The wedding day is getting closer and closer! There are three key elements that you should be focusing on at this point:
1) Finalizing the wedding weekend timeline + confirming vendor commitments
2) Finalizing all wedding day details
3) Relaxing and pampering yourself
Creating a timeline is the most important aspect to ensuring a seamless wedding day! You'll want to make sure it includes all your vendor arrival and departure times, the actual wedding day events {including ceremony, toasts, dances, extras!} and any other information that is pertinent to your vendors {special load in / load out instructions, meals requirements, contact person information etc}. You want to have your timeline finalized before the final week before the wedding, so that you can send it out to them that week. Check out our past post about Timelines that goes into much greater detail!
Once your timeline is set, begin to finalize all the day of details: having your escort cards / place cards finished, welcome bags made up, if you're having favors, guest book or any other fun elements, having them all completed and ready to go. You do not, I repeat, do not, want to be dealing with these at the last minute as it detracts from your relaxing and pampering. Being a relaxed bride and groom will make all the difference on the actual wedding day.
This post was originally published on July 1st, 2009
Showing posts with label timeline. Show all posts
Showing posts with label timeline. Show all posts
Thursday, October 28, 2010
Thursday, August 12, 2010
Thoughts from a Bride Three Weeks Before The Wedding Day!
My name is Michelle and I am an Associate Planner at Anderson Green Events. I am getting married in less than 3 weeks, and Lisa asked me to share some insight into my wedding planning now that the big day is getting really close!
When we first got engaged, my fiancé and I sat down and created a wedding planning timeline that listed every single detail that had to be planned month by month, week by week. In the beginning stages I worked off this list religiously and found a sense of accomplishment and excitement every time I checked something off. After 15 months of planning I realize I left off a very important “TO DO”…and that is take a break!
Since the moment you got engaged all your coworkers, family members, friends, and future spouse have heard is wedding related thoughts. By attending family BBQ’s, meeting friends for drinks, or simply having a date night with no wedding talk will feel normal. You, your future spouse and all your friends will certainly appreciate this and feel like you have come back down to earth out of Bridal la la land, even if it is only for a few hours everyday. Besides, not talking about the wedding 24/7 will give you a chance to relax as well.
It’s important to realize the reasons why you’re getting married in the first place; you said yes for a reason so don’t let the last few weeks leading up to the wedding day make you loose sight of that because you are feeling so pressed for time to get things done. Years down the road you don’t want to be disappointed that you missed out on little things that may have happened because you were so wrapped up in all the final details for your 8 hour wedding day. Let normal life happen and enjoy it a little too.
When we first got engaged, my fiancé and I sat down and created a wedding planning timeline that listed every single detail that had to be planned month by month, week by week. In the beginning stages I worked off this list religiously and found a sense of accomplishment and excitement every time I checked something off. After 15 months of planning I realize I left off a very important “TO DO”…and that is take a break!
Since the moment you got engaged all your coworkers, family members, friends, and future spouse have heard is wedding related thoughts. By attending family BBQ’s, meeting friends for drinks, or simply having a date night with no wedding talk will feel normal. You, your future spouse and all your friends will certainly appreciate this and feel like you have come back down to earth out of Bridal la la land, even if it is only for a few hours everyday. Besides, not talking about the wedding 24/7 will give you a chance to relax as well.
It’s important to realize the reasons why you’re getting married in the first place; you said yes for a reason so don’t let the last few weeks leading up to the wedding day make you loose sight of that because you are feeling so pressed for time to get things done. Years down the road you don’t want to be disappointed that you missed out on little things that may have happened because you were so wrapped up in all the final details for your 8 hour wedding day. Let normal life happen and enjoy it a little too.
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Questionable Wednesdays: Time Between Ceremony and Cocktails
Every Wednesday, I will try to shed some light on a Question that I find floating around the wedding'sphere.
Question: "My ceremony will be starting at 2:00PM. It will probably last an hour and a half...The reception site is at a resort, 15 minutes away. Most of the guest live in the city. Cocktail reception starts at 6:30 PM. I feel bad that the guests have to wait 3 hours before the festivities begin. What do you do as a guest who has had to wait long in between? What should I do to help relieve guests of that down time??"
