Practical Wedding Planning Advice

Six to twelve months, or even longer:

1 Pick Your Wedding Date
Any Saturday between late April and early October will always be in big demand. That means that there is an opportunity to save money if you go “off-peak”. What about a midweek date or early Spring or late Fall? And a winter wedding can be so romantic.

2 Choose who should be your bridesmaids, maid of honor, best man, groomsmen, ushers and ring bearers. And don’t forget it makes sense to have a master of ceremonies for the wedding reception. It’s much better to have a family friend or relative to take on this role. It’s much more personal than having a professional MC carry out the duties. Just make sure you pick the right person! Check out these articles to learn more about this role
wedding mc wedding master of ceremonies tips wedding mc duties

3 Choose the theme for your wedding. There are so many options to choose from – traditional, formal, glamour, bohemian, Wild West, butterflies, 1920s, medieval, Victorian, beach etc. Take time to think through the look and feel you want for the wedding ceremony and reception.

4 Set Your Budget
It’s so easy to get carried away with all the excitement and all the choices available when planning your special day. But the costs can very quickly spiral out of control.

You must set yourself a budget - and stick to it.

5 Start thinking about locations for both the ceremony and the reception.
Do you want a single venue or one place for the ceremony and another for the reception. Your budget and theme will influence the choices available.

6 Begin looking at wedding dresses.
Take your time. You want to get this right. Remember that it can take a few months for alterations and fittings so don’t leave it too late.

7 Think about catering
If your reception venue does not offer catering as part a package start checking out caterers.
Make sure you have a written contract with everything clearly that’s to be provided clearly stated

8 Start looking for wedding photographers (and video photographers if you want your special day captured on video). Take time to study their portfolios.

9 Decide what look you want for your bridesmaids and maid of honor.
It’s best to allow them some input into the final decision. After all you want them to be happy with their dresses.

10 Get started with your guest list.
We will, of course have to work within your budget. The more guests – the mor expensive it will be.

And , exciting as it is to be planning a wedding – don’t let it be all consuming. There are other things, and other people all around you that need tending too.