WEDDING PLANNING TIPS

Hoping to create the wedding of your dreams and not go crazy in the process?  Here are some tips to keep the planning… and your special day… running smoothly.

• Put it in writing – Keep written notes when you talk or hire vendors.  This helps you manage expectations and is also a great source of ideas.
• Create a planning binder – Use a loose-leaf binder to store and organize notes, contracts, fabric swatches, wedding ideas, you name it.  Having everything in a single place makes it easier to manage the process.
• The guest list comes FIRST! – From the wedding budget to the location of your reception, the number of guests you will host at your wedding will dictate many important decisions.
• Check references – Protect yourself from disreputable vendors by requiring references… and be certain to check them.
• Stick to the budget – The budget is the single greatest source of redouble in wedding planning.  Set your budget early and stick to it.
• Start planning early – Begin planning your wedding early to increase your chances of reserving the venues and vendors that you want, rather than being stuck with whatever is left.
• Schedule your day, in detail – A wedding is a complicated production usually involving many different people in more than one location.  Write out your wedding day schedule and share it with key member of the wedding party and your vendors, so they know in advance what is expected of them.
• Keep in touch – Signing a contract with a vendor is just the beginning.  Contact them periodically throughout the planning process and confirm details the week prior to the wedding.
• Don’t leave tasks for the last minute – Tackle the work and details early-on and save the month before your wedding for enjoying company and parties.  Reconfirming plans is all that should remain.
• Designate someone to run the day – Put someone in charge of your rehearsal and wedding day, who can ensure that vendors, venues and the wedding party are ready to go according to schedule.  Be sure to select someone who doesn’t fluster easily and who isn’t part of the immediate wedding party, so he or she has the flexibility to check set-ups in advance of the wedding party and guests.  Even if you don’t hire a wedding planner, neither the bride nor her mother can effectively serve as the “ring leader.”
• Hire a professional wedding consultant – You can do these things and much more yourself… or you can hire a professional to manage these details for you.  Either way, best wishes for a great wedding!