Category: Wedding Planning

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Wedding Planning : The 3 things brides worry about the most and how to handle them

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You’re in love and just engaged – how romantic and dreamy everything looks and feels! But, not for long. Once wedding planning enters the picture, the excitement can quickly take on a new form called Stress!

Most brides will be planning a wedding for the first time. So, it isn’t unusual to feel overwhelmed. If you are a perfectionist, who wants everything to go exactly as you dreamed it to be, be prepared to watch your stress levels soar. All this can take all the fun out of your wedding.

Here, we shall look at three factors that drown most brides in worry. Fortunately, we also know what will help you with them, so let’s find out.

1. The wedding budget

Everything related to a wedding boils down to money. Every vendor and service you require for your wedding will have to be paid. Add to it the additional cost of planning your honeymoon and getting favors for your near and dear; get ready to say goodbye to your bank balance.

The way to handle this is to plan your wedding budget sensibly and realistically. Determine the maximum you can afford to spend, and divide it amongst the different factors. Remember that you can plan a wedding for any budget, big or small. So, fix your budget first and then shop around for what fits it.

Don’t forget to factor in the extras when you book a vendor or go shopping. This would include the alteration charges when buying a wedding dress, tips and taxes for vendors and similar charges which may or may not be included with the original rates.

2. Handling help

Announce your wedding, and you will find many people rushing to your aid to plan the perfect wedding. Their advice may be well-intended, but many brides often find their own ideas slipping through when an overbearing friend or relative steps in to help.

If you are faced with this situation, just remember this. Wedding planning has a dark side to it; you cannot have everything perfect, while pleasing everyone. If someone tries to force their ideas on you, tell them that you will think over it, but don’t commit unless you are convinced.

Delegate small tasks to those who are eager to help, but not any of the bigger responsibilities that you cannot take chances with. If your parents or in-laws are paying, you have to make allowances for their suggestions. Work to find a compromise that both of you can live with.

3. Getting it all done on time

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When you first make a list of things to do, you may be worried by how long it is. From shopping for your wedding dress, to buying accessories, setting up the guest list, planning the wedding theme and finding the venue, there are several more things to be handled.

Don’t worry, it’s all manageable if you plan everything systematically. Before you begin with anything, first split up the tasks and assign dates to each one of them. Divide it into those you will handle and those you can delegate. If you can afford it, book a wedding planner to do all or some of the work. Do your research before you begin anything, and you will be better equipped to handle all the details. Keep the big picture in mind. If what you worry about doesn’t matter too much, don’t lose sleep over it.

For more wedding related advice and tips, visit us at Best for Bride.

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Time to take it easy – 3 signs that wedding planning is becoming too stressful

wedding jitters

What starts off as a beautiful, romantic engagement soon ends up as a nightmare of planning, arranging and running around for many brides!

Wedding planning is a huge task, one that takes forever to complete and with numerous details that never seem to conclude. Don’t be surprised if you are a bride who feels the wedding is dictating every moment of your life, ever since the engagement.

Unless you have everything figured out, and can keep your cool despite the responsibilities of wedding planning everything perfectly, wedding plans can burn you out. Here are 3 warning signs to look out for, so you do not overwork yourself over the wedding and forget to enjoy it.

  1. You go to bed and wake up thinking of the different wedding tasks to be completed

This is not the same as when you look forward to the day with excitement. Instead, you find yourself tossing and turning at night worrying about the details, and waking up anxious to begin your wedding related tasks. At this point, wedding planning has become a chore. It is no longer fun, and you will soon just want to get over with it. If you are experiencing this already, it is high time your stopped and took a break. Resume planning and organizing after you catch a well-deserved break.

  1. All your free time is occupied with wedding planning

Too much of a good thing can cause it to become boring. If you find yourself constantly writing notes and wedding lists, rushing from vendor to vendor and always on the phone discussing your wedding, it is time to blow off some steam. Many brides are overwhelmed with the very number of things to take care of, that they end up doing nothing else. If you feel tempted to do another teeny-weeny wedding task whenever you have some free time, curb the feeling. You will handle your responsibilities more productively and efficiently, if you get some breathing space in-betweeen.

If you simply have to do something for your peace of mind, pick something that is fun—like shopping for your rehearsal dinner dress, or preparing your honeymoon itinerary. This will get the task completed, but it won’t feel like work.

  1. You no longer feel the excitement, like you did when you got engaged

The wedding dress shopping was fun and exciting, so was picking the invitation and choosing the cake. But, many brides find their excitement to handle wedding tasks waning as time passes. The reason is that they have been over-exerting themselves, that the magic is gone. The solution is to forget the wedding for a bit, and instead focus on being happily engaged. Have a fantastic date night with your groom, or go on a weekend together. Discuss the remaining wedding arrangements, and consider what can be changed to make it more exciting. Reignite the joy of getting married, and you will once again find it interesting to plan your wedding.

Make sure you relax and tackle every wedding task without stressing over it. This will allow you to enjoy the experience and look forward to a memorable wedding day.

For more wedding tips and advice, visit us at Best for Bride.

