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| WEDDING PLANNING TIPS
Wedding Planning Tips
by Shelley Waugh


Before You Say 'I Do'

"Dreaming, after all, is a form of planning" - Gloria Steinem

While weddings are wonderful events, planning them can become overwhelming for all involved. 

With so many decisions to make and elements to consider, it’s easy to lose track of all the important steps in the process of planning a wedding.

To help, here are 10 tips for planning the perfect wedding:

1. Plan ahead:
Booking a venue for your wedding usually happens well in advance, often times couples must book a year ahead. Having a year to organize your wedding allows for you to plan ahead and be prepared.

This gives you time to search and book all of the necessary services without feeling rushed and limits the chance of mishaps.

2. Budget:
Your wedding is an important event and there are a lot of factors that can add up to equal a large expense. When you begin wedding arrangements, be sure to set a budget to serve as a guide throughout your planning.

Consider any extra costs, such as sales tax and gratuities, that may arise and leave room in your budget. The average cost of a wedding in Canada is between $20,000 - $30,000.

3. Location, location, location:
The location of your wedding is important and often reflects the vision you have for your big day. Will you head to an exotic Caribbean destination or have a more traditional wedding closer to home?

In Canada, time of year plays a crucial role in your decision to have the ceremony outdoors or in a banquet hall.

The number of guests you plan to invite is also important as this will help to determine the amount of space needed. The location of your wedding will be the backdrop for your photos so when choosing the venue keep this in mind.

4. Food:
Work with the venue to create a dinner menu that caters to your taste and budget. To avoid any disappointments on the big day, schedule a food tasting in advance. Whether you hire a caterer or the wedding venue supplies your meal, meeting to determine your options will ensure your expectations are met.

5. Ask for help:
Planning a wedding is a big task and as one of the most memorable days of your life, you will want every aspect to run smoothly. This is why it is important to ask for help.

Ordering flowers, choosing a caterer and booking a DJ is a lot of work and not possible for one person or couple to do alone. To help ease your wedding stresses, be sure to include your wedding party in the planning of your day.

The bridesmaids and groomsmen want to be involved in this celebration, so delegate duties to help with the planning. Many wedding venues have certified wedding planners or event coordinators on-staff who bring the expertise and knowledge needed to make your day run seamlessly.

6. Speak up:
If there are details that are worrying you let it be known. Whether it’s the location of guest parking or the availability of coat check, don’t hesitate to ask.

When it comes to the logistics of your wedding it is always better to have too many questions, rather than not enough. Make a list of questions and break them up into categories such as décor, food and music to have with you when you meet with the various vendors and people helping you to plan.

Communicating your concerns will help you get the answers quickly so that you know how to move forward with your wedding preparation.

7. Expect the unexpected:
Although you cannot control the weather on your wedding day, there are precautions you can take leading up to the day.

If your ceremony is outdoors, ask the venue about tent rentals, most places that allow for outdoor weddings will have referral information. If you’re concerned about guests being late to the ceremony add an extra 20 minutes into the schedule to allow for late arrivals.

Being prepared for problems ahead of time will lessen the possibility they will happen.

8. Stay true to you:
The bigger the wedding, the more people involved and with more people come more opinions. It can become difficult to stick to your original ideas for venue décor, floral arrangements and groomsmen’s tuxedos.

Be sure to remember that this is your day. Working with an event co-ordinator can help to stay true to how you want your wedding day to be and many wedding venues will have staff to help with the planning.

9. A picture is worth a thousand words:
The day of your wedding will be a whirlwind of activity and at times it may be hard to take it all in.

Thankfully, your wedding photos and video will capture those missed moments, so hiring a photographer and a videographer are important decisions.

Many wedding venues can provide referrals to excellent photographers and videographers. Talk to your photographer and videographer so they understand your expectations.

10. Live in the moment:
From the engagement to the last dance, remember to enjoy every moment of your wedding. The time goes by so quickly and before you know it the day will be over.

Don’t sweat the small details; the Best Man’s speech mishap will become a funny story and in 10 years you will not remember that the bows weren’t perfect on the bombonierres.

Remember the most important part of the day is you and your significant other.

Some people may feel that planning a wedding - getting bogged down in all of the logistics - takes the romance out of the event, but as Gloria Steinem once said, “Without leaps of imagination, or dreaming, we lose the excitement of possibilities. Dreaming, after all, is a form of planning.”

Source: Source: Alayna Lee, certified wedding planner at Bayview Golf & Country Club, Toronto, Canada. Visit www.bayviewclub.com
Making your dream wedding happen
It's your wedding and you can do what you want, when you want. You might want to get married by sea, in the air, on land or on your honeymoon.

The wonderful part of getting married today is that there are no set rules of wedding etiquette that you have to follow to make your dream wedding acceptable.

You've already gone through the easy part; one of you has proposed and the other has accepted. Now comes the hard part - planning your celebration.

Whether traditional or contemporary, if planned right, it will be lots of fun and not too overly stressful.

Attending bridal shows, going on the Internet and getting references from friends are the quickest way to help you gather information on current wedding trends.

The major component (and sometimes hardest part) of planning a wedding is the budget. It's the necessary element of your plan.

So plan your work, then work your plan, stay focused and try not deviate from it unless you have an adjustment to compensate the bottom line and the total comes out the same.
The Four Ws:
When, Where, What to wear & Who will attend:
There are two kinds of budgets usually connected with weddings. Both require the Four Ws - when, where, what to wear and who will attend.

All the other stuff that goes with budgeting and planning will more or less depend on the length of time you have before the wedding date.

A traditional wedding takes approximately 14-16 months to plan. However, an elopement can take anywhere from a weekend to two weeks and they both include the honeymoon!

You only need guiding and your common sense to make your dream wedding happen.

Remember it's your wedding day. It will be unique, because no two weddings are ever alike and yours will reflect who you are and what you want. That's all you have to remember.

You don't want to copy someone else's wedding because the elements that went into planning that wedding will not be yours. However, you might want to pick up some ideas or tips from other couple's weddings that might fit into your plan to make your event once in a lifetime celebration.

• The first kind of budget is one you set before planning your celebration. You do this by setting an amount you want to spend and working your plans backwards so that it fits into your pre-set figure.

• The second is to establish your budget after you've researched and developed the four Ws.

1. When: Several scheduling elements enter into setting the date for your wedding.
2. Where: Where the ceremony will actually take place.
3. What to wear: The dress, next to the ceremony, is usually the most important element of the bride's wedding plans and budget.
4. Who will attend: Your guest list will depend on your reception venue and your budget, and sometimes the demands of your family.

Related
Article: Wedding Budgets
Article: Marriage Licence - general information
Article: Prenuptial Agreements - the pros and cons






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 WeddingsHoneymoons.com | Planning Tips | February 26, 2012
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