Wedding Planning: Finding the Perfect Wedding Dress

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For a lot of women, their wedding dress is the highlight of the whole wedding planning experience. Many brides-to-be have had a dream wedding gown in mind since they were little girls and when it comes time to shop for the real thing a lot of time and energy will be spent on this aspect of the planning process.

Keep an Open Mind

Unless you are completely set about having a certain colour and style of wedding dress you should try to be open to all styles, at least at first. Seeing certain cuts of a dress in a magazine or on a mannequin may be misleading as many dresses could look quite different on your body. That dream dress you’ve always had in mind may not actually suit your shape once you get it on. By trying a wide range of style at first, you’ll give yourself a better idea of what’s going to look perfect on you so you can start narrowing your search.

Shop with a Trusted Companion

While your caring friend or loving sister may have your best interests in mind, they may not always have your tastes in mind as well. Everyone has their own style, so while it’s a great idea to bring someone with you for a second opinion and extra pair of eyes, be sure the shopping buddy you bring knows what suits you and understands what you want rather than what styles they prefer.

Budget before You Shop

Before you even set foot in a store, figure out your wedding budget and decide how much you’ll be willing to spend on a dress. Stick to shopping only in the bridal shops that have dresses in your price range. Figure out if you’ll be renting your dress, buying one brand new, or looking for a used dress. Some women buy a dress and never get married or some buy their dress but change their minds a buy an entirely different one before their wedding day. Buying a used wedding dress is an option that could save you quite a bit of money.

Keep the Little Things in Mind

If you have any idea how you’ll be wearing your hair and makeup, try to wear it that way when you do your dress shopping. Wear shoes that would be similar to something you’d wear for your wedding as well. Since you’ll be wearing your dress all night, don’t forget that you’ll need to have at least some degree of comfort. You don’t want to spend your entire wedding day tripping over a beautiful but ridiculous train or struggling to breathe in a too-tight corset. Take your time when shopping for the perfect dress and you’ll feel radiant and wonderful when it comes time to walk down the aisle.

Filed Under: Wedding Planning Tips

Wedding Planning: Choosing the Best Caterer for Your Wedding

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Some of the biggest hassles that come with wedding planning are related to catering or food issues. You may get a surprisingly large bill loaded with additional charges or the food doesn’t taste anything like you’d expected. This doesn’t have to be the case as long as you do your research and ask all the right questions. By choosing a caterer with good references you can trust, the dining experience for your wedding will be pleasurable instead of stressful.

Hire Someone You Can Work With

Not all personality types can work together and some caterers may be either too pushy or too flexible for your needs. If you aren’t picky about your menu and want your caterer to make all your decisions for you, hire a caterer that is comfortable working with those parameters. On the other hand, a fussy chef that wants to do things their own way isn’t going to work out for you if you already have the perfect wedding dinner in mind.

Cater to Your Guests

It’s your wedding and you should definitely get your way in every respect, but keep in mind that some of your guests could be vegetarians or have food allergies. You can ask for this information on your invitation response cards and keep their answers in mind when designing your menu. If there are going to be quite a few children at your reception, it might be a good idea to have a kid friendly option available as well, especially if your dinner choices are intended for more adult tastes.

Decisions for the Bar

If your caterer is setting up and staffing your bar make sure you’re clear on how you’ll be getting charged for any drinks served. Will you have a cash bar for all or part of the night? Do you pay per bottle opened? Are there only certain drinks, such as beer, wine, and soft drinks, which you’ll be serving? Be sure that your caterer has all their proper licensing and insurance as well before your wedding day arrives.

Read All the Fine Print

Extra costs could be included for some things such as cake cutting, overtime, cancellation fees, and linens or tablecloths. Make sure you know everything that could appear on your bill so you have the option of declining or approving certain services in advance. Get everything in writing and make sure you and your caterer are in full agreement on your total costs. Discuss what kind of payment schedule you’d like to work out before you get the bill. By being prepared and informed, you should be able to avoid nearly every hassle or disaster that could come with your dinners and drinks.

Filed Under: Wedding Planning Tips

How To Create Unforgettable Wedding Invitations

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Your wedding invitations are your first impressions. Before you get people to your ceremony or reception, the only feel they’ll have of your wedding is what comes in that invitation envelope. Taking a little extra care in designing your invitation will ensure that you’re sending the right message to all the guests you’ve invited to share in your big day.

Make Your Guest List First

Before designing up a bunch of beautiful invitations on high-end paper create your guest list and get an idea of how many invitations you’ll need. If you have a huge guest list and a limited budget, you may not want to go with the most expensive invitations. However, if your guest list is going to be quite small and you have a little extra to spend on your invitations, you could splurge on a fancier design. Seeing who you’ll be inviting to your wedding may also have some effect on the wording or font you choose to use on your invitations as well.

What Info You Should Include

You may want your invitations to be lovely and simple, but be sure you’re including all the necessary information. If someone else is paying for the wedding, you may want to give a mention to your host in your wording. Your basic info such as who is getting married, the location of the ceremony and reception, and the time and date of each should be clear and easy to read. A map and directions could be helpful as well if you’ve chosen a difficult to find venue.

Standard and Simple or All the Bells and Whistles

Depending on your budget, you’ll need to decide what will be included with the invite. Generally you’ll have the envelope, invite, and response card. You could opt to have a separate reception card and you may even decide to get another card printed up with a map and directions. You may also want a thank you card for after the wedding to be part of your invitation package. Of course, the more you add, the more it will cost, so determine your budget before brainstorming your invitations. Pre-wedding favours can be included as well in the form of bookmarks, pictures, or some other little memento that suits your particular theme.

Adding Your Personal Touches

Deciding on your theme before designing your invitations will give you the opportunity to make your invites match your wedding. If your wedding will be casual and on the beach, inform your guests of this in the invitation so they can dress appropriately for your chosen venue. Alternatively, if you’re expecting strict formal attire, relay that info in your invitations as well.

Let your guests know when to reply by and ask for any information you’ll need, such as dinner option preference, on the response card. Proof-read your invitations before having them all printed up to avoid any costly corrections. Your invitations don’t have to break your budget to be beautiful as long as you take your time in deciding what paper, ink, and font will suit your wedding best.

Filed Under: Featured, Wedding Planning Tips

Choosing Between an Indoor or Outdoor Wedding Ceremony

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Every wedding is going to come with endless decisions you’ll have to make and some will be much more important than others. One of the biggest decisions, which could affect many of the other smaller ones, will be whether to have your wedding ceremony indoors or outdoors. A few things should be considered before deciding on an outdoor wedding ceremony, so before putting any deposits down on a venue, make sure you’ve done your research on your intended location.

Weather in Your Area

If you live somewhere that has unpredictable weather patterns, an outdoor wedding could be a little risky. If you’re constantly facing the threat of rain and wind or if you risk seating your guests under a blistering sun throughout your entire ceremony, you may want to be prepared with some alternative options. An outdoor wedding can be lovely and romantic, but you’ll need to decide if you’re willing to take a chance on the weather.

Creating a Backup Plan

You may have your heart set on an outdoor wedding and live in one of those areas where the weather can be tricky. Renting some tents to block out too much sun or some light rain can be a great way to protect you and your guests from the elements. These tents may act as mini greenhouses on the exceptionally hot days so do your research on what kind of setup you’re thinking about using. Clear roofed tents can also provide a beautiful view of the day while still offering some protection.

For more severe weather possibilities, having an indoor backup plan may be your best bet. A tent may not do much to shield you from heavy winds and sideways rain. If it’s a good chance you’ll be seeing conditions like this on your wedding day, it could be a better idea to just plan for an indoor wedding right from the start.

Think About the Little Things

It can be easy to overlook some of the smaller factors that come with outdoor weddings. Keep in mind that certain locations may have a higher insect population and some spots may require you to walk through dirt and grass in your white dress. Are paths available at the spot you’ve chosen? Washrooms may be something you should be considering as well. Even if you aren’t having a long ceremony, be sure to think about the guests you’ve invited and what their needs may be. You’ll also be taking plenty of pictures that day, so think about the time of day you’ll be having your ceremony and what kind of lighting effects you can expect.

An outdoor wedding can offer an amazing variety of breathtaking backgrounds for your big day. While some factors will be beyond your control, being prepared can help you minimize any surprises during your ceremony. If your desired location requires special clothing requirements, such as a sandy beach or breezy cliff side, be sure to keep your guests informed so they can be comfortable during your ceremony and are paying attention to your vows rather than being distracted by sand in the shoes or mist in their face.

Filed Under: Featured, Wedding Planning Tips

Create Your Own Wedding Planning Checklist

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Even for them most organized woman, trying to plan a wedding with no timeline and no checklist can lead to disaster. Especially as your wedding date gets closer, you’re going to have a million little things on your mind and deposit due dates or appointments will be jumping out at you from nowhere. Creating a wedding planning schedule early on in the planning process will give you a great guideline to follow and will provide an all-in-one reminder resource rather than wallpapering your whole house with sticky notes.

Making a Timeline of Your Checklist

Having a list of things that need to be done is great, but keeping things in chronological order will help you stay much more organized and keep you on top of any upcoming deadlines or appointments. A lot of bridal magazines or wedding websites offer wedding planning checklists that usually range over about 18 months or so. You may have more or less time than that to plan your wedding, so creating your own checklist will allow you to tailor it to your specific needs.

Incorporate Your Budget into Your Checklist

Deposits and vendor bills can sneak up on you when you have so much already on your mind. By putting due dates on your timeline checklist, you can avoid overstretching your budget at any one time. Using your checklist this way will allow you to decide at glance when to schedule in another big purchase for your wedding at a time when you won’t be paying for too many other expensive wedding necessities.

Get the Most from Your Checklist

Be sure to check your list weekly to see what new errands you’ll have to keep track of. As you get closer to the wedding date, it could be a good idea to start checking it daily. Creating smaller task lists off the main schedule every day can keep you focused on just what needs to be done for that day. By having a master schedule saved onto your computer, you can add to and edit your checklist as often as needed and reprint updates when necessary. It would also be a good idea to print a copy of your checklist for everyone helping you plan your wedding.

When you’re starting your checklist, fill in all the most important dates and appointments first and plan the smaller details around those. Whenever possible, try to spread out the tasks that aren’t time sensitive so you don’t overwhelm yourself in any one day, week, or month. Sticking to an organized checklist can take a lot of stress and uncertainty out of your planning and will keep you on the right track if you ever start feeling like you’ve become too swamped.

Filed Under: Wedding Planning Tips

Choosing the Music for Your Wedding Reception

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Hiring a band or DJ for your wedding can be a big decision and it could rely on more than just your personal preference. You may need to consider a few things before committing to go with the same DJ you heard at the last wedding you were at. You may have a preference set in your mind that you’re determined to see through or you may not care one way or another as long as some good music is playing in the background. Even if you aren’t fussy, you may still need to consider how your music will sound at a particular venue.

Live Band or DJ?

First you’ll need to decide if you’re going with a live band or if you’d prefer a DJ to play recorded music for you. A DJ may be cheaper and could give you and your guests more versatility in requesting songs while a live band may add to the atmosphere or possibly even give a more romantic feel to your wedding. Keep in mind that bands will need to take set breaks while the DJ can just keep your music playing. When hiring a band, you may want to schedule in speeches and toasts during their breaks.

Know Your Crowd

It’s your wedding, so play the music you want, but keep in mind that if you’re playing all hip hop and most of your guests are more of a country crowd, you’re going to have a pretty empty dance floor. With a DJ, you may want to give your guests the ability to request what they want to hear. If you already know exactly the type of music you want played, be sure your DJ or band is aware of your requests in advance and have those albums on hand or can play your songs.

Keep Venue Specifications in Mind

If you have a small guest list and your reception is in a little hall, a live band with lots of equipment could overwhelm your entire reception. If you’re set on having a live band, hiring an acoustic musician may be a better choice. Having a pianist provide ambient background music could give a very romantic effect as well. You should also check out what kind of wiring and electronic setup is available at your intended reception location as well as any noise or music restrictions in that area.

Whether you hire a band or DJ, be sure to get references and listen to some samples of any potential band you intend to hire. The music being played at your reception could set the whole mood for the night, so determine your music budget and take a little extra time when considering your entertainment options.

Filed Under: Featured, Wedding Planning Tips