A lot of people resist the urge to pay thousands of dollars for a wedding planner and choose to go the DIY route and plan their own weddings. If you fall into this category and are planning your own ceremony, check out these helpful tips below and make that special day, one you can be proud of.
It’s important to include the beliefs and values of your immediate families in your wedding ceremony. Discuss religion with both your future spouse and their family members so that you can develop a strong understanding of their beliefs.
If you are planning an outdoor wedding you will need to consider the possibility of bad weather. If you do not have a backup plan, this could ruin your wedding and inconvenience all of your guests who are attending. Always prepare for the worst on important occasions.
If you’re wearing a floor length wedding dress, you can get away with wearing less than fashionable shoes down the aisle. No one will see them and you’ll be more comfortable standing during your wedding ceremony. You can put more fashionable shoes on later for the reception where you’ll be sitting down.
Make sure that everyone in your wedding party knows how they’re getting to the wedding site and back home from your wedding! This is especially important if you’re going to be serving alcohol, and essential if it’s an open bar. If you’re worried about anyone getting too inebriated, offer free cab rides to anyone who doesn’t bring a car, or drive them home in your limo.
Make sure that your husband and his groomsmen have everything planned in advance in the days leading up to the wedding. Check that they have all of the materials for their tuxedos and that everything fits as well. This will reduce your anxiety and ensure that everything goes according to plan.
If you are having an outdoor wedding, check your wind speeds for that day. A windy day can ruin an outdoor wedding if not planned for. If it is going to be windy, avoid hairstyles that will be greatly affected by wind. You should also keep in mind that some tents are not designed to handle very windy conditions.
When picking a DJ for your wedding, make sure you choose someone with a great reputation. A bad DJ can ruin your reception, so ask any candidates for their references along with their fees. If a candidate has no references, mark him off the list immediately! If his references are all family, that’s another reason to give him the boot.
If you are going to be a guest at an upcoming wedding, be sure to arrive to the ceremony on time. Nothing interrupts a wedding more than a person showing up late and attracting attention to themselves. Try to give yourself an extra 15 minutes, just in case there is traffic getting there.
Although the weather may be at it’s peak, you probably don’t want to plan your destination wedding for a time when the most tourists are showing up at the location you’ve chosen. Try to aim for a time when there is a lull, like when kids go back to school in September.
Make sure you book a professional wedding photographer. Your wedding day is probably a day you will want to remember for the rest of your life. By hiring a professional photographer for the day, you can make sure that you get some tangible evidence of the day that you can keep for the rest of your life.
When trying to pare down the guest list, consider who is paying for the wedding, and then allocate them more seats. If the bride’s father is footing the bill, then her side of the family should be permitted to attend. If the couple is paying for the wedding themselves, then they should split the number of attendees in half for each side.
If you can afford it, you can try having a wedding on the cruise you like. You could just invite only those close to you. By doing this, you can step away from the altar and immediately start your honeymoon. Many cruise companies have special deals for wedding and honeymooning couples.
When choosing a caterer or a vendor for your wedding, look for someone you can trust. If the vendor is doing its best to work with you and find out what you want, you have found the right one. If the vendor’s main concern is getting paid, you might have run into a scam.
Going the do-it-yourself route can really put a lot of pressure on you to pull off a stellar event, whether you’re the one getting married or just the one planning the ceremony. Always make sure that you’re seeking advice on how to simplify the process. Use what you’ve learned here and plan a great wedding.