Planning Your Big Day

Congratulations

At last you have that special person that you want to spend the rest of your life with, you have picked a date in the diary and now the time has come to plan one of the biggest events of your life, and this Big Day is of course your wedding.

The Knot Ultimate Wedding Planner:
Worksheets, Checklists, Etiquette, Calendars, and Answers to Frequently Asked Questions

You want your wedding to be something special, something all of your guests will remember, something that sets your wedding apart from all of the other couples who've gone down that aisle before you.

As you start Planning Your Big Day you need to sit down together and think out what your aim for the day is to be. Such as where it will be, who you will invite and also sadly what your budget will be, as this will effect all your gaols. Just All weddings take time to plan and through this short lens I hope to highlight some of the more important items you need to think about.

Point Number One Is where will your big day be held, will it all be one place or will it be in a Church and another location for if that is the case then both places need to be free on that day. Once you have found your dream places you will need to check on the dates, sign booking forms and quite often pay a deposit and you do need to do this at least 12 months in adavance.

Clothing is the next important item Now for the men in the wedding party clothing is normally straight forward, you just need to make sure the hire company have all the correct sizes for the men who need them - That is unless the men are going for custom made items.
But when it comes to the bride and her party it is all a differnt thing, What colors is she and her party going for, what material are they going for, long or short, veil no veil, and once this has been decided then there will be the many visits to make sure her dress is the perfect fit for the day.

The reception Believe it or not more that half of your budget for your special day will go into the reception. This will be biggest and best party you will have had. Once you have choosen the venue if it does not come with a caterer you need to start looking around for one that matches your tastes and your budget so a little word of advice plan early for this too.Also you will need to book the music, the flowers, the cake, the wedding favors etc.

HoneyMoon The last important thing you need to pre-plan is the Honeymoon, where you are both going to spend so time together. Will you stay at home, go away for a few days or decide to have a trip of a life time. *****Just a side note here, if either of you are planning on a suprise for your other half, say the guy says to the girl leave the honeymoon to me make sure she has a passport and all the injections she needs cos you don't want to give her the tickets for a trip at the recepetion for her to say sorry not got passport*****

I did say earlier that planning you big day was one of the biggest things you would do as a couple, but when the day is over and at last you are man and wife you can look back and say hey it was hard work, but it was the best day of our lives and something we will always treasure in our hearts and minds.

One of the big things people talk about after the wedding has finished was the food that they ate during the day. Therefore as a couple you need to sit down with the people who are doing the catering and discuss what is the best foods for the day.

If it is a cold day or time of year you will need hot food or if it is a summer wedding then a cold menu could work. There is never a wrong or right menu it is just that different people have different tastes.

Also you need to think is it a Lunch time wedding or an afternoon wedding, for this can mean a different menu.

If you have a morning wedding and a lunch time menu then the menu will be a lot lighter (and so will the cost) to if you have an afternoon wedding and a full sit down evening dinner.

What do you want on the Menu?

The Best of Martha Stewart Living :
Weddings

Your wedding breakfast menu needs to be what you like first and then what your guests like second for at the end of the day it is your special day.

So say you like prawns and shell fish, by all means have that on the menu as a starter and also have another starter for those who do not eat shell fish for some reason.

And again what you choose for the menu will tell you what you bill will be like, for if you choose lobster, fillet steak etc in place of chicken that your bill maybe a lot higher. Think wisely, and work within your budget. And remember if you love lobster but that is out of your budget for your party, then have it on your honeymoon when it is just the two of you.

Also have a few vegetarian and vegan dishes on the menu as some of your guests could be vegan or vegetarian.

Last how you want the menu severed can alter the cost, do you want people to be served by waiters and waiteress or do you want to buffet style?

As you talk with your caterers you need to tell them what you like, and want and how you want it served. You are paying them good money so do not let them get away with stuff.

Every girl from when she is small has plans, and dreams of what her wedding will be like. But also does every lad, he too dreams of the day his dream girl walks down the isle in a Church full of family
and friends.

As we get older and the we meet the person of our dreams then the Wedding Planning starts.

Know What You Both Want

While the bride has her dreams, so too does the groom. Therefore it is a very good idea for you to sit down and discuss and plan together what you have both dream of.
Talk with each other of what you have dreamed about as young kids of what your day would be like, and see what you can do to make both of your dreams come true.

Be Organized and stay focused

Planning A Wedding can become very complex if you do not have a plan laid out. You both have your ideas, and now you need to make them come to Life. It may be a good idea to either hire a wedding planner or if that is out of your budget there are many good books and ebooks around on the subject of Wedding Planning

It Is Ok To Ask For Help

Some couples like the idea of planning their big day on their own, but it is a good idea to have a few friends around you to take the strain and stress off the pair of you. They can help you with phone calls, driving you to places etc.

Lets Go Shopping

Now that the plans have been made and you have decided who is coming and how many people are coming now is the time all girls like Shopping. This is where friends who are good at getting a discount or can barter can come in. It does not matter if you have an open check book or a limited budget, if you can save some money it is always a good feeling.

Before you buy items study some of the Bride magazines and visit some Bridal fairs and shops. It is always a good idea to do some research and never buy in the first shop you go to.

Also allow plenty of time to shop - you do not want to rush.

Bring It All Together

During the last few weeks, you need to make sure all the venue contracts are in place, the music is all set, check with the people who are doing the service, and yes it is ok to double check these things, it is your big day and nothing must go wrong. It does not harm to over plan.

Go And Have Fun

You have planned your day and the big day has arrived have fun for now everything is over to the people you have put in charge.