Jan

18

Perfect Perfect Wedding Reception Location | Wedding Location

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Wedding Reception Location is where the majority of the wedding day festivities will take place so there needs to be enough room to accommodate eating, dancing, socializing, and all the other fun activities that happen at receptions like cutting the cake and throwing the wedding bouquet.

Choosing a wedding reception location involves more than just making sure all your guests can fit comfortably into the space

Larger-sized hotels or function halls have as an added bonus, these types of wedding reception locations usually include the services of a wedding coordinator who will work with the couple to meet their every need. And the great thing about having a reception in a hotel is that overnight accommodations don’t require any extra planning.

If you need to accommodate a large number of guests and especially if your wedding will be held during the busy season selecting the wedding reception location as soon as possible is highly advisable

Also, determine your wedding reception budget beforehand as this likely will have an impact on your wedding reception location options. You may want to consider arranging your wedding off-season when rates on reception locations will typically be much lower.

Smaller gatherings can be held at places such as at home, a museum, a botanical garden, or a park. Although these may be smaller in size, the details will still need to be coordinated by someone so don’t forget to ask for help, even if that means hiring a wedding coordinator.

Jan

18

Wedding Flowers and Decorations

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Planning Your Wedding Flowers and Decorations:

the key to pulling off a look that works really lies in the planning. Since there are no rules when it comes to wedding flowers, it really is all about what the couple, well mainly the bride, wants and can afford. Decorating options are limited only by the imagination and even the most outrageous floral images can be made to fit practically any budget, if you’re willing to research the many options and ideas that are out there.

You want to give yourself plenty of time so begin planning the wedding flowers at least 6 to 12 months prior to the wedding date. The flowers are one of those things you’ll want to consider while you are choosing the wedding attire because most brides want the floral arrangements to complement the overall color scheme and theme of the wedding. Bridal magazines are full of pictures of bouquets so that’s a good place to go for ideas. Also think about the types of flowers that will be in season at the time of your wedding. Choosing flowers that are readily available is one way to keep costs under control.

From do-it-yourself arrangements to using silk floral arrangements that can even be rented for the occasion, planning your wedding flowers can be a lot of fun. Involving your bridal party will help generate ideas you might not have thought about and besides, helping the bride is one of their responsibilities so why not? But forget about the groom, though. The most he’ll probably care about is that you stick within the amount that has been budgeted.

You want to give yourself plenty of time so begin planning the wedding flowers at least 6 to 12 months prior to the wedding date. The flowers are one of those things you’ll want to consider while you are choosing the wedding attire because most brides want the floral arrangements to complement the overall color scheme and theme of the wedding. Bridal magazines are full of pictures of bouquets so that’s a good place to go for ideas. Also think about the types of flowers that will be in season at the time of your wedding. Choosing flowers that are readily available is one way to keep costs under control.

Besides boutonnières and bouquets for the wedding party, you can also make flowers and decorations part of the wedding ceremony and reception. Pew bows, arrangements for the altar, head table, cake table and gift table, as well as centerpieces for all the guest tables should be considered. These will definitely add to your costs, but they’re also areas where you can really get creative.

Jan

18

Planning Your Honeymoon

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When is the best time to plan the honeymoon? Obviously sooner is better, especially if you intend to travel to a popular destination during peak season. But at a minimum, while you are putting together your wedding budget, it’s a good idea to allocate funds for this adventure together and work from there.

Almost as fun as planning your wedding is planning your honeymoon. You want your first trip together as husband and wife to be memorable and it’s tempting to take an ‘anything goes’ approach. After all, you’re likely to get lots of wedding gifts in the form of cold, hard cash so why not?

Well for one, you want to be able to eat and see the sights when you arrive, so you’ve got to use some discretion when making your arrangements. Many couples find that it is possible to have a great honeymoon, even if they’re sticking to a budget and all it takes is some planning.

To help determine an appropriate budget, you’ve got to think about your possibilities, and of course, you’ve got to be realistic. A good way to start planning your honeymoon is to think about the things you both like to do in your free time, think about places you’ve only dreamed of visiting, and think about what you realistically intend to do while away. You can also use the Internet or a travel agent to help you come up with honeymoon ideas.

Once you’ve selected a destination, it’s time to get busy making your travel arrangements. Special deals are out there, but you’ve got to be aggressive in your search for them. Don’t despair; it’ll likely be worth the effort. And the great deals might not always involve getting the lowest price. It’s the extras that’ll turn this ordinary trip into something extraordinary. Perhaps the deal includes getting a suite with a breathtaking view, or being greeted with a bottle of champagne.

