t supply enough heat. Try to make your wedding as pleasant and comfortable as possible for your guests. If it is a hot day, for instance, have fans available.