Tips for Perfect Wedding Planning

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Tips for Perfect Wedding Planning

• By Lisa

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Tips for Wedding Planning

• Planning a wedding is not easy! When you first
  begin planning a wedding, there are so many forks
  in the road, a multitude of decisions to make,
  and so many ways to go astray. At this amazing
  and crazy time in your life, take a minute to
  step back, relax and organize your thoughts. Get
  a grip on the project you have just undertaken,
  follow some seemingly simple steps, and planning
  a wedding can be a wonderful and memorable
  experience.

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Establish a budget, stick to it and don't
deviate.

• This is often a neglected characteristic of
  planning a wedding. It is essential to get your
  budget in order before making any financial
  decisions. Too often, many couples book a
  reception location or a wedding day professionals
  without solid financials in hand, only to find
  out they have overspent and are now bound by a
  contract. 
• Big tip Use a number for the budget that is
  10-15 less than what you actually plan on
  spending, so you essentially have a buffer when
  additional expenses arise, because they will. The
  great thing is that if you don't use your entire
  buffer, you will have some extra spending money
  for your honeymoon.

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Hire Wedding Professionals.

• When your best friend's second cousin volunteers
  to do be your wedding photographer, and promises
  a nice discount, it might be tempting to take
  advantage of the offer. However, a big word of
  caution - hiring friends and some cased family
  can often backfire. Expectations may not be met
  on the wedding day and friendships can become
  estranged. Additionally, these friends may not
  have all the necessary experience or equipment to
  complete the task effectively. You should hire
  wedding professionals for their experience,
  expertise, and resources. True professionals will
  assist in making your day hassle free. You hire
  them, you can direct them, and the relationship
  is not personal.

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Compare apples to apples, not apples to oranges

• Many times, when a bride begins a search for a
  reception location or for wedding vendors, she
  simply compares prices, not services or
  characteristics of the services. It is rare that
  you will find two locations offering the exact
  same "package," or two videographers that offer
  the same quality of service (time and style) and
  amount of product (prints and albums). You need
  to carefully evaluate each aspect of the
  potential venue or vendor. What seems too
  expensive at first glance may actually be a
  better deal when you realize what it offers
  compares to others in the same category.

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Be different - cookie cutter weddings are out of
style.

• Brides and groom continue to look for new ways to
  add personal flavor to their wedding day. Giving
  your wedding personal style does not mean doing
  the same thing your best friend did, or what you
  watched on Entertainment Tonight about Nicole
  Kidman's wedding. Think out of the box. Hiring a
  wedding planner or event designer, even for a few
  hours, can help you be inspired and lead to
  amazing results. Instead of a guest book, have
  guests sign a coffee table book on a subject that
  is of interest to you. Learn an unexpected
  choreographed first dance, like the tango, and
  wow the crowd.

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Surround yourself with the positive people

• When selecting a wedding party and asking other
  friends to be involved in the wedding, select
  people who have positive attitudes and those who,
  as Bill O'Reilly says are, "lookout for you".
  Single girlfriends, your older single sister,
  even your brother may feel a tad envious of your
  engagement. For the most part, this is a passing
  phase, but that does not make it any easier for
  you to deal with. These people may often
  criticize your decisions, attempt to have
  attention diverted away from you with their own
  theatrics, or simply try to make themselves the
  focus of many decisions (the style of the
  bridesmaids dresses, what foods they like or
  dislike for the meal, or which date for the
  wedding is "better" for her schedule). If and
  when this situation arises, try your best to walk
  away from it and ignore it. Realize their
  behavior is not your fault, and if they must be
  included in the celebrations, have your mother or
  a trusted friend intercept the stressful dealings
  with these people.

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Make your ceremony mean something

• The best way to do this is to write your own vows
  and/or select special poems, readings or Biblical
  verses. Even though the ceremony is really the
  only event that needs to take place on the
  wedding day, so many couples put little focus on
  the actual planning of the service itself. Is
  there a special song for you and your fiancé,
  perhaps the one that was playing the night you or
  he proposed? Why not walk the aisle to it and
  surprise your fiancé? Have you ever written a
  poem or love letter to your fiancé? Read it
  during the ceremony, or if nerves won't allow you
  to read it yourself, have the Officiant read it
  for you. Look into your fiancés eyes during the
  ceremony and focus on the two of you and the life
  you are preparing together.

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Create a timeline for the wedding day

• If you are not working with a wedding planner, it
  is your job to create a realistic timeline for
  everyone to follow. Detail and document all key
  elements and activities that are to take place on
  the day. Include addresses of locations and who
  needs to be where and when. If you do not do
  this, you take the risk of all the wedding
  vendors establishing their own agendas. Of
  course, consult with the ceremony and reception
  venue, as well as key vendors regarding the
  timeline, but ultimately most all of the timeline
  decisions are up to you.

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Ask for help when you need it.

• It is not uncommon for a bride or groom to become
  overwhelmed with wedding planning. It takes a lot
  of time, dedication and work. Typically there are
  many people knocking at your door anxious to
  help--your future mother in law, your mother,
  your sister, his sister, your best friend, your
  single best friend...the list can go on forever.
  When asking for help from friends or family
  members, give them specific instructions and
  deadlines. Also, make sure they know you still
  have final say.

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• When wedding planning consumers every aspect of
  your life, take a breather.
• Schedule a date with your fiancé and go to
  dinner, take a walk, or just go for ice cream.
  There is only one rule--no wedding talk.
  Reconnect with the ones you love and then get
  back to the planning with your mind and heart
  focused on the right things.
• Of course these are not the only steps to
  planning a wedding, but these are very important
  aspects of planning that will help you keep your
  sanity and your focus on the reason for this
  whole crazy thing, love.

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Thank you!

• Maggie Sottero Calista
• Maggie Sottero Asha