Answer: The most common debate is regarding the wedding day timeline! How to time between the ceremony end and the reception begins is very important not only for your guests but for your vendors. This question is obviously avoided if your ceremony and reception at the same site. But if you are having the ceremony in a different place to the reception, you need to factor in a couple elements:
Firstly, if the place where your ceremony is taking place has time restrictions on wedding ceremonies, you need to adhere to them. Most Catholic churches for instance won't allow weddings to begin after 2PM. If you are having a black tie evening, its probably not going to begin at 3 or 3:30PM right as the ceremony concludes.
Secondly, driving time. Please remember to factor in the amount of time it will take guests to get from either the ceremony site or their hotel {depending on what you want them to do during their down time} to the reception area. Also be sure to provide very clear directions especially for those who aren't familiar with the area.
Obviously, if you have a few hours between ceremony and reception, for the bridal party, this is the best time to go and take some amazing photo's. For the guest, you're all dressed up with basically no where to go! I would suggest including some sort of tour {self guided or bus with guide} of the area, particularly if there are some great things to see in your area, you could create a map with history bites for guests to follow. Otherwise, I find that most guests will either go back to the hotel to relax or they will begin celebrating without you in a local watering hole.
While its definitely an issue regarding timing, don't let it be a huge cause of stress in your wedding planning. Your guests are there to celebrate with you, not cause anxiety!
Question: "My ceremony will be starting at 2:00PM. It will probably last an hour and a half...The reception site is at a resort, 15 minutes away. Most of the guest live in the city. Cocktail reception starts at 6:30 PM. I feel bad that the guests have to wait 3 hours before the festivities begin. What do you do as a guest who has had to wait long in between? What should I do to help relieve guests of that down time??"
Answer: The most common debate is regarding the wedding day timeline! How to time between the ceremony end and the reception begins is very important not only for your guests but for your vendors. This question is obviously avoided if your ceremony and reception at the same site. But if you are having the ceremony in a different place to the reception, you need to factor in a couple elements:
Firstly, if the place where your ceremony is taking place has time restrictions on wedding ceremonies, you need to adhere to them. Most Catholic churches for instance won't allow weddings to begin after 2PM. If you are having a black tie evening, its probably not going to begin at 3 or 3:30PM right as the ceremony concludes.
Secondly, driving time. Please remember to factor in the amount of time it will take guests to get from either the ceremony site or their hotel {depending on what you want them to do during their down time} to the reception area. Also be sure to provide very clear directions especially for those who aren't familiar with the area.
Obviously, if you have a few hours between ceremony and reception, for the bridal party, this is the best time to go and take some amazing photo's. For the guest, you're all dressed up with basically no where to go! I would suggest including some sort of tour {self guided or bus with guide} of the area, particularly if there are some great things to see in your area, you could create a map with history bites for guests to follow. Otherwise, I find that most guests will either go back to the hotel to relax or they will begin celebrating without you in a local watering hole.
While its definitely an issue regarding timing, don't let it be a huge cause of stress in your wedding planning. Your guests are there to celebrate with you, not cause anxiety!
Monday, August 3, 2009
The Value of Planning
We're just getting back into the swing of things after a fantastic wedding up in Saratoga Springs this past weekend. While we had planned the logistics and created our timeline for the wedding, a few snafu's did arise throughout the day and I thought I would bring them up for discussion and awareness. Even the best laid plans can somehow get pushed back.
During your planning process, its easy for the Groom to give up the reigns and not be involved. In fact, some couple's prefer this method planning. As a wedding coordinator, I remain indifferent to this. Some wedding's I never meet the Groom until the wedding rehearsal, and some wedding's I converse more with the Groom than the Bride. My job isn't to mettle in the couple's relationship, just to plan their wedding day! That being said, if you've got a hands off Groom ~ the week prior to the wedding, he needs to become a hands on Groom. He needs to be briefed, either by the Bride or the Coordinator, on all aspects of the wedding day. Timing, expectations, room layout, what has been discussed with the venue, band, transportation, photographer and any other vendors. This way, on the wedding day, its not all new to the Groom. He won't be 30 minutes late to board the bus and claim he didn't know the time. He won't want to change the order of dances and speeches. He won't question any aspect of the day. While as a planner, we are well versed in making quick decisions based on the flow of events and the needs of the newlyweds, its difficult to be discussing changing logistics one to two minutes before something else was supposed to happen.
