Weddings can be stressful and delicate, but you need a positive mindset in order to pull everything together. You can prepare yourself for wedding planning by educating yourself on the subject. Ahead are some tips that can help you do just that.
It is likely that religious matters will come up from time to time during the course of your marriage. Of course, by this time, the two of you should have it worked out how things will operate on that level, but getting the families on the same page may be more difficult.
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. Just letting people drink all they want can really add up, especially if the reception lasts a long time. Speak with the people at the venue about any alcohol serving options.
Alcohol can be a big expense at a wedding, so consider limiting the types of drinks and opt for cost efficient choices. An open bar is very costly and can become extremely expensive if open for long periods of time. Ask the venue you’ve chosen for the reception which options they have available to you, and what the cost would be for each.
Wedding dresses can be quite an expense. When shopping for your dress, consider dresses that may not be categorized as a wedding dress. You could get a bridesmaid’s dress, and it would be just a fraction of the cost. The money you save by choosing a cheaper dress can be used to alter it and add some stylish details.
If you want your reception to stand out, go with ethnic themed catering! Use lots of different foods rather than the more traditional chicken and steak. Variety makes life exciting and will undoubtedly make your dinner unforgettable!
Going online to purchase your wedding dress can save you a small fortune. However, you should make sure that you order it well before the big day in order to allow time for any alterations to be carried out should they be needed. I only spent $100 on my gown when I was married, but I spent another $200 on having it altered. Be sure to work the additional cost for alterations into your overall budget.
Of course, the most important aspect of getting married is choosing the right intended! This choice will affect you forever, so take your time and don’t rush. Think about this person and what things will drive you crazy, along with what you can’t live without.
Makeup Artist
Plan your transportation wisely. For people without a ride, be sure a taxi or limo can bring them to their destination after the reception. This is also good for the people who have alcoholic drinks during your wedding.
When choosing a makeup artist, look at their past work. Evaluate the makeup artist’s techniques. Make sure it’s to your liking. Your appearance on your wedding day is important, so you don’t want to regret your decision later.
Brides that have sensitive skin can get less stressed before their wedding by caring for their skin so that it looks great and won’t cause them to have a breakout when the time comes. Look for special treatments that can help to brighten and soothe your skin. Ingredients like oatmeal scrubs, sea salts and rose offers these properties.
Take the time to think about what you want to say in your vows since these words mean so much and will heard by all of your guests. It’s important to understand that a marriage is a strong commitment that takes both of you making sacrifices. Of course, the most important thing for vows to convey is your love for your partner.
If you want to dance during the reception, make sure there is enough room! You don’t want to have dancers crashing into seated guests or knocking over the dessert table, so ensure you have adequate space available. If necessary, move some chairs and tables out of the way to make more room.
Try to avoid placing a lot of flowers on each table at your wedding. Flowers can be obstructive to guests a lot of the time. It’s possible that there might be a few guests with flower allergies. To give the tables a romantic look, consider using non-scented candles as a centerpiece.
When having pictures taken, don’t force guests to wait. Get as many pictures as possible before the ceremony. This means that your guests won’t have to wait as long at the reception for you to get there.
Although it’s important to give the wedding DJ a list with songs you want to play at your reception, it is also important to inform him of those you DON’T want played. Maybe you like metal, country, or have a great song that reminds you of someone from the past. No matter what, you must make sure he knows what music to avoid.
Make sure the lighting at your wedding reception venue can be dimmed. This small detail allows for little things like low lights on the first dance, and bright for the duration of the event. Ask the folks running your venue if you have that option.
Make sure the photographer you hire for your wedding is experienced. You don’t want a photographer who disappoints. There are online reviews readily available to you, and you can also ask people you know that might have planned a wedding recently.
Try Craigslist for finding local talent to help you with your wedding. Always have a face-to-face meeting with anyone you hire off of Craigslist prior to giving them any cash.
Always guarantee full control of a lighting system at the venue, particularly the ability to dim or brighten the output. While this might seem like a little detail, a lower light for the first dance is always preferable, while you will want things a little brighter during the speeches part of the ceremony. Ask the prospective venue about it, before choosing.
If you plan to serve your guests a meal with multiple courses, keep them entertained during the serving process by placing small dishes of appetizing sweets on each table. You can leave sugar roses, thin crackers or any other type of little treats.
Do not allow your guests to get bored or restless between the courses of your meal. Opt for sugar roses that match your wedding color palette, edible, sugared petals, or thin, flavorful crackers to whet the appetite.
