Did your beau just pop the question? Once you’ve brought yourself down from the clouds, you come to the realization that you have a wedding to plan! After the excitement of the engagement winds down, you’ll have to pick a date. For many brides, it may be a few months or even a year or so down the road. Either way, you should start right away putting together a generalized plan for your big day. If you’re organizing a wedding on a budget and not planning on hiring a wedding planner, you don’t have to sweat the small stuff. Here are just a few tips for organizing and planning ahead for your big day!
Finding the Perfect Photographer
A major consideration as you begin to lay out the groundwork for your wedding is who will be capturing all of the precious moments throughout the day. Your photographer plays one of the main roles in your wedding event timeline. This is because there are many milestones throughout your engagement that you’ll need your photographer on standby. Making sure you have someone who is reputable and reliable is very important. If you know someone who is willing to work with you, now is the time to pencil in the dates for availability and create a plan for what you need. On the contrary, if you’re on the hunt for the perfect photographer, here are a few things you may wish to ask about or look for:
- Good reviews and positive feedback.
- The overall “style” of the photographer. Does she lean toward more traditional photography or does she use a lot of props and nature-scapes?
- Quality of work and final portraits in her portfolio.
- Pricing. Do services and packages fit your budget?
- Overall business techniques. Is the photographer eager to accommodate your needs and not overcharge you for miscellaneous expenses?
A good photographer, like Convey Studios, will want to go the extra mile to win your business and keep their stellar reputation. Anything less shouldn’t be acceptable. Because capturing priceless moments is so important on your big day, relying on their past experience is the best way to make sure you’re getting a good photographer.
Nailing Down a Venue
Without a wedding planner in place, you’ll have to rely on your research skills to come up with the best location for your wedding. Maybe you already have a location picked out, but there are a lot more things to add to your wedding checklist. Some common things to ask yourself about a venue include:
- How many guests need to be seated?
- Is there a dance floor available?
- Will guests be protected from the weather elements?
- Is there enough room for the entire wedding party at this venue?
- Do I need my venue to be all-in-one or will I be incorporating a catering service or outside service for food, alcohol and linens?
- Are there any ways to trim my budget and save money for the venue?
It’s important to shop around for a venue to compare prices and make sure they can accommodate your entire wedding party.
All about the Music and Dancing
First dances are something to be treasured and remembered. Making sure that there is a place for this at your wedding reception is important. Part of your planning should include having either live music such as a band or if you want a DJ to play pre-recorded music. If you’re on a limited budget, you may be able to get away with setting up a playlist and having someone manage the music for the event. Many brides and grooms utilize a combination of all three so that you can enjoy different types and varieties of music.
Sweet Cakes and Catering
One of the main focal points of planning a wedding is making sure that your cake is the perfect flavor, style and size for all of your guests. Wedding cake shopping doesn’t have to be daunting. Rely upon of recommendations from associates, friends and family. Do your homework ahead of time and call popular bakeries in your area to set up an appointment for a taste testing. From there choose something that you both like and that is within budget. Same with catering. Is someone you know offering their services? Or are you hiring a private catering or food company? Be sure to request a taste test in advance and make any special requests at the time you reserve the services.
Adding the flowers and your dress into the budget is also equally important. If you’re doing your wedding planning yourself, the key is to stay organized and follow through with calling and verifying everything just before the big day! Small steps will make the entire process easier to manage.