Remember, timeline's are your friend and are created to ensure that the wedding flows seamlessly.
Happy Planning!
During your planning process, its easy for the Groom to give up the reigns and not be involved. In fact, some couple's prefer this method planning. As a wedding coordinator, I remain indifferent to this. Some wedding's I never meet the Groom until the wedding rehearsal, and some wedding's I converse more with the Groom than the Bride. My job isn't to mettle in the couple's relationship, just to plan their wedding day! That being said, if you've got a hands off Groom ~ the week prior to the wedding, he needs to become a hands on Groom. He needs to be briefed, either by the Bride or the Coordinator, on all aspects of the wedding day. Timing, expectations, room layout, what has been discussed with the venue, band, transportation, photographer and any other vendors. This way, on the wedding day, its not all new to the Groom. He won't be 30 minutes late to board the bus and claim he didn't know the time. He won't want to change the order of dances and speeches. He won't question any aspect of the day. While as a planner, we are well versed in making quick decisions based on the flow of events and the needs of the newlyweds, its difficult to be discussing changing logistics one to two minutes before something else was supposed to happen.
Remember, timeline's are your friend and are created to ensure that the wedding flows seamlessly.
Happy Planning!
Thursday, July 2, 2009
Day 28: Finalizing Vendor Commitments
Days 28: 30 Days: A Guide to Stress Free Wedding Planning
You've hired all the necessary vendors, kept up with payment schedules for all of them, you've gotten everyone attired, your timeline is confirmed, all the details arranged ... what's left?
If you've hired a planner, this normally falls under their jurisdiction, but if not, you'll need to confirm all the details with your vendors. Keep in mind that if the number of attending guests has changed in any way, shape or form, you'll want to notify the caterer and the florist ASAP! You don't want to get charged for food or arrangements for people who aren't attending the soiree. Make sure you confirm guest numbers well in advance of the last possible day you're allowed to. {Traditionally two weeks prior for the Florist, and 3-7 days prior for the Caterer}
You'll want to confirm that your vendors have received the timeline, they have the correct directions to the venue, they know any policies related to load in / load out, and most importantly, who the point of contact is for the wedding day {so when they are stuck in traffic, they can call and assure you they are on the way}. You'll also want to confirm if you are legally obligated to feed them during the event {check your contracts!}, so you can give this number to the caterer {vendors should receive a meal that is not what your guests are being served and is substantially cheaper than the meal you've chosen for your guests}.
This is also the time to speak with your vendors about any other pertinent details of the day {must play / do not play lists, any photographs you must have etc}. Don't wait until the last minute to get these lists / details out to a vendor or think you'll remember on the wedding day. You'll have enough on your mind that day!
This is also the right time to communicate with your bridal party about their roles and responsibilities on the wedding day as well as their wedding weekend schedule. You'll want them to know what time to begin getting ready and where they will be getting ready as well as any details related to transportation. This is extremely important especially if they have a spouse / guest that is not in the bridal party, so that they know what is going on as well and can be organized. Also, if any member of the bridal party is traveling to the wedding, you'll want their travel details as well.
You've hired all the necessary vendors, kept up with payment schedules for all of them, you've gotten everyone attired, your timeline is confirmed, all the details arranged ... what's left?
