Alrighty…I just got engaged…**YAY**…I’m so excited!
Problem is, I don’t know the first thing about planning a wedding….I will probably get married around Oct 2007…I’ve started making a scrapbook of ideas and found a dress thats to die for….I got a wedding planner book…actually my fiance got it, but won’t let me have it til Christmas!!! hehe
I’m on my own in a lot of ways…so I need girl advice on how to get started! Any tips, lists, suggestions, etc…would be much appreciated! Thanks!
The best thing to do is to go to the message boards on theknot.com. They have local boards so girls from your area can recommend vendors and also tell you which ones to stay away from. I had no idea where to start either but after being on there for a couple months, I’ve found a lot of GREAT deals, booked vendors I would have never heard of otherwise and gotten some great tips.
Book your reception and church as soon as possible- they book up fast (a lot of times it’s a year in advance or more!). Then photographer, videographer (if you’re having one), dress, bridesmaids dresses, and florist, etc. (Those are just the most important ones to get done).
And go to bridal shows! They start up again in January and you can find tons of great deals and win GREAT stuff! I’ve won waterford crystal toasting flutes, $500 off my dress, a bridal bouquet, a night in a suites hotel, $50 gift certificate to a florist, and a hand mixer! You’ll definitely win stuff that will help you out!
Congrads on the engagment!!!! Well I guess that you should write down all the things/different ideals that you might have. Take them do bridal shops, floral shops, party stores (they have some good items there). Also here is a web site that I used when I helped my friend plan her’s.
I would think like you’re planning the best party ever. And find a location for the wedding/reception first, then go from there, because that will limit a lot of your decisions (like how many people you can invite, whether you hire your own caterer, whether you can bring your own booze, etc etc).
is great.
Figure out where you want to have the wedding
where you want the reception
how many/who you want to invite
What kind of reception are you having (buffet, sit down, hors d’oeuvres)
Figure out your budget (how much do you want to spend on each item)
Dress, reception, locations, flowers, food, drinks, invitations, rehersal dinner, etc.
Keep posting questions here as they come up. Good luck.
Congratulations!
Try
Just start figuring out 1) What kind of wedding you (meaning you and your fiancé) really want, and 2) Your budget. By merging these two together, you can start narrowing down your choices. You can go as crazy or as traditional as you want, there are a lot of options. I would think of possible locations first - what type of venue you were going to have the wedding and the reception at (church, park, beach, country club, castle, a friend’s house, etc), and start figuring out how much you’re willing to spend on the whole thing. Chances are, places you call will be able to advise you about your options; they have done it before!
Congrats! The planner book will really help. So will a good friend!! Latch onto someone you can share ideas with. Start with a spreadsheet. On this spreadsheet you put your requirements and the most important column is FINANCIAL. Determine up front what you can afford (even list what your relatives plan to contribute financially), including your honeymoon, and that will be the basis for all decision making. Where will you get married? Where will you have the reception, if any? Who will cater it (business or family preparation) and what kind of food (and cake). The time you have it will determine the type of reception you have; i.e., is it at a time that requires a lunch or dinner, or do you just serve finger food, appetizers and cake? Start that spreadsheet because it is always intimidating until you list everything and determine the cost based on number of people present. Get help from your friends. Make it fun–not ovewhelming. Again, stay true to your budget. Also, you might want a get-together the night before that includes family and bridemaids, bestman, etc. There’s much more than I’ve eluded to!
All right. Here’s THE site
This is really cool, because when you enter your date, it will give you a basic timeline of all the tasks you need to do before the wedding and about when they should be done. It also gives you a countdown to your wedding. I planned my own wedding and I found it very helpful!
Make sure that you have church/hall reserved for the date, photographer, caterer, minister/justice of the peace all for your date and time. These are best took care of up to a year ahead to make sure you get them when you want them. Go talk to a florist as well as you definitely will want to set up a budget. Always confirm everything several times to make sure that things don’t go wrong or that there will be a cancelation. You might also want to check into a band/dj/or music store for your music as well. If you have someone play the organ/piano you might want to arrange for them as well. If your church requires premarriage counseling you might want to check. You can have an idea of what you want but you may not have the money for it all or maybe you can afford some luxuries but you need to know this information. Also check on hairdresser, cosmetics, etc to make sure they are available and lastly make sure your invitations are received at least a month ahead so your guests can fit you into their plans. Good luck and best wishes
Congratulations
You have about 10 months til your wedding so, If you are going to go by the time-line in most wedding planners you should have already
~Determine what kind of wedding you want…..Location,
formality, time of day, number of guest, etc
~Determine budget and how expenses will be shared
~Organize guest lists
~Reserve ceremony site, officiant, and reception site
~Determine your colors
~Decided on colors and themes
Yea I know its a lot….I’m planning a wedding as well. Try these websites below for ideas. I hope they help!!! Good luck!
The first thing you want to do (and is the most important) is to sit down with your fiance and both sets of parents and figure out a budget and who is paying for what…if it is just you and your finace, then you both have to make some serious decisions as to how much money you are willing to spend on everything. AND, no matter what, stick to the budget!!!!! As a wedding planner, I can’t tell you how many couples I have come across who haven’t stuck to their budget and big problems came up.
After the budget is done, then you can get to the fun stuff!! The ceremony and reception locations should be next, though, as they fill rather quickly sometimes (depending on where you’re looking at). Then interview and select your caterer, baker, florist, entertainment and photographer. Make sure you are up front with them about your budget…if they hesitate and pressure you into paying more than you are comfortable with…don’t use them!!
If you are unsure about anything or are hesitating about details and/or larger issues…hire a wedding planner!!! Most of the time brides think they don’t need a planner and before they know it the details aren’t done and it is too late to hire someone. If you hire ahead of time, then there will be no question of who will be doing what.
You have to arrange:
Church
Reception
Music
Cake
Invitations
Your dress
Bridesmaids’ dresses
Groom’s suit
Cars
Flowers
Photographer
Bonboniere
Wedding night accommodation
Honeymoon
It’s all good fun!
I suggest using the knot, brides or the wedding channel.They have list to help you keep track of everything and its a good way to begin.I used the brides and the knot while planning my own wedding.