|
|
wedding
Site Admin
Joined: 02 Aug 2006
Posts: 157
|
 Posted: Mon Jul 23, 2007 6:45 am Post subject: Where To Start? |
 |
|
|
There’s so much to do, it can be mind-numbing. Don’t worry. I planned and held my first wedding in two months and my second wedding in three months. If you have the luxury of a year or more, feel lucky!
We’ll provide you with a wedding planner at the end of this book for you to keep with you as you plan your dream wedding. Planning is essential, so our checklist could be your best friend! You may want to invest in a cheap folder to keep all of your notes in order. Print out the checklists at the end of this book and keep them in that folder along with any receipts and/or quotes that you get!
You need to decide who will pay for the wedding. The typical wedding planner dictates that the bride’s parents pay for the wedding. In reality, these days that isn’t always the norm.
My second husband and I both have two sets of parent. We had been living together for 8 years, but were ill equipped to throw our own wedding. We could contribute, sure, but to throw the whole shin-dig would be out of our realm. We asked each parent-couple to contribute $500 and they all agreed wholeheartedly. That gave us a budget of $2,000 which was plenty!
We’re assuming you want a traditional ceremony as opposed to a “theme” wedding. That information alone could compose a whole other e-book. Assuming you want a traditional wedding, the first decisions to be made include: the date, your attendants, and where the reception will be held. Of course, the date might be your most important decision.
Traditionally, couples tie the knot on a Saturday. If you really want to save some cash, consider having your ceremony on a Thursday or Friday. How about having a Sunday service on a holiday weekend? You’ll find that there are many more open dates on these days and you’ll ultimately realize more savings by booking on these less traditional time frames. Many reception locations will offer a discount for an off day. If they don t offer it, ask for it.
Also, you may want to consider an early marriage and an early reception. An 11:00 marriage with a reception immediately following can realize great savings as most guests will have already had lunch before your ceremony and the reception will most likely be over by dinner, so all you’ll have to provide is some light finger foods to tide over those rumbling tummies!
Additional savings may be realized by having your wedding in the months of November through April. These months are less busy for most wedding related services and locations. Again, ask for a discount for being off-season.
You need to decide how many attendants you will have so you can bestow the honor on them early enough! They can save the date and help you plan! Traditionally, the bridesmaids are responsible for their own wedding attire, but the bride usually has the final say on what they wear. Be mindful of your attendants’ financial situation and don’t choose that $500 satin chiffon number. Remember, you’re trying to throw a wedding on a budget. Let them save some cash as well! We’ll have some suggestions later on in this book for attendant attire, so keep that in the back of your mind!
Where your reception will be held is another huge decision that has to be made early on in the wedding planning stage. If you want to opt for a traditional reception hall, you’ll have to book early to be sure you can get the venue of your choice.
If you or someone in your family is the member of a benevolent association (The Elks, The Moose, The American Legion), consider these as viable options. They often give discounts to members and you will probably have access to a huge area for your wedding reception as opposed to Aunt Emily’s backyard! Just remember to book early!
With my first wedding, we married on a Saturday and held our reception in the church parish hall. It was a Catholic church and they graciously allowed us the ultimate leniency with liquor, food, etc. Since we were members of the church, we only paid $50 to rent it for the afternoon.
My second husband and I chose to be married on a Saturday at our local church and held the reception at the local American Legion where both my (future) husband and my father were members. We saved a ton by booking the Legion the day after my husband and I decided to marry. Plus, we saved on the headache of trying to find a reception hall!
We’ll have much more on the dream reception later in this book, but remember to book early. Having that out of the way will free up more of your time to concentrate on the little details that can mean so much!
You can also look to find a free place to hold your reception such as a friend’s home, a church’s reception hall, or even the local fire department’s reception hall! You could look into a local park, art gallery, and even your own home.
You’ll need to start on a guest list as soon as possible and begin thinking about invitations. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum
|
|
Welcome!
Welcome to WeddingPhotographersforum.com. Wedding photographers chat and discussion forum
Wedding Industry News
Wedding Industry News, Professional Wedding Photographer News
Feedback and Suggestions
Let us know your feedback & suggestions to help us improve WeddingPhotographersForum.com
Everything About Your Wedding
Wedding Marketplace
Buy and sale all wedding related products.
Where and How to Start?
There’s so much to do, it can be mind-numbing. Don’t worry. I planned and held my first wedding in two months and my second wedding in three months. If you have the luxury of a year or more, feel lucky!
Wedding Invitation
Ideally, invitations should be mailed out 6-8 weeks before the big day to give guests time to make arrangements to attend and RSVP back to you.
Wedding Attire
Where I come from, buying a tuxedo is virtually unheard of. Renting is probably the way to go to realize the ultimate savings on the groom’s attire.
Wedding Flowers
Cheap doesn't mean that your wedding flowers can't be beautiful. All flowers are lovely no matter what they cost.
Wedding Ceremony Decoration
Most wedding ceremonies are short and sweet, so why spend a majority...
Wedding Music
Music for your wedding ceremony could consist of live or recorded performances.
Wedding Photography
Pictures are priceless, and you want to be sure you have plenty of good pictures of your special day.
Wedding Favors
Some brides don’t like the idea of giving gifts to her guests, but we think it’s a nice gesture as a thank you...
Wedding Food
Wedding food can take a huge chunk out of your wedding budget.
Wedding Cake
Your wedding cake is the centerpiece of the reception. It is a scrumptious dessert as well as part of a tradition
Wedding Party
The question of whether or not to serve alcohol at your wedding is one that can cause dissension in the ranks of family.
|
FAQ
Search
Usergroups
Register
Profile
Log in to check your private messages
Log in
