There are a lot of things to think about while planning a wedding, from selecting dependable contractors to food, flowers, and decorations. It takes a lot of time and anxiety, so we’ve put together a checklist to help you think of everything.
1. The Concept of The Party
Sit down with your partner and talk about how you envision your wedding as a whole. If at all possible, pay attention to every last detail. Is it going to be a formal reception or a celebration for your closest friends and family? Is it better to eat at home or in a restaurant? Are you going to keep to a theme? Try to talk about everything, no matter how lavish (maybe you’ve always wanted to ride a white horse up to the ceremony?). You’ll be able to figure out what’s essential to the two of you this way.
2. Work Out a Budget
You can’t avoid making boring estimations when arranging your wedding unless you strike the jackpot the day before. To do so, you must first determine who will pay (you, the groom, the parents). Then divide the remaining funds into the following major categories: food and alcohol (40 percent), the honeymoon (13 percent), photography and video (10 percent), wedding dress, tux and accessories (6 percent), music (5 percent), flowers (3 percent); invitations (2 percent); ceremony (5 percent); wedding rings (6 percent); and rehearsal dinner, limousines, catering staff “gifts, tips, and other expenses” (10 percent ). The percentage might vary, but the most important thing is not to go over the limit. After all, starting married life under debt isn’t the best feeling in the world.
3. Choose Your Style
Re-visit websites and periodicals, not simply on the wedding topic, before organizing meetings with contractors. This will give you ideas for how you want your own wedding to appear. Perhaps the topic will inspire you to write a novel about a vacation to the Mediterranean, or you’ll come across a purse, shoes, or even a sofa in a color scheme that you’ll want to include in your flower arrangements or table decorations. When you start looking at the world through the lens of wedding planning, you’ll be shocked at how many opportunities for new ideas present themselves every day.
4. Carefully Read The Contract
Pay close attention to what’s written in small print. If the cover band agrees to work extra, make sure you know how much it will cost so you aren’t caught off guard at the conclusion of your wonderful party. Any modifications made after the contract has been signed should likewise be documented in writing. If you wish to switch the yellow roses in your arrangement with orange roses on the spur of the moment, write a letter or message to your florist and obtain confirmation that the substitution will be performed.
5. Originality
Do you want your celebration to be different from all the weddings you’ve been to before? Think personalization is just for professionals? In fact, it can be ethnic traditions in your ceremony, or your girlfriends’ dresses will choose their own and they won’t be the same. Invite your favorite dog to the reception, make a meal from an old family recipe, or use your new marital monogram to design a cake. Don’t let your imagination run away with you.
6. Organize Your Information
Keep thorough recordings of all wedding details on your phone or computer, a notepad or a large folder, or even a grocery store bag. In a nutshell, you may arrange the data as you wish. There’s so much to keep track of during preparation, and this way you get the information you need on the first thing you need to know.
7. Use Cards
Pay with cards whenever possible. That way you can earn bonuses that are so handy to use during your honeymoon.
8. Collect Reviews
Choosing a vendor is akin to shopping, professionals say. You want to get the most for your money and not get screwed at the most crucial moment. Ask friends who got married not too long ago which of their contractors they liked and why. Study their portfolios carefully, read reviews. Contact a couple or three clients who have had the contractor work for them before and get their opinion of them. And don’t settle for poor service if you like the contractor’s work. Otherwise, it may turn out that the florist will be too busy to take your calls, and the virtuoso decorator won’t be at all interested in your opinion.
9. Study
You may listen to music, look at a photographer’s or florist’s portfolio, take virtual tours of a restaurant, and compare prices all on the Internet. The only thing you can’t do right now is order cakes on the internet. But you should not base your choice only on the beauty of the site, although this is a definite plus, still a personal meeting will never be superfluous. At least in order to understand whether you and the contractor suit each other on a psychological level or not.
10. Think About Help
Any bride who has gone through wedding planning will advise you to ponder a thousand times before declining a wedding planner’s services. You’ll be able to address practically any difficulty on a professional level in this manner. Want to throw a wedding theme party for your guests? He’ll provide you alternatives and keep you away from cliches. Do you want to save some cash? Many of the companies with whom he frequently works provide discounts for organizers (by the way, this way you may recoup virtually all of the planner’s charge, not to mention saving time and anxieties). If you don’t want to employ an officiant, try hiring a coordinator instead; this will ensure that your wedding day goes off without a hitch.
11. Packages Deals
If you’ve chosen to marry while on vacation or on the other side of the world, you should carefully consider your options. Consider a bundle deal first. Additionally, some complexes or hotels have on-staff wedding coordinators, which might save you money. Also, if you haven’t been there before, pay a visit before reserving a reservation.
12. Request A Discount
After all, why not? The worst thing that may happen to a contractor is to lose a potential customer. It’s not beneficial to him to just turn you down and then have a dozen new appointments. In order to get the deal done, they will probably agree to make a little concession.
13. Avoid Hidden Fees
When you calculate your banquet fee, most often you operate on a price per person. But the final bill is likely to include the checkroom attendant, service, tips, and wedding cake cutting. To prevent this from happening, ask to see any receipt from the last event from that venue. This will give you a realistic picture.
14. Look For People With Similar Objectives
You can speak about your approaching wedding all day, but your friends and coworkers are unlikely to share your excitement. Find specialized communities where you may talk about a wide range of topics with other newlywed brides without bothering the rest of us.
