Wedding Tips & Ideas

After selecting a few wedding planners that you feel comfortable with, review their resume and references. While some wedding planners who are new to the business may be qualified and capable you are still taking a chance if you opt for a wedding planner with little or no experience. A wedding planner who has assisted in the planning of numerous weddings similar in scale and budget to your own wedding is a good indication that the wedding planner will be able to meet your needs. Careful check of the wedding planner’s references can also shed some light on their abilities. Be sure to contact each reference that is supplied to you and ask them questions about the wedding planner’s professionalism, attitude, punctuality or anything else that is important to you. Asking these questions can help you to determine whether or not the potential wedding planner meets your expectations. Another important aspect to consider is whether or not the wedding planner has a contingency plan in case they are unable to assist you in planning your wedding. This would become extremely important if the wedding planner were to become ill just prior to your wedding. If you choose to hire a wedding planner who works alone then you are likely to be out of luck if your wedding planner becomes ill. However, choosing a wedding planner who belongs to a reputable company often affords you the luxury of having a full staff at your disposal in case there are any emergencies that arise.

Wedding Budget: Setting a budget and sticking to it is to start saving early for your wedding. Putting aside a portion of each paycheck for awhile can add up to a sizable savings that can be used for your wedding. This advanced planning and saving will allow you to maximize the budget that is available to you for your wedding planning. After an overall budget is established it is important to divide the total amount appropriately to establish budgets for items such as the venue, food and drink, the bride’s attire, the groom’s attire, transportation, entertainment, photography, favors, centerpieces, gifts for the wedding party and even gifts for each other. It is also important to partition a small amount of money for incidentals to account for small unexpected expenses

Wedding Task: The stresses of planning a wedding can be extremely overwhelming for a bride who has not learned to delegate responsibilities to friends and family members who are likely standing by eager to help in any way possible. While it is understandable that a bride may wish for everything to happen according to her vision, it is also important to realize that although you may want to control every aspect of the wedding and the wedding planning; sometimes it is necessary to delegate responsibilities. Sharing certain responsibilities not only makes the bride feel less overwhelmed but also gives her more available time to focus on the critical aspects of her wedding planning.

I am E.O.G. are you?

Guests who travel from out of town to attend your wedding are making a sacrifice to do so and it is important to let them know that you appreciate the effort they are making to attend your wedding. There are a couple of ways to do this. One way to do this is to find out where your out of town guests will be staying and when they will be arriving. Once you have this information you can prepare a welcome bag for the out of town guests and drop them off at the hotel and instruct the staff to give them to your guests upon their arrival. As your guest are likely to be tired from their trip, some suggestions for items to include in these welcome bags may include a light snack featuring local specialties and relaxation items such as bath salts and candles. This small gesture really lets your guests know that their presence is appreciated.

Children and Weddings: One tip for including children in your wedding is to understand that children under a certain age may not be capable of performing a role in the wedding ceremony and that even if the child is old enough to understand what is required of them; there are no guarantees that they will complete their task on the wedding day. Try to choose a ring bearer and flower girl who are over the age of four and while the adult participants may only need to run through their part once, allow extra time for the child to practice their part several times. If you choose a very young child or a child that is particularly shy you may want to consider having their parent accompany them down the aisle so that they are not overwhelmed on the day of the wedding. Also, be prepared for the child to completely forget what they are supposed to do and don’t allow their mistakes to put a damper on your wedding day. The odds are that if the child does not perform well, the other guests will simply laugh so feel free to laugh along with them and enjoy the pleasure that comes with including a child in your wedding. Another tip for including children in your wedding is to try to really make it an experience that the child is looking forward to. One way to do this is to ask the child to participate in your wedding a few weeks in advance so that the child has time to really get excited about the idea and has a chance to tell their friends about how they are going to be in a wedding and wear a special outfit. Another way to get the child excited is to take them shopping for their wedding attire instead of choosing an outfit for them without their input. This helps to make the child feel as though their opinions are valued plus it lets them choose an outfit that they like and will look forward to wearing. Still another tip for including children in your wedding is to have the photographer take any pictures that will include the children early in the photography session. While it is true that many children enjoy having their picture taking, they may grow impatient and irritable if they have to wait a long time to have their photos taken. Additionally, children are not used to standing still for a long time and will probably want to run and play which may result in rips or wrinkles in their wedding attire.

while including out of town guests is a wonderful gesture, it is important to understand that the couple is not obligated to do so.  If it would be too financially cumbersome to include all of the out of town guests, the couple could consider hosting a smaller event such as an evening of drinks and appetizers for this larger group.  Although everyone participating in the ceremony should be included in the rehearsal dinner the guest list is not restricted to these individuals and the couple can choose to include anyone they wish.
 