When you’re down to only 3 months left until the wedding date, you should have your travel arrangements firmly in place. Know where you’re going, how you’re getting to the airport (after the reception) and once you arrive at your destination, how you’ll be getting to your accommodations. Once you’re in place, the rest of the vacation can run its course. If you wish, you can plan some day trips in advance. This far out, also make sure vaccinations and passports are current, if applicable.

A few weeks before your departure, start gathering the things you’ll bring with you on your honeymoon: camera and film/memory cards, swimsuits, day and evening wear, traveler’s checks, tickets, documents, confirmation numbers for ALL reservations (including person’s name if possible), and a bit of local currency for tipping. Set aside somewhere safe.

Then as the approaching days become more stressful than you can handle, close your eyes and picture yourselves lazily lying around your honeymoon suite, with not a care in the world except how soon you’ll be able to return!

Jan

16

Wedding Invitations

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Wedding Invitations and Etiquette

While many of the ‘rules’ dictating a wedding are often broken by today’s couples-to-be, don’t even consider going against generally-accepted etiquette when sending your wedding invitations.

Wedding invitations do more than tell who, what, where and when. Wedding invitations set the overall tone of the event. From the way the invitation is addressed on the outside to the font used for the text inside, a wedding invitation says whether the event will be formal, casual, grand, intimate, themed, traditional, or something entirely different.

And as tempting as it may be to put your guest’s names and addresses into a database, select a script font and print out a sheet of stick-on labels, don’t do it! If you’re having a casual affair, it may be okay, but anything else requires handwriting. If your handwriting is not up to par, hire someone for this task. Many couples hire calligraphers, which is a great option if your budget allows.

It’s important to include a response card and a stamped, pre-addressed return envelope in with the wedding invitation to make replying an easy task. As for addressing, here are a few of the etiquette rules. If you’re allowing the invitee to bring a guest, or if children are not invited, you need to specify this. Customarily this is handled by the way the inner envelope is addressed.

Adding ‘and guest’ after the invited guest’s name conveys the message that the guest is allowed to bring a guest. Adding the names of the guest’s children, in order from oldest to youngest, indicates that their children are welcome to attend. There are other rules for addressing the envelopes of professionals, couples that live together but are not married, women who use their maiden name and others so be sure you follow them.

It’s customary to mail wedding invitations at least six weeks prior to the wedding date to allow guests adequate time to respond. Guests arriving from out of state or even out of the country will appreciate the extra time to coordinate their travel so as a courtesy, it’s a good idea to mail their invitations 8 – 10 weeks before the wedding.

And while you’re busy selecting your wedding invitations, you’ll find matching wedding stationary available for purchase. For that special day, you can order coordinating beverage napkins, match books, place cards, wedding cake box, and even a special wedding album. You can have the menu printed up and a wedding ceremony program that can be handed out to guests. You’ll also need to thank your guests for attending and for their generous wedding gifts so it’s a good idea to order thank-you cards and envelopes when you’re ordering wedding invitations.

You and your partner should plan to shop for wedding invitations and wedding stationery when you aren’t feeling rushed, and do keep that budget in mind!

Jan

16

Wedding Favors For That Special Touch

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Wedding favors are used as a way for the bride and groom to show that they appreciate each of their guests; the time they have taken out of their busy schedules, the help they have given, the thoughtfulness in their gift-giving, the distances the guests have traveled, whatever it is the guest did that helped make this day even more special for the couple.
Selecting wedding favors isn’t all that difficult, nor is it necessary to purchase these well in advance of the wedding date. Most are readily available at online and retail outlets that specialize in this type of wedding accessory. You don’t want to wait until the last minute however, as that is a particularly hectic time, and you will need to allow ample time for personalization, or if you select an item that requires special ordering, for example, an unusually large quantity, or an exclusive item. To be on the safe side, two to three months prior to the wedding date is a good time to make your wedding favor selections. Once you have them in your possession, the only other thing you need to worry about is getting them to the reception before the guests arrive

Wedding favors traditionally are given to all of the guests that have been invited to the wedding reception. They’re typically inexpensive gifts, averaging in the $1 - $2 price range per piece. Of course, more expensive wedding favors are available and there are many weddings for which these higher-priced wedding favors are appropriate. Countless wedding favors are available in just about every category one could imagine, from sterling silver picture frames, to personalized edible chocolates, and even fragrant bath soaps.

