Planning a wedding can be a stressful event. However, if you have a good plan, it doesn’t have to be! From the flowers to the cake to the guests; everything requires a decision and that decision should have been made two days ago. If you are having a serious case of the wedding disaster jitters, take a deep breath and check out the tips that have been included below. They are sure to save you some time and perhaps your sanity.
So, at last you have made up your mind to settle down with your partner, making your relationship official by holding a beautiful ring exchange event. Have in mind that there are so many crucial things to be done and decision to be mad. So get ready and start planning for your big event as early as possible. It wouldn’t be appropriate to make rush decisions in the last me.
To plan your wedding well, with equal attention being focused on all segments of your marriage, it is ideal to come up with a good plan. If you want your day to be complete without hiccups, a wedding planning checklist is essential. Once you start to list things down, you will discover that there are so many things to taken care of, which you might have ignored because of the excitement.
Listed below are some tips that you can have in your wedding planning checklist.
Budget
You have to come up with a budget for a number of reasons. Invitation cards, catering, after party and weddings in general are quite expensive, but the more you keep track of the money to be spent the more likely you are to stick with the budget you have set. Ensure that you put your budget into segments so you know you are being realistic, and then you can reallocate cash if you get a good bargain on the cake. You can also cut down cost by using wedding rental services.
Guests
On your big day, there will be probably some uninvited guest who will top up on your guest list. When busy look for the right wedding barn you should start by listing the people you are planning to invite. You will need to be figure out the numbers so as to get catering quotes, for venue size, and with the steps involved in the wedding planning process, so it is a good idea to come up with a list early enough.
Wedding Date
Instead of having one specific date set in your head, come up with several options. This will be much easier when you are trying to create the ideal barn for your reception. The more recognition you give to your guests the better, if you seek advice from family and friends, then you can settle on one. Once you have settled on a date, don’t make adjustments for anyone. It will be way more difficult than pleasing the person, and definitely three are some people who will not attend regardless.
So you finally took the plunge and popped the big question. Of course, she said yes! So now it’s time for you sit to back, kick your feet up and wait for the big day, right? Not so fast there, buddy boy – you’re not off the hook just yet.
Does the very thought of floral arrangements, coordinated colour schemes, wedding cakes and table linens make you want to run away and hide? If this sounds like you, I have assembled some tips and suggestions for all would-be grooms on how to navigate the crazy, hectic world of wedding planning. Ladies, it can’t hurt for you to read this as well.
Start off with an open and honest conversation with your fiancé.
First off guys, it’s important to recognize that it’s easy for us gals to get swept up in all the pre-planning excitement, particularly in the beginning stages of planning. A heads-up: you’ll probably want to take this into consideration when broaching sensitive topics.
During these early stages, it’s a good idea to choose a time to sit down and talk about how you both are envisioning your day. It’s important for both of you to share your thoughts, feelings and preferences for your wedding day. Of course, having this discussion all hinges on what may be a very difficult decision…
Are you all-in or all-out?
From my experience as an event planner, a lot of guys think they don’t want to be involved in the decision-making process until they start to see the event coming together in ways that are totally different from what you thought. You need to decide – together – whether you’d like to be actively involved in the planning process or prefer to leave most or all of the decision-making to your fiancé. Whatever the decision, choose wisely and don’t flip-flop. There’s nothing worse than bottling it all up only to lose your stuff over a disagreement on napkin folding (yes, it happens!).
So if you choose all-in, you’ve got to mean it and be prepared to be there every step of the way! If you opt for all-out, then remember that she will be making a lot of the decisions (along with her family and bridesmaids) and you may not get the things that are important to you. Whichever you choose, be sure to be open and honest with your fiancé and with yourself about how involved you wish to be.
Take care of the items that are important to you!
Do you have an idea of what style of suit you want to wear on the big day? Are you an audiophile with a strong preference in music selection? Perhaps there’s a certain photography style you prefer? Let your fiancé know your “must haves” and ideally, lighten her workload, by taking on these important tasks yourself! Not only will you score major brownie points, but if it’s something you’re really interested in anyway, you will be more likely to complete the task and complete it well. If you’re stuck doing things you don’t enjoy, like choosing invitations and things that are not important to, you might make quick and fast decisions just to get the task out of the way. A sure-fire way to make a mistake and possibly end up in the dog house or on couch duty.
Be prepared for tears and meltdowns.
Sorry guys, but even the most calm and prepared bride will likely shed some tears along the way. Yes, it may seem crazy to you (kind of like why we consider it a big deal whether a bridesmaid wants to wear her hair up instead of down) but these decisions are important to us and chances are our “less than optimal state of emotions” are related to all the stress of planning the most important day of our lives! Be calm and reassuring and listen to her thoughts – even if you think it’s the craziest thing you’ve ever heard!
Take her on a date!