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The Right steps to finding the Best wedding planner

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via pixabay

The term “wedding planner” broadly encompasses a number of services. Who you choose to hire for your wedding, should depend on what you want them to do. You can select between full service wedding planners and partial services. Either way, the final intention is to reduce your stress as the big day approaches, and have everything on track, in time.

We will now look at how you can find the right wedding planner from the numerous options available.

Full-service planner, a “day of” coordinator or Part-time Professional

If you want a professional to handle all the details of your wedding and you can afford it, choose a full-service planner. They will take care of all tasks including hiring and decorating the venue, creating invitations, booking the florists, caterers and band, all the way up to sending your thank you notes.

A day-of coordinator will take charge for everything on your actual wedding day. If you prefer to plan and execute everything yourself, but want help on the day, this is the ideal choice for you. Part-time professionals can help you perform chosen tasks. For example, you can hire them for décor suggestions, assistance with booking vendors etc. They charge a flat fee for the service they provide, and it is hence less expensive than a full-service planner.

Factors to account for when booking the service

The most important factor when booking a planner is your budget. A full-service planner is expensive, and they may cost up to 10 to 20% of your total budget. A “day-of” coordinator charges a flat fee for his job, and relieves you of the pressure of handling things on the day.

Compare costs of various planners and shortlist the option/options that seem ideal. Make sure that the names on the list are all professionals who are experienced and well-trained. The next part is conducting interviews to zero-in on the right choice.

Interviews and decisions

At the interview, obtain references of past weddings your wedding planner has conducted. Ask them how they work, how they handle emergencies and what ideas they can contribute to your wedding. The basic idea of this discussion is to determine how well the two of you can work together.

You will be spending a lot of time with your wedding planner, so it is important that you strike a rapport right from the start. You should be comfortable discussing your ideas, and he/she should welcome your ideas and be ready to build on it. If you are struggling to convince him/her of what you want, it is obviously not the right choice.

Discuss what will be included in the cost and make sure all the terms and conditions are included in the contract. Once you have finalized everything and your wedding planner has begun the planning process, be in touch regularly and ask for updates on the progress. With the right person to help you, you can be certain that your dream of having the perfect wedding will be realized with no difficulty.

Best for Bride has everything you need from wedding dresses, to décor ideas, invitations and more. Visit us today to get started with your wedding plans today.

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The Ultimate Wedding Planning Timeline

Wedding planning can be overwhelming. There are so many decisions and purchases to be made to get ready for the big day. Not all couples have a long engagement for planning a wedding. Whether you have six months or two years, the ultimate wedding planning timeline can assist you by providing a checklist and general times to set up the essential elements for your wedding.
A wedding planning timeline can act as a To-Do list for the happy couple. This helps to ensure that details are not forgotten until the last minute. When looking at the ultimate wedding planning timeline, you may need to make adjustments according to how much time remains before the wedding day. Destination weddings may require additional preparations and travel to secure the venue and documentation.

Up to One Year Before:
Set a date for the wedding.
Discuss the budget and decide on a spending limit.
Announce engagement to family and friends.
Hire a wedding planner if one is being used.
Book a venue.
Choose the members of the wedding party.
Begin the guest list.

8 Months Before:
Hire the necessary professionals such as the officiant, florist, caterer, photographer, and the band or DJ.
Plan the honeymoon.
Register for gifts.
Find the perfect wedding dress, veil, and shoes.
Select the bridesmaids’ dresses and shoes.

6 Months Before:
Order wedding invitations.
Choose the traditions and rituals to be included in the ceremony such as the unity candle and selected readings.
Obtain passports if necessary for the honeymoon.
Purchase wedding night lingerie and any additional clothing and personal care items needed for the honeymoon.
Arrange the music for the ceremony and hire an organist.

4 Months Before:
Finalize the guest list and send out wedding invitations.
Shop for wedding cakes and place the order.
Purchase the cake knife, topper, and stand.
Buy the wedding rings and any additional wedding jewelry.
Create or purchase the centerpieces.
Arrange for parking if extra parking is necessary.
Buy a guest book.

2 Months Before:
Get the marriage license.
Purchase gifts for the bridal party.
Find makeup artist and stylist or do the necessary planning and purchasing to do your own.
Reserve tuxedos for the groom and groomsmen.
Finalize the menu with the caterer and the flowers with the florist.

1 Month Before:
Create a seating chart.
Print seating cards and programs.
Final dress fitting for bride and bridesmaids.
Finalize vows and details for the ceremony.

Days Before:
Have rehearsal and rehearsal dinner.
Get a manicure and pedicure.
Confirm arrival times for the professionals involved with the wedding.

Wedding Day:
Clean engagement ring.
Confirm that the professionals have arrived and are setting up.

This wedding planning timeline can be helpful for any time frame. Though your wedding planning may be rushed, you can still use the list as a basic checklist. Add additional items to this list as needed. Weddings are not one size fits all. Therefore, some weddings may require adjustments to the order of events. For example, a couple who is having a destination wedding would want to give guests extra notice about the wedding date and location. A destination wedding can be a beautiful choice for a memorable wedding, but the process of planning this kind of wedding is more demanding. For tips on planning a destination wedding, please visit this article about destination wedding tips.