Bridal Shower: The theme of a bridal shower is another planning aspect that should receive careful consideration.  It is important to choose a theme that reflects the personality of the bride.  For example throwing a lingerie party for a shy bride may not be appropriate but throwing a beach themed bridal shower for a surfer may be a good idea.  The theme of the party is important because it can affect items such as decorations, favors and games.  When choosing a theme for a bridal shower, it is important to choose a theme based on the taste of the bride and not the taste of the hostess.

Maid of honor:  Although she has supported the bride throughout the planning process, her most important responsibilities take place on the actual wedding day.  Besides simply walking down the aisle and standing on the altar beside her friend the most important roles that the maid of honor plays is to keep the bride calm and to handle and problems that may arise.  Very few weddings actually go exactly as planned and it is the maid of honor’s job to make sure that small setbacks do not unnerve the bride.  The maid of honor should also have a stash of emergency supplies on hand such as extra stockings, lipstick in the shade the bride is wearing, tissues, safety pins and hair pins.  All of these items can come in handy if the bride has any trouble with her attire, hair or makeup.  The maid of honor plays the important role of ensuring that the bride is looking her best even after hours of dancing and talking to friends and family members. Perhaps the most significant role that the maid of honor plays is to be a friend to the bride.  The planning and preparations and the actual wedding itself can be very stressful and emotional for the bride.  The one thing that the bride needs more than anything else at this time is someone to talk to who will understand her concerns and give her practical advice and this is the most important job of the maid of honor.

Best Man: One of the most important responsibilities of the best man is to offer the first toast to the bride and the groom at the reception.  In this role the best man is not only offering his sentiment to the new couple but he is also expressing the feelings of all of those in attendance.  While everyone at the reception may wish to convey their feelings of good will, it is the best man who is able to do so publicly. In general the role of the best man is to support the groom and to act in the best interest of the groom.  Although there are certain responsibilities such as planning the bachelor party, safeguarding the wedding rings, coordinating the groomsmen and offering the first toast at the reception, the biggest role of the best man is to be a friend to the groom

One unique gift ideas for your bridesmaids is an evening bag to be used as an accessory on the wedding day. This gift can be a lovely gesture and will serve the purpose of keeping the accessories of the bridesmaids uniform and will free your bridesmaid from the burden of searching for an evening bag that matches the dress. In this case you may choose to give the bridesmaids their gifts early in the wedding planning so that they don’t purchase a bag specifically for the occasion of your wedding. Unique gift ideas for the bridesmaids can also stem from the wedding theme. For example if you are having a beach themed wedding you might want to give your bridesmaids a gift of a tote bag, a beach towel and a novel to enjoy on the beach. This unique gift idea ensures that your bridesmaids will remember your wedding fondly the next time they are at the beach.

Wedding Week:

The final week before your wedding day can be a stressful time filled with many details that need to be confirmed. Some of the last minutes details that need to be completed in the week before your wedding include confirming the details of your honeymoon, packing for your honeymoon, giving the caterer a final count for the number of guests, confirm details with the photographer, florist, DJ or band and the limousine driver. If the couple is hosting the rehearsal dinner, now is also the time to confirm these arrangements. It’s important to attend to all of these tasks but it is also important to take some time to get some rest and relaxation as well. If you have friends and family members who are willing to help out, you can delegate many of these tasks to reduce the stress of the final week before your wedding. As your wedding day approaches it is important to begin making preparations for your honeymoon. Early in the week before your wedding you will want to confirm all of your honeymoon arrangements such as transportation, hotels and any other special plans you have made for your honeymoon destination such as excursions, dinner reservations or lessons. You may also want to pack for your honeymoon during this time to prevent you from feeling overwhelmed and trying to pack the day before or even the day of your wedding. Getting the packing out of the way early will help to alleviate any concerns you have over being prepared for the honeymoon and gives you something to look forward to. If you procrastinate with your packing you may find yourself dreading even talking about your honeymoon because doing so makes you realize that you are not yet prepared for the honeymoon.