Planning a wedding doesn’t have to cost a fortune! Remember that you and your fiancé should set a budget and stick to it. There’s nothing worse than picking out all the finer details for your wedding and realizing after the fact that you can’t afford them. Start off by using our list of things to remember when planning a wedding (found below) and determine how much you want to spend on each item. Big ticket costs that you should keep in mind, that will take up the majority of your budget include the hall and catering. If you are on a really strict tight budget, then consider having a cocktail reception as opposed to a sit down meal reception, this could essentially save you thousands of dollars.
When planning a wedding, being relaxed and aware of the cost associated, will make things run a lot smoother. Decide upfront if you want your fiancé to help you out with the planning. This will eliminate any future fights that the two of you could have. (And yes, arguing about a wedding is a very common thing.) If you decide that you don’t want his help planning the wedding, then you have to remember in the future, you can’t get mad at him for not helping you.
Women dream about their prefect wedding, how the day will play out, the dress, their bridesmaids, the cake and the honeymoon for years before it actually happens. So keep in mind that all these years of dreaming won’t all come together in a day. Planning a wedding takes time and patients.
Here’s a list of details involved with planning a wedding. Use it as a guide and add or delete from the list as you see fit for your wedding.
• Once you are engaged, decide on the date of your wedding. You may want to send out “Save the Date” cards.
• Determine your budget and stick to it. Make a list of all things your want for your wedding, and determine how much of a percentage of your budget each item will get. Then associate a cost from your percentage and do not go over it. Set aside a portion of your budget for incidentals that you may have forgotten, or things that don’t work out as smoothly as you thought they would.
• Book the Venue for your reception, you may also chose to have your ceremony at the same Venue. This is very common.
• If you revue does not include a meal, find a caterer that will travel to your selected revue. Make sure to have a tasting of what is being offered before you book. Most revues will allow you to either have a personal tasting or attend someone else’s wedding and taste the food then. I would recommend going to a wedding, this will allow you to see not only how the food taste, but how the service you are paying for will be.
• Book the Church
• Book the Officiate
• Book the DJ
• Book the Photographer
• Book the Videographer
• Select your bridesmaids, groomsmen, flower girl, ring boy, maid of honor and best man. – Do not leave this for the last minute. Wedding are very expensive for the wedding party and then will need time to say and/or the option to say no. Have a back up plan in case your primary choices turn you down.
• Find a florist. Again if you are on a tight budget and you are crafty, you may be able to buy flowers in bulk and turn them into bouquets yourself. (Or have a crafty friend help out) Remember that you should provide both sets of parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles with corsages and boutonnières.
• Select and order your invitations approximately five to six months before the wedding. (Order early to make sure that your out of town guests have time to plan for your wedding.)When ordering invitations, always buy more than you think you are going to need. Printing a few extra invitations after you have already order, is very expensive. Plan for shipping errors, friends and family that may have moved and not forwarded their address and address errors. Buying more invitations will save you a big headache. And if you have some left over once all invitations have been mailed out – then you have a wonderful keepsake that you can frame for yourselves and your parents.
• Reserve hotel rooms for your out of town guests. Select a hotel that is close to your venue, so your guests will not have to travel to far in a city they are not familiar with. Reserve more rooms than you anticipate that you will need, you never know if some of your guests that live in the city but not close to the venue will want to spend the night in a hotel. Guests are responsible for paying for their own hotel rooms – though it is up to the bride and groom to book them. Mention to your friends and family that you are doing this and give them the option of spending the night.
• Book your transportation. Make sure you go and see the vehicle or vehicles that you are booking for and get a contract! Take a picture to protect yourself if you feel inclined to do so. There have been many cases where you will not get what you order. Ask your transportation if they will accommodate your out of town guests and those staying in the hotel. You are usually able to pay a little bit extra and your driver will do a couple of trips to and from the hotel. This is a good idea if you are serving alcohol at your wedding. It allows people to drink and not have to drive.
• Determine if your venue will have an open bar or a cash bar. If you are having a cash bar, think about the cost you want to charge for a drink and determine how you are going to charge for the drinks (ticket system, bartender dealing with the charges, etc.)
• Order a wedding cake. Bring a picture with you, if you know exactly what you want. This will eliminate any confusion for the baker.
• Find the prefect dresses for you and your bridal party. Shop around and look online. Have an idea of what you want your wedding dress to look like. However, try on as many styles as you want. You are not committed to buy anything when you are looking. Also, try on styles that you wouldn’t normally try on. Wedding dresses are a funny thing-what looks good on the hanger doesn’t necessarily mean that it will look good on you or that you will like the wedding dress.
• Determine what kind of favors your want to give your wedding guests.
• Have your fiancé pick out tuxedos for him and his groomsmen. Make sure this is a dual conversation, in case you were planning on having all your colors coordinate.
• Register for your wedding presents, and include the registry information in your invitation. There’s nothing worse than getting three toasters or a whole bunch of crap that you don’t want. If you don’t want actual presents and would prefer money, don’t include anything with your invitations. Some people include on the invitation that the gift should be monetary only, however this is a personal thing and some guests/brides may find it tacky and offensive. Be happy with whatever you get and hope they have included a gift receipt.
• Determine who will give speeches and toasts at your wedding. Do not force anyone from your wedding party or family to do this, if they are not comfortable speaking in front of large crowds, then save them the embarrassment and ask someone else.
• Decide whether you will be writing your own wedding vows. If you are, write them early and every so often, have a peek back at them and revise as you see necessary. Don’t leave writing wedding vows till the last moment – who knows what you may end up saying
• Select a honeymoon location about six months before the wedding. Tell the travel agent that this is your honeymoon, they may end up upgrading you for FREE.
• Book hair and nail appointments
• Remember to relax and stay calm, everything will fall into place
This list should help you get started. It doesn’t include everything but the major important things are there. Again add to the wedding planning list as you see fit. Remember weddings are a happy thing and will join you for a lifetime with your partner – don’t argue over the small stuff, it’s just not worth it.