If you've hired a planner, this normally falls under their jurisdiction, but if not, you'll need to confirm all the details with your vendors. Keep in mind that if the number of attending guests has changed in any way, shape or form, you'll want to notify the caterer and the florist ASAP! You don't want to get charged for food or arrangements for people who aren't attending the soiree. Make sure you confirm guest numbers well in advance of the last possible day you're allowed to. {Traditionally two weeks prior for the Florist, and 3-7 days prior for the Caterer}
You'll want to confirm that your vendors have received the timeline, they have the correct directions to the venue, they know any policies related to load in / load out, and most importantly, who the point of contact is for the wedding day {so when they are stuck in traffic, they can call and assure you they are on the way}. You'll also want to confirm if you are legally obligated to feed them during the event {check your contracts!}, so you can give this number to the caterer {vendors should receive a meal that is not what your guests are being served and is substantially cheaper than the meal you've chosen for your guests}.
This is also the time to speak with your vendors about any other pertinent details of the day {must play / do not play lists, any photographs you must have etc}. Don't wait until the last minute to get these lists / details out to a vendor or think you'll remember on the wedding day. You'll have enough on your mind that day!
This is also the right time to communicate with your bridal party about their roles and responsibilities on the wedding day as well as their wedding weekend schedule. You'll want them to know what time to begin getting ready and where they will be getting ready as well as any details related to transportation. This is extremely important especially if they have a spouse / guest that is not in the bridal party, so that they know what is going on as well and can be organized. Also, if any member of the bridal party is traveling to the wedding, you'll want their travel details as well.
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Day 26 & 27: Wedding Weekend Timeline
Days 26 & 27: 30 Days: A Guide to Stress Free Wedding Planning
The wedding day is getting closer and closer! There are three key elements that you should be focusing on at this point:
1) Finalizing the wedding weekend timeline + confirming vendor commitments
2) Finalizing all wedding day details
3) Relaxing and pampering yourself
Creating a timeline is the most important aspect to ensuring a seamless wedding day! You'll want to make sure it includes all your vendor arrival and departure times, the actual wedding day events {including ceremony, toasts, dances, extras!} and any other information that is pertinent to your vendors {special load in / load out instructions, meals requirements, contact person information etc}. You want to have your timeline finalized before the final week before the wedding, so that you can send it out to them that week. Check out our past post about Timelines that goes into much greater detail!
Once your timeline is set, begin to finalize all the day of details: having your escort cards / place cards finished, welcome bags made up, if you're having favors, guest book or any other fun elements, having them all completed and ready to go. You do not, I repeat, do not, want to be dealing with these at the last minute as it detracts from your relaxing and pampering. Being a relaxed bride and groom will make all the difference on the actual wedding day.
The wedding day is getting closer and closer! There are three key elements that you should be focusing on at this point:
1) Finalizing the wedding weekend timeline + confirming vendor commitments
2) Finalizing all wedding day details
3) Relaxing and pampering yourself
Creating a timeline is the most important aspect to ensuring a seamless wedding day! You'll want to make sure it includes all your vendor arrival and departure times, the actual wedding day events {including ceremony, toasts, dances, extras!} and any other information that is pertinent to your vendors {special load in / load out instructions, meals requirements, contact person information etc}. You want to have your timeline finalized before the final week before the wedding, so that you can send it out to them that week. Check out our past post about Timelines that goes into much greater detail!
Once your timeline is set, begin to finalize all the day of details: having your escort cards / place cards finished, welcome bags made up, if you're having favors, guest book or any other fun elements, having them all completed and ready to go. You do not, I repeat, do not, want to be dealing with these at the last minute as it detracts from your relaxing and pampering. Being a relaxed bride and groom will make all the difference on the actual wedding day.
Friday, May 29, 2009
Day Of Wedding Coordination: Misleading
For anyone whose ever had a consultation with me, they've heard this: I planned my own wedding, but I did hire a Day Of Coordinator. I wanted to be a bride that day and given the logistics of a tented reception during a hurricane, having an advocate there to act on my behalf was just invaluable. If I had to get married that day AND oversee all the logistics, I wouldn't have had as much fun as I did. Therefore, I can definitely provide a logical and personal opinion for hiring a Day Of wedding coordinator. My only issue with the "DOC" is that in fact, your planner isn't just there for the Day Of.