One way to easily shop for wedding favors is to go online. Type ‘wedding favors’ into your search engine and you’ll get pages of web sites offering every type of wedding favor you could ever want. So where do you begin? It’s definitely a good idea to consult your budget worksheet first so you know the price range to focus on. From there, think about what makes you and your partner unique. Do you both love golf? Are you wine connoisseurs? What about a theme? If your wedding has one, there’s sure to be a favor to complement that theme. Do you want the favor to be the place holder? If so, select one that allows you to write the person’s name and table number. Creating your own wedding favors is another option and can end up being the most unique wedding favor of all and one that your guests are sure to treasure!

A wedding is first and foremost about the celebration of two people uniting for eternity. It’s always been this way and will continue to be this way. Guests are invited to share in the joyous occasion but also to bear witness to the union. There is something about standing before all those who are special to you and making lifelong commitments for others to hear. And that is really what transforms two people into a married couple

Jan

16

Wedding Music

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Wedding music during the ceremony is basically secondary to the ceremony itself so the music is really meant to sort of ‘fill in the gaps’ during the non-speaking periods such as while guests are being seated, during the procession, and while lighting the unity candles. Of course, it’s your wedding and it can be custom-designed.

There are two aspects of wedding music that need to be addressed when planning your big day. First, you may wish to select certain music or arrange for professional soloists or musicians to play during the actual wedding ceremony. But at the wedding reception, it’s pretty much anything goes when it comes to selecting wedding music, provided it’s tasteful.

Right away is the time to plan your wedding music. Good talent gets booked fast and you don’t want to end up having to select the brand new DJ with only a few weddings under his belt or something even worse. Booking your music a full year in advance is advisable but at a minimum, you should know who will be showing up and what he or she will be playing at least six months prior to the wedding date.

The music that’s played at the reception, however, is going to mean the difference between a successful reception and one that’s ho-hum. And this is where things can start to get complicated. When you begin searching for wedding reception music, you’ll realize rather quickly that you have a lot of options. You can book a live band, or a DJ that’ll play pre-recorded music, or you can buy that CD full of top wedding songs and have someone act as the DJ.
For most weddings, selecting the music for the wedding ceremony isn’t that complicated because most often, it’s controlled by the person in charge at the location where the ceremony will take place. When you’re researching your wedding ceremony options, be sure to inquire about any guidelines with respect to wedding ceremony music as these could possibly impact your decision. If the ceremony is being held outdoors, check for electrical hook-ups or book live musicians.

Jan

16

Plan Your Wedding To Avoid Disaster

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The day you’ve been waiting for has finally arrived. Your partner has proposed marriage and you’ve emphatically said ‘YES’! Now what do you do? The answer to that simple question will make a tremendous difference in how the real ‘big day’ plays out. Gone are the days when weddings were simple affairs that took place on family farms with all the neighbors pitching in to help. Today the bride and the groom are the ones calling all the shots. Others will try to get involved, but overall, it’s the two people getting married who decide what’s going to happen, when and how.

With so much to coordinate, it’s amazing that weddings go on at all. Considering that both the bride and the groom are likely holding down full-time jobs, who has time to work out all the details? And there are so many. Well the big secret is it’s all in the plan. Having a well-thought out plan that starts with selecting the perfect wedding date and ends with arriving at the most romantic honeymoon destination is the only way to keep nerves from fraying and budgets from being blown.

Plenty of tools are available to help you plan your wedding. It’s up to you to decide which tool will work best for you and then you’ve got to make sure you use the tool you’ve selected. Wedding planning tools range in price so before you go spending any money, take a step back and think for a moment about the b-word. A ‘budget’ is crucial because it’s what will keep you and your partner (and anyone else funding the festivities) from going into debt. As unflattering as the word is, every wedding needs to begin with a budget. Wedding costs can rapidly spiral out of control because let’s face it, everybody wants their big day to be magical.

To determine a budget for the big day, start with figuring out who is going to be contributing towards the finances and how much each can afford to contribute. Once you have a total dollar amount to work with, you can then begin to allocate the budget to the different parts of the wedding.

The wedding plans all begin with the wedding date. Everybody wants to be a June bride, but with only four week-ends in this month, not everybody can. The wedding date you select will have a significant impact on your budget. A wedding during the busy summer months will cost far more than one that’s held off-season. Not only will the wedding date impact the price you’ll pay for everything from the function hall to the photographer, it also impacts availability.

Once the wedding budget and wedding date have been nailed down, it’s time to get busy. Part II will provide a timeline of tasks you need to accomplish in the days and months leading up to the big day!