Borrowed jewelry is both beautiful and acceptable for your wedding. 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. This not only saves you money, but it also ensures that there isn’t a given time when you need to start collecting these flowers and they will stay fresh forever.
Silk flowers make great alternatives to various other flowers for your wedding. You can choose silk flowers far in advance, so you won’t have to fuss with them much on the day of your wedding.
Wedding Planner
If the bride and groom hail from highly divergent cultural backgrounds, honor both sides by planning a wedding ceremony that incorporates one side’s traditions, followed by a reception that includes traditional dishes, rituals, or decor from the other side’s background. This solution creates a contrast that will honor the traditions of both families.
Research your wedding planner in advance. Use fashion designers as your guide to help inspire you in creating the look you want. You can even clip articles, photos, and song lyrics in order convey your vision to the wedding planner.
If you have decided to give a speech in a wedding, make sure that you plan for it and practice it enough. If you don’t practice your speech beforehand, you run the risk of forgetting your speech, saying something you didn’t intend to say, or losing the audience.
If you are planning to hold your reception outside, let the caterer know in advance. Some foods won’t keep in the heat, and some food might not weigh enough to stay in its dish if there are strong winds. One way to address the wind issue is to use decorative covers for the dishes. Another consideration is to have a refrigerator available to keep beverages at their desired temperature.
Take the time to plan all aspects of your wedding, including food, seating, schedules and who is responsible for overseeing each of these, so there won’t be unpleasant surprises. Your friends and family have made a special effort to be there for your big day, so make sure they have an engaging and exciting experience.
Make sure everything is perfect for the bride so she is happy on her wedding day! A stressed-out or disappointed bride may melt down or get depressed during the wedding. Make sure that everything is run by her or you will have a bridezilla!
When you are making plans for a destination wedding, take the needs of your guests into account. There might be guests who have to plan their vacation time around your wedding, and they will need plenty of time for preparation. You can send out invitations or reminders to save the date as far as eight months ahead of time. This will allow your guests to make proper arrangements.
When you decide on decorations for your wedding, especially floral arrangements, try to keep your venue in mind. For example, a flower arrangement featuring complicated elements may work well indoors, but could be destroyed by a gust of wind outside. You may need special equipment for securing decor at places like parks and beaches.
As you begin to plan your wedding, make a prioritized list of your wants. For many people, the flowers are more important than the cake, or the venue is more important than the guest list. As you delegate the priority for each item, you can budget accordingly and have a wedding that perfectly meets your particular dream.
You might think you want to do some kind of traditional family things, but if you do not want to, don’t. Thank your family for wanting what’s best for you, but let them know that these decisions are up to your spouse and yourself. This way you get exactly what you want for your wedding day.
When planning your wedding, decide if you would like any children to attend. If you want to save a little money and stress, you can avoid inviting children. But, there may be many folks who will be unable or unwilling to attend without their kids.
Open a designated account specifically for wedding money. If you only have so much money to spend, it will be easier to budget. Open your wedding account even if you’re not planning on getting married anytime soon, so that you’ll have funds available when you’re ready to start planning your wedding.
Plan out fun and interesting group activities for the guests and members of the wedding party. This is a wonderful change to having your guests simply loitering around between the nuptials and reception. Plan many different activities, from pie eating contests to bocce. Your wedding day will be much more memorable when everyone interacts by having fun with each other.
Feel free to delegate parts of the wedding planning process to others. Because a wedding is such a personal expression of your love and personalities, it is easy to get carried away with all of the details. However, you can definitely overdo it, and there will be times where you will have to trust professionals who have more expertise in a specific area.
Don’t let your family members influence your whole day with their traditions or suggestions; this is a day for you and your spouse, not for them. Be kind and loving if you have to reject your extended family’s suggestions, but don’t let them dominate or manipulate you. Firmly assert that you (and of course your partner too) have the final say when it comes to your wedding plans. That way, you could look back at the day of your wedding without any regrets.
Now that you’ve finished this article, you should be ready to go out there and start planning your wedding. Hold on to your positive attitude and know that things really will fall into place for a wonderful wedding day.
Be mindful of possible weather conditions. People aren’t going to stick around for an outdoor reception, if it’s sweltering outside. On the same note, winter weddings might chill your guests to the point of leaving early too. Make sure you keep your guests as comfortable as possible; for example, get some fans in the event that it is a hot day.