If your Day Of Coordinator literally showed up on the day of, it'd be chaos ... she/he wouldn't have any clue what was happening. When you hire a DOC, you're actually hiring someone for Month Of Coordination. Roughly 4 to 6 weeks prior to your wedding day, you will sit down with your wedding planner and go through all the vendor contracts and details that you've worked so diligently on. By doing this, your planner will get the full picture of how you want your wedding day to proceed. During this meeting you'll also start to construct the wedding day timeline (check out my past post on timelines). After a few weeks of editing/tweaking, the wedding timeline will be complete and your MOC will distribute it to the relevant vendors.
By hiring a Month Of Wedding Coordinator, you're ensuring that you and your soon to be will actually be guests at your wedding ~ something truly invaluable!
Join me on my mini crusade to educate the wedding world on the misnomer of the Day Of Wedding Coordinator!
If your Day Of Coordinator literally showed up on the day of, it'd be chaos ... she/he wouldn't have any clue what was happening. When you hire a DOC, you're actually hiring someone for Month Of Coordination. Roughly 4 to 6 weeks prior to your wedding day, you will sit down with your wedding planner and go through all the vendor contracts and details that you've worked so diligently on. By doing this, your planner will get the full picture of how you want your wedding day to proceed. During this meeting you'll also start to construct the wedding day timeline (check out my past post on timelines). After a few weeks of editing/tweaking, the wedding timeline will be complete and your MOC will distribute it to the relevant vendors.
By hiring a Month Of Wedding Coordinator, you're ensuring that you and your soon to be will actually be guests at your wedding ~ something truly invaluable!
Join me on my mini crusade to educate the wedding world on the misnomer of the Day Of Wedding Coordinator!
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Organizing the details ...
This post is inspired by a dear friend whose getting married on 7/11 ... she's begun working on the final details of the wedding and I mentioned that she needs to remain stress free. She then mentioned that she's a bride and that its hard to be calm!
I advocate a stress free environment. It's not always do-able, but it should be the end goal. Planning a wedding can and will be challenging at times, but the closer the wedding day gets, the more its vital for you to relax and take things in stride. Firstly, being stressed out affects your health and your skin ... you want to be healthy and glowing on the inside AND outside on the big day. Secondly, being stressed brings a negative energy to the wedding, which is probably not the vibe you're going for.
Using A's wedding date of 7/11, she's just about 2.5 months out ... what should she be working on now? Details and nothing else. (The rest of this paragraph isn't applicable to you if you've had less than 4+ months to plan the wedding ... I'll post later this week on managing the shorter time frame). Your vendors should be booked and up to date on what they will be providing, your invitations should be out and hopefully RSVP's are trickling in! Your dress and all the other attire for the bridal party should be almost perfectly tailored. The biggest time consumers now should be your favors (if you're having), out of town gift bags (if you're having),music selection for your ceremony and if you're writing your own vows, getting some pen to paper. All the planning should be to rest, you should be working on details. If you've hired a planner, they should be working on creating the day's timeline with you and making sure that you are getting ready to get hitched. Let your planner deal with the last minute craziness that may flair up (suddenly an extra guest or two pops up, your cellist doesn't have the ceremony address, the florist got in a bad shipment of flowers etc) - whatever nonsense arrives, let the planner handle it. That's why you hired one, right?
Most importantly, as the bride, you should be stress free and indulgent. Go to the spa, read lots of romance novels, whatever you do to unwind. Just take the focus off of the wedding, so that when you start to walk down the aisle, you'll fully be in the moment.
Take a page out of my Maxwell's book and enjoy the warm weather!
I advocate a stress free environment. It's not always do-able, but it should be the end goal. Planning a wedding can and will be challenging at times, but the closer the wedding day gets, the more its vital for you to relax and take things in stride. Firstly, being stressed out affects your health and your skin ... you want to be healthy and glowing on the inside AND outside on the big day. Secondly, being stressed brings a negative energy to the wedding, which is probably not the vibe you're going for.