15. Carefully Choose Your Band or DJ
When hiring a DJ or band for your wedding, try to catch a performance so you feel like you’ve gone to a concert and aren’t disturbed by the singer’s habit of running out into the middle of the dance floor with a wireless microphone in his hand. If you can not witness the live show, try to get at least a rehearsal. If you can’t do that either, watch a video or CD of their performance.
16. Timing, Timing, Aand More Timing
If you may put it that way, a good wedding should have a seamless flow. This implies that it must be well-timed. For example, if the picture session pushes back the start of dinner by an hour, the guests will have to find something to do with that time. It could be more practical to take the shot before the wedding or reschedule it for a later date. Also, request that the restaurant workers hold off on clearing the tables until after the feast because nothing looks as mournful as elevated chairs during the last dance.
17. Prepare to Lime The Guests Ahead of Time
Once you’ve chosen a wedding date, give your guests all the details about the theme, dress style, and venue. This is especially crucial for individuals visiting from abroad since they will need to purchase a ticket and book lodging in advance. Make a wedding-specific page on your website. Guests will be able to see the itinerary, accommodations, local attractions, and other information on it.
Some hotels offer online reservations for guests and discounts on packages or corporate bookings.
18. Be a Grateful Bride
Don’t forget to thank everyone who came to share your delight at the conclusion of the evening. Too shy? Allow the host to take care of it.
Sure, you’ll write thank-you letters and prepare comments for your guests, but how do you thank everyone during the wedding? Consider this ahead of time. Consider how many weddings you’ve been to where the bride and groom believed they were doing you a favor by inviting you, while in reality, it was you who did them a favor by attending. Don’t be like that; instead, come up with a variety of methods to thank your visitors throughout the day. Prepare welcome baskets for guests who are traveling from afar, for example, with everything you could need in the first few minutes of your arrival.
19. Reduce Expenses
All expenses are based on the number of people attending, so cutting the guest list is the easiest way, without sacrificing quality, to cut costs. Yes, it will be hard to do and all your relatives will balk. But with the help of our tip, you can easily do it.
20. Think About Your Look Ahead of Time
Don’t wait until your wedding day to get a festive hairstyle. Check out themed magazines and websites to visualize what you want, then visit your stylist. Remember to bring clothing and accessories so she can create the appearance you like. If not, seek advice from another specialist. If that’s the case, consider recreating your appearance a few weeks before the wedding. That way, you’ll be able to tell if you like it or not. You’ll have plenty of time to modify it. And no surprises at the wedding.
21. Photos and Videos Are Essential
Remember that you’ll only have images and videotapes to remember this wonderful day. So refrain from the temptation to save money on these. Carefully choose contractors whose work you like and be sure to talk to them about the shots you want to have in your photoshoot. Don’t assume she knows best herself. But don’t overdo it either, or you won’t leave any room at all for the improvisation that is so important in a wedding. If you decide against the video, as many do now, ask your close friend to bring a camera and film the most important moments (let it be his gift to you). You’ll never regret it later.
22. Invitation
Your invitations are not only a means of notifying your guests of the date and time of the wedding. They are a sort of calling card for the ceremony, setting the tone and style of the whole action. Thus, approach their creation creatively. A formal reception? Choose heavy paper with an elegant black engraving. If you want to convey the casual nature of the event, use colored cards with a decorative design. For example, if the wedding will be at the beach, give the invitations the shape of a sink, bucket, and baby shovel. Not sure what to come up with? Visit your local stationery store or look online and you’ll be amazed at the incredible amount of ideas.
23. Consider Your Guests’ Relaxation
Put your guests’ demands at the top of your priority list while arranging your wedding. For example, don’t leave a large time gap between the ceremony and the feast because your guests will need something to do otherwise. The criterion is interpreted by professionals to mean a 20-minute drive between the ceremony and dinner site. If there are any seniors among the visitors, avoid places with a lot of steps and don’t seat them near the speakers during dinner. Smoking guests should have their own location so they don’t bother non-smoking guests. If your wedding will be placed outside, make a particular note of it on the invitation card so that guests may bring proper shoes and clothing for the weather. If the day is going to be hot, bring fans, and if it’s going to be wet, bring a canopy. Alternatively, for a party on the beach, you can provide a basket of slates in various colors and sizes in advance.
24. Look After Yourself
Many women, at any point in their planning, treat themselves to massages, spa treatments, and other indulgences. However, during the last phases of preparation, during those tense weeks, they forget everything about these details. Even if you can’t afford a weekly manicure right now, don’t give up other healthy habits. Try to get enough sleep and exercise on a regular basis. This will save you from being worn out at the wedding. Also, don’t give up your daily life while you’re preparing, such as watching TV, playing with your pet, strolling in the park, or visiting a museum.
25. Be Present at Your Own Wedding
The tone of the wedding is created by you and your fiancé, and if you give it your all – paying attention to the guests, dancing, and enjoying the reception – the guests will follow your lead and have a great evening. However, if you depart frequently for a picture shoot or to discuss the finer points of the meal in the kitchen, the feast may lose its passion. Trust specialists with the organizational concerns, or designate a trustworthy friend or relative to be in charge of their decision. As a result, you will be able to completely appreciate every moment of this fantastic occasion. When preparing for a wedding, there are so many things to consider, from finding reliable contractors to food, flowers, decorations, and more. It takes a lot of time and nerves, and that’s why we’ve prepared a guide that lets you think of everything.
Bio: Rebecca Carter works as an essay writer for StudyEssay an online writing company that helps students with their assignments. Thanks to this company Rebecca can write articles about her experience. In her free time, she enjoys being in the mountains, going to the gym, horseback riding, and volunteering.
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