This article will help guide you through the steps to planning a wedding. He finally popped the question! Now you have a lot of work to do. Planning a wedding is a monumental task for even the most organized person. It is very important that you plan your wedding months in advance. If you wait until the last minute, things will certainly go wrong and you won't have the time you need to correct them.
The first thing that you should do is set a date. This date should be realistic. You can't set a wedding date three weeks from the time you get engaged and plan on having a big wedding. Also take note of the date that you set. Is it around a holiday? If so, you may consider changing it. Getting married on the fourth of July may seem like a great idea, but it will be hard to get reservations anywhere for guests and for the reception. After the date is set, you need to plan a budget.
Setting a budget is vital to planning a wedding. A wedding can easily become very expensive if you let it. Set a budget and stick to it. If you need to cut corners, so be it. Cutting back on certain wedding expenses is not going to make you any less married. Going into a new marriage with huge debts hanging over your head is a recipe for disaster.
Make a list of guests. Go over this list with your fiance. If the list is growing every day and it looks like you can't meet your budget goals, simply make the list smaller. Do you really need to invite those people that you haven't seen or spoken to in ten years? Aim for a more intimate wedding with just close friends and relatives.
Make a checklist of everything that you need for your wedding. Beside each item, write down a goal date to get it accomplished. Next to the date, write down the name of the person that can handle this task for you. There is no reason to try to do everything yourself if you have friends and family members willing to help. For example; put your best friend, who is probably the maid of honor, in charge of all the bridesmaids dresses. Her job would be to make sure the dresses get delivered in time and that they all fit.
Contact the clergy and confirm that he is available for your wedding date. Make sure that you schedule him right away. Confirm that the church will be available for your big day also. A lot of people schedule events and weddings a year or more in advance so you can never schedule too early.
Just remember, that no wedding is absolutely perfect. There are always tiny details that will go wrong. Be flexible and try not to become too stressed over the idea that you must achieve perfection. A wedding should be the happiest time of your life. By taking the above steps to planning your wedding, you can relax a little knowing that your wedding will be beautiful.
Steps For Planning A Wedding
Where should you start first? The first detail that must be decided upon is the date. This is essential because it may help you to determine other details, such as the availability of venues for the reception and the ceremony.
After you have determined the date for the wedding, you may be tempted to begin booking sites for the ceremony and the reception. Before you do this, you will need an idea of how many people to expect. This means that you will need to begin planning the guest list. While you should not expect everyone on the guest list to attend, you should plan for approximately two-thirds of your guest list to be present.
Once you have settled on a date and you have a basic idea of the number of guests to expect, you will need to give some thought to location. Just as with anything else, location can be critically important. Consider the time of the year when the wedding will be held as well as the number of people the venue is able to accommodate. You should also consider whether it will be possible to hold the wedding ceremony and the reception at the same site or whether you will need to book separate locations.
At this point you may wish to give some consideration as to whether you will hire a wedding planning or a wedding coordinator. A full wedding planner is another expense to consider, but you may be surprised to learn that you can actually save money through hiring a professional wedding planner due to the fact that they are typically knowledgeable out different venues, vendors, pricing, etc. In addition, hiring a wedding coordinator can help to ensure that everything goes smoothly and relieve some of the stress during this important time of your life. If you feel that your budget really cannot extend far enough to hire a full wedding coordinator, then do consider hiring a day of the wedding coordinator to oversee things on the all important day. Even a close friend who is well organized, but not part of the actual wedding party, can fulfill this role.
After you have settled upon reception and ceremony venues, if you have not already given thought to who will be in your wedding, it is time to address this matter. Even if you are planning a small wedding, you will generally need a maid or matron of honor and a best man. You may also wish to have additional bridesmaids and groomsmen. Other possible wedding party members include flower girl(s), ring bearer(s) and candle lighters. If the wedding is to be large you might also consider ushers. Larger weddings may also include junior bridesmaids.
Contact each individual personally and allow sufficient time for them to check their schedule and ensure they will be available not only for the wedding but also for any other additional functions that may be associated with the event, such as the rehearsal dinner. You should also be prepared to provide them with an approximate amount of money they will need to spend for clothing, etc. This matter becomes even more important if you are planning a destination wedding or if it will be an out of town wedding and they may need to travel to the wedding location. If you are able to do so, you might consider assisting financially with these costs.
Another important matter that will need to be attended to is the catering. Consider your budget in this matter and the time of day when you are planning to schedule the wedding because this may impact your catering budget. For example, if you plan to hold your wedding in the evening then you may need to set aside a larger budget for a sit-down dinner. On the other hand, if you plan a mid-afternoon wedding then you may be able to save money by holding only a light buffet.
Once you have reserved the sites for the ceremony and reception, chosen your bridal party and handled the catering, there will still be several other tasks that will need to be addressed, depending on the complexity of your wedding. These tasks may include:
• Selecting music
• Selecting wedding dress
• Choosing bridesmaids' dresses and tuxes
• Lining up a photographer
• Choose and order invitations
• Book venue for rehearsal dinner
• Choose and order wedding cake
• Order decorations-flowers, ribbons, etc.
Remember that although planning a wedding can take a lot of time and energy, it can also be a lot of fun. Rely on anyone who is willing to help and do not be afraid to delegate tasks to others. There is no need to do it all on your own. By carefully organizing the planning of your wedding, you can be confident that everything will turn out just as you have planned.
Both Jeff Wilson & David Beart are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
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