During the planning process, it’s easy to get swept up and constantly talk about the ever-growing to-do list and what decisions have to be made. Plan at least one date a month where wedding talk is strictly off limits. It will allow the two of you to reconnect and reinforce the bond between you. After all, once the wedding is over, you’ll need to make sure you still have other things to talk about =)
Yup, you’re going to go over budget.
Little things add up. So do big things. Ever been to the grocery store to pick up three things and leave with six because you “forgot” something or saw that chips were on sale? It’s kind of the same thing, but not.
There’s no two ways about it: weddings are expensive. The important thing is make sure your budget is realistic from the get-go. Be sure to leave some wiggle room for the unaccounted and inevitable extras that come up.
Plan the honeymoon!
This may actually be the most fun thing to plan! Imagine you and your future wife on a beach or exploring the world. Take that off her plate and handle the arrangements yourself (even better if you can surprise her!). But remember, this is not the time to scrimp and save and wait for a last minute deal. Find a reputable travel agent to help you put the arrangements in place so there are no surprises at the airport!
When in doubt, hire a wedding planner
Believe it or not, a wedding planner can actually save you money. Sounds counter-intuitive, but if wedding planning is not your thing, you’ll save time, money and a whole lot of headaches. A wedding planner can also act as a marriage counsellor and financial planner of sorts: helping guide you both through important decisions while simultaneously keeping you on-budget by finding great vendors who fit your price range. This means she (and by extension, you) will be able to truly enjoy the day together instead of worrying over trivial matters such as gathering the groomsmen for the ceremony or whether the guest favours are coordinated properly on the tables.
In Conclusion…
Guys, let’s face it – planning a wedding is a lot of work and can be a real test of your relationship. Adjust your perspective and focus on how close it brings you together, planning one of the most important day of your lives. Set realistic expectations on yourself and your future bride and communicate openly and often. Follow these not-so-simple rules my friend, and you will set yourself for total wedding bliss – and likely a much better honeymoon as well 😉
About the Author: Amy Stevenson has spent six years into this action-packed, thrilling and incredible industry and has been loving every minute of it!
Being the Lead Editor at EventSource means I get to experience a whole new level of wedding and special event amazing-ness! Every morning I open up my inbox to a whole new set of jaw-dropping event photos submitted by the industry’s top leaders and get to share their work with you! You can follow our work on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest.
With winter knocking on the door, you might wonder whether it’s a good idea to organize your wedding during the cold season. The answer is: Yes! There is hardly a better time to gather all your loved ones together than during the holiday season. The festive atmosphere is already there but you still have to take care of few things while planning your winter wedding:
1. Winter Photos
Wedding Photos are a crucial part of the celebrations. Winter wedding photos are no different, except you have to make a few adjustments to accommodate to the climate change.
You can set your ceremony for an early time of the day – in this way, your guests will have the opportunity to take a photo with you, before the light outside fades. You should also get a nice warm jacket for between the photos!
2. Flowers
One major disadvantage of the winter weddings: you’ll have to double your efforts at finding the perfect florist!
Winter weddings are usually less desired than summer or spring ones and you can save a lot of money on the wedding venue or photographer, for example. This is not the case with flowers, however: they are far few flowers available during the season, so you’ll have to pay a little extra or consider getting different ones that you’d want at first. A quick tip: ranunculus and tulips are the most appropriate winter blooms!
3. Menu
Your guests will feel warm and cozy during your ceremony, that’s for sure. But you have to keep that special feeling after the reception, as well!
The rule for a winter-wedding menu is: mostly hot dishes. We are not saying that they are “forbidden” dishes but most people would appreciate a hot pureed soup more than an ice cream cake.
Bruschetta with melted cheese with mushrooms or mozzarella with tomato an excellent choice for hors d’oeuvres. Use your imagination! You can stick with the “winter-flavors”: pear, ginger, pumpkin, apple or mint.
4. Be prepared for some surprising “No”s
Weddings are special occasions for you, all your friends, close and not-so-close relatives. But bear in mind that the winter season is not everyone’s favorite. Moreover, it could be especially dangerous for your elderly guests. People, who live out of town might also decline due to the unpredictable weather conditions – airlines tend to delay their flights quite often during the winter.
5. Winter fashion
Nothing more important on a wedding than the bride herself.
Thankfully, the winter bridal fashion includes both stylish and practical elements. You can wear long sleeves in a Princess Kate-inspired look. Otherwise, if your dress is strapless, you can warm your shoulders with a faux fur and still look gorgeously elegant. If you’ve decided on a short dress, you should probably consider getting tights or stockings – goose skin never looks good on photos!
Thicker, satin fabrics are the best choice for a winter wedding dress. You can combine your look with special “icy” crystal bangles to bring the winter spirit with you!
And as far as shoes are concerned, closed toe is your best friend during the winter season. There are literally thousands of designs, and feathers or crystal fans look absolutely stunning!
More ideas on how to plan your amazing wedding, regardless of the season, on http://www.bestforbride.com/.
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