Defining
Your Vision for Your Wedding
Once you have your organizing system
in place and you have your wedding party chosen,
it's time to start the decision process. There are some key decisions
to start with. Sit down with paper and pen and discuss these questions
between yourselves.
-
Which style do we want
our wedding to reflect; formal, informal or
semiformal? Note all aspects of wedding should reflect this
style.
- Do you want a traditional, modern, contemporary
or theme wedding?
- What type of wedding
ceremony do you want? Do we prefer a religious, spiritual, non-denominational,
inter-faith wedding ceremony? Discuss your wedding
ceremony needs and wants before selecting your wedding
officiant. Not all wedding officiants do all
types of wedding ceremonies.
-
Do we want the security
of an indoor wedding or do we have the facilities
available to us for an outdoor wedding? Outdoor
weddings can be beautiful but take on lots of extra items and
planning.
-
Will the wedding
take place locally or in another city or even another country?
What kind of budget do we have?
- Will anyone be helping to pay for our
wedding or will we be doing it ourselves?
- What season would we like to be married
in and how much time do we have before the wedding
date? The season can affect availability of products like flowers
and time can affect available of products that have long order
requirements.
-
Approximately how many
wedding guests would we like to invite? Use
our Wedding Guests
Worksheet to make a list of those people you feel must be
invited and those who you would like to invite if you are able.
-
How much hands-on help
do we think we will have? Do you have a lot of dependable family
members and friends that will help with the work involved? If
you don't have a lot of help, you will need more time and may
need to spend extra money for the help of professionals.
Taking the Fun Approach to Wedding
Planning
Weddings
today can be and are quite often an expression of the couple's
character. Couples can get quite creative with their special day.
Sometimes, the whole day has an extraordinary theme or you many
want to incorporate only a portion of your wedding
day. The ideas for theme and unique wedding plans are endless.
Themes can be as subtle as a candlelight wedding
ceremony or more obvious like a medieval village with everyone
dressed in costume. There are countless wedding
theme ideas including country, Autumn, pioneer, a mystery train
ride, tropical beach, or a holiday wedding theme
like Christmas, Easter, or a Halloween masquerade party. You can
even have the theme represent a certain time in history like the
roaring 20's, or 50's, or even your favourite place in the world.
Integrating the wedding invitations, attire,
decorations, wedding favours for the wedding
guests, flowers, and even the wedding cake can
add to the overall feel of your wedding theme.
Thoughts When Choosing Your Wedding Date
When you are trying to decide on your
wedding date there are a few things to consider. Is there a time
of year that's meaningful to you or your families? How much time
to you think you will need to plan your wedding? The more extravagant
the wedding the longer you will need to plan. Usually 12-15 months
is enough to plan most weddings. Do you want the season to tie
into your wedding theme? How many other couples will be planning
a wedding for the same time, at the same location or in the same
town. During peak wedding season it can be a challenge to book
vendor unless your wedding is more than 18 months in advance.
Many top wedding vendors are fully book 12 months ahead, so you
can't procrastinate booking your vendors for your wedding.
Time of year When choosing your wedding
date, you may wish to contact the municipal office of the city
or town in which you are planning to have your
wedding. Make sure there are no events going
on at the same time as your wedding. Many cities and towns have
festivals during the summer months. Not only will the traffic
be busier, roads may be closed at certain times and it may be
harder to find accommodations for your out of town wedding
guests. Also, keep mindful of the seasonal weather conditions.
If you hate the thought of sweating and needing to freshen up
throughout your wedding day, you may want to
choose a wedding date away from the hot summer
months. If you have a lot of guests traveling long distances on
roads, you may not want to plan a winter wedding.
For spring weddings, it's a good idea to invest
in some umbrellas for your wedding party just
incase it rains on your wedding day.
Not Your Typical Wedding Day
Some Brides and Grooms are
now opting to have their wedding on a Friday
or Sunday. Although it may be harder for some guests to attend
your wedding, you can save a lot of money by
planning a wedding on a day
that has fewer requests for weddings. Be aware
that many businesses are closed on Sundays meaning that you will
have to plan well, making sure there are no last
minute needs or errands to run on your Sunday wedding
day. It's also a good idea to talk to your wedding
party and parents about having a Friday wedding.
Sometimes people just can't get a Friday off work. Also, if you
plan a wedding later in the
day, realize that your wedding day will be more
rushed and over more quickly. Consider your preferences and priorities
when it comes to your wedding day.
Next Wedding Planning
Step: Book Your Wedding
Essentials
Planning
Your Wedding Ceremony
Planning
Your Wedding Reception
Wedding Reception
Setup/Cleanup
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