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Wedding Planning Introduction |
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Getting married should be one of the most memorable and exciting times in your life. For the first few weeks after the proposal, you'll feel dizzy with happiness and bursting with anticipation. As well you should be! You've met the man of your dreams, you've decided to get married, and now it's time to plan the wedding -- the official celebration of your love and commitment.
The period between the engagement and the wedding should be the most gloriously tranquil time of a couple's wedding process. However, you will both soon be faced with decisions, compromises and debates -- some simple, some funny, some tough -- but all important.
There will be questions about anything and everything: from the meal (fish, chicken or beef?) to the wedding gown (low-cut, fitted or empire-waist?) to the reception music (live band, small orchestra or DJ?). There will be issues about budgets, guest lists, and styles.
While it's fun to bask in all the happiness, there are a few tasks that should be handled quickly.
* You will need to announce your engagement, set the budget and timetable for the wedding and buy the rings.
* The guest list affects many of the wedding decisions the engaged couple will make, including the selections for wedding stationery.
* The music and flowers play enormous parts in setting the mood for your wedding. Both speak to the day's romantic tone and serve to express the your style. The average couple spends approximately 4 percent of their total budget on flowers and 5 percent on music.
* The wedding photographs preserve forever the magnificence and magic of your wedding day. Wedding video, on the other hand, tends to capture those precious and often spontaneous moments that defy the limitations of still photography.
The first thing you need to decide on is the style of your wedding. Will it be casual or formal? Large or small? In a house of worship or on a desert island? The style of your wedding will set the tone for all the other decisions you will need to make, so decide early.
Some couples decide to hire a consultant to help put their wedding together. This should definitely be considered if you both don't have time to plan the wedding. Many wedding consultants work by the hour. This allows you to do as much of the planning as you can, while providing a resource to perform the tasks you are unable to do and provides an outsider's perspective for some of the more difficult decisions.
As the lucky bride, you will likely find yourself with a team of family members, bridesmaids and friends willing to lend a hand in planning your wedding. And even if you hire a wedding consultant, there should still be one person ultimately in charge: YOU.
Remember, the key to any successful event is planning. And your wedding is no exception. The useful information and worksheets we've provided will help you stay on top of your wedding plan. Start with the Complete Wedding Schedule. It will tell you what needs to be done and when. Then use the other checklists to help keep track of all those pesky details.
As you review the schedule and worksheets, you will probably notice there are a number of purchases which will need to be made. However, your very first purchase should be a 3-ring notebook and a set of tabbed dividers. Label each divider with one of the main worksheet headings (Ceremony, Bride's Attire, Grooms Attire, Stationary, etc.). Then, as you move through this "course", print out the information and checklists, put them in the notebook, and use them to record your decisions. And always, always, take it with you when you talk to vendors. Then you will always have all the information at your fingertips.
Keep in mind, it's easy to get bogged down in the details of wedding planning -- especially for aspects that have many components, like the ceremony and rehearsal; and the more mundane, such as transportation. While keeping the overall picture in mind, remember to add a personal touch to each detail you plan.
In the end, what this day is really all about is a celebration of love. Stay focused, and keep organized.
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