Using A's wedding date of 7/11, she's just about 2.5 months out ... what should she be working on now? Details and nothing else. (The rest of this paragraph isn't applicable to you if you've had less than 4+ months to plan the wedding ... I'll post later this week on managing the shorter time frame). Your vendors should be booked and up to date on what they will be providing, your invitations should be out and hopefully RSVP's are trickling in! Your dress and all the other attire for the bridal party should be almost perfectly tailored. The biggest time consumers now should be your favors (if you're having), out of town gift bags (if you're having),music selection for your ceremony and if you're writing your own vows, getting some pen to paper. All the planning should be to rest, you should be working on details. If you've hired a planner, they should be working on creating the day's timeline with you and making sure that you are getting ready to get hitched. Let your planner deal with the last minute craziness that may flair up (suddenly an extra guest or two pops up, your cellist doesn't have the ceremony address, the florist got in a bad shipment of flowers etc) - whatever nonsense arrives, let the planner handle it. That's why you hired one, right?
Most importantly, as the bride, you should be stress free and indulgent. Go to the spa, read lots of romance novels, whatever you do to unwind. Just take the focus off of the wedding, so that when you start to walk down the aisle, you'll fully be in the moment.
Take a page out of my Maxwell's book and enjoy the warm weather!
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Catch Up & Finding Time ...
Sorry for my week long absence! Its been a very busy few days, we have a wedding coming up in a short few weeks, so we are getting all the final touches ready. Which ... brings me to my topic today: Timelines!
Whether you've hired a planner or not, or your venue does this or not, you need a timeline for your wedding weekend. It is so helpful to create a worksheet that outlines exactly how you want your day to flow. It'll include all the pertinent information: when to get ready, when to go to the ceremony, when to take pictures, when to party (plus cake cutting, bouquet toss, garter toss, anything else you want to include, like dances, announcements etc). Having everything laid out clearly in a format that includes time will tell your bridal party, vendors and parents what exactly is happening and when/where they need to be.
Spend some time with your timeline, tweak it over the course of a few days before sending it to your vendors and bridal party.
If you'd like to see a sample of a timeline that we use at Anderson Green Events, just email me! lisadee@andersongreenevents.com.
Happy Planning!
-Lisa
Whether you've hired a planner or not, or your venue does this or not, you need a timeline for your wedding weekend. It is so helpful to create a worksheet that outlines exactly how you want your day to flow. It'll include all the pertinent information: when to get ready, when to go to the ceremony, when to take pictures, when to party (plus cake cutting, bouquet toss, garter toss, anything else you want to include, like dances, announcements etc). Having everything laid out clearly in a format that includes time will tell your bridal party, vendors and parents what exactly is happening and when/where they need to be.
Spend some time with your timeline, tweak it over the course of a few days before sending it to your vendors and bridal party.
If you'd like to see a sample of a timeline that we use at Anderson Green Events, just email me! lisadee@andersongreenevents.com.
Happy Planning!
-Lisa
Monday, February 2, 2009
Relax ...
The closer we get to the actual wedding day, the more I stress the word RELAX to the couples that I am working with. Relaxing before your big day is a huge part of the planing process and I get confused as to why so many people don't relax before the wedding day arrives.
Firstly, stress isn't good for anyone (a small personal tidbit - I am awesome stress internalizer - not a good trait at all), and while planning a wedding can be stressful - don't let it be! I find that stress in planning does three things:
1. It impedes your planning process because you are so stressed you are unable to make sound decisions.
2. It stresses everyone around you, which in turn causes you more stress.
3. It hurts your skin and that phenomenal engagement glow you've been sporting.
No one wants a stressed out bride, least of all the groom (and probably the bride herself!), so don't sweat the little things and make sure when you are going through the planning process in the months ahead of the wedding that you build in time the month before the wedding to relax, sit back and enjoy. To me, this is the most paramount item on your planning timeline. Let all your vendors stress out for you, that's what our job is (well, firstly our job is to make planning non stressful to begin with, but ...).
Your wedding day is going to fly by in an instant (bittersweet after all that planning for how many months?!), so you want to be relaxed so you can enjoy all your hard work and the excitement of having tied the knot. As so many brides tell me: Its just one day of our lives, marriage is much longer. I couldn't agree more!
Happy (stress free) Planning!
-Lisa
Firstly, stress isn't good for anyone (a small personal tidbit - I am awesome stress internalizer - not a good trait at all), and while planning a wedding can be stressful - don't let it be! I find that stress in planning does three things:
1. It impedes your planning process because you are so stressed you are unable to make sound decisions.
2. It stresses everyone around you, which in turn causes you more stress.
3. It hurts your skin and that phenomenal engagement glow you've been sporting.
No one wants a stressed out bride, least of all the groom (and probably the bride herself!), so don't sweat the little things and make sure when you are going through the planning process in the months ahead of the wedding that you build in time the month before the wedding to relax, sit back and enjoy. To me, this is the most paramount item on your planning timeline. Let all your vendors stress out for you, that's what our job is (well, firstly our job is to make planning non stressful to begin with, but ...).
Your wedding day is going to fly by in an instant (bittersweet after all that planning for how many months?!), so you want to be relaxed so you can enjoy all your hard work and the excitement of having tied the knot. As so many brides tell me: Its just one day of our lives, marriage is much longer. I couldn't agree more!
Happy (stress free) Planning!
-Lisa
Saturday, December 20, 2008
Checking things off the list ...
On the big list of "things to do" in order to plan your wedding, you've been on quite a roll so far ...
Proposal - check
Created a budget - check
Started working on a guest list - check
Chosen a location for the wedding - check
Defined your wedding style - check
What's next?
Start looking into venues and then vendors. Decide where in your budget you want to spend more money - food, entertainment, decor, lighting, transportation, any aspect of the reception - its up to you to choose where a larger portion of your budget should go, based on what is important to you as a couple.
Decide if you want to hire a wedding planner. A planner can be a great resource for cost cutting ideas, help with pulling together the design for the wedding day, aid with all the logistics, and most importantly for relieving stress from you. Most planners offer a range of packages from Full Planning to Day Of services. If you opt to go the planner route, decide which package will suit your needs the best.
Start looking at stationary (Save the Dates, invites, other paper goods) and meeting with different stationers. If your guests are going to be traveling in for the wedding weekend, its best to send a Save the Date out roughly nine months before the wedding to give them a heads up and to start making their travel plans.
Amass a big collection of wedding related materials - magazines, blogs, images and file them away. Everything you see should serve as a source of inspiration for each element of the wedding day. Start looking at various wedding gowns and go try a few on! You'll never know what looks the most amazing if you don't try it on!
Lastly, relax. Be proud of the things you have accomplished so far. Since its the holidays, take some time to just enjoy the holidays!
Happy Planning!
-Lisa
PS - I am off on vacation this afternoon, and will be posting when I have regular access to the Internet. Hopefully it'll be everyday, but in Africa, you never know!
Proposal - check
Created a budget - check
Started working on a guest list - check
Chosen a location for the wedding - check
Defined your wedding style - check
What's next?
Start looking into venues and then vendors. Decide where in your budget you want to spend more money - food, entertainment, decor, lighting, transportation, any aspect of the reception - its up to you to choose where a larger portion of your budget should go, based on what is important to you as a couple.
Decide if you want to hire a wedding planner. A planner can be a great resource for cost cutting ideas, help with pulling together the design for the wedding day, aid with all the logistics, and most importantly for relieving stress from you. Most planners offer a range of packages from Full Planning to Day Of services. If you opt to go the planner route, decide which package will suit your needs the best.
Start looking at stationary (Save the Dates, invites, other paper goods) and meeting with different stationers. If your guests are going to be traveling in for the wedding weekend, its best to send a Save the Date out roughly nine months before the wedding to give them a heads up and to start making their travel plans.
Amass a big collection of wedding related materials - magazines, blogs, images and file them away. Everything you see should serve as a source of inspiration for each element of the wedding day. Start looking at various wedding gowns and go try a few on! You'll never know what looks the most amazing if you don't try it on!
Lastly, relax. Be proud of the things you have accomplished so far. Since its the holidays, take some time to just enjoy the holidays!
Happy Planning!
-Lisa
PS - I am off on vacation this afternoon, and will be posting when I have regular access to the Internet. Hopefully it'll be everyday, but in Africa, you never know!
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