Wedding Planning

Wedding Planning - choices

Most people think that Wedding Planning is easy until it is their turn to do it. Then all these difficulties arise that are unique to them, since everybody else seems to manage fine. In fact everybody else does not manage fine, but they manage nevertheless and the end result is usually an astounding success.

However, if you stopped for a while, and then wrote down everything that was involved in planning your wedding from a year out to the day itself and beyond . . . you would elope and do it the easy way. In fact most parents probably get to the last month and then wish the pair of you WOULD just elope and do away with the Wedding Planning.

Wedding Planning - decisions

Looking at it seriously though, although it might be easiest to hire a wedding planner to do the Wedding Planning for you, planning a wedding and seeing it through to the end yourself is a very rewarding thing. It is not easy – don’t think that for a moment - but there is a logical progression to it, and it is difficult. Just tricky to get everything organized in the right order and in time.

Part of the Wedding Planning consists of from about a year out you have to decide on a wedding date. Most ceremony and reception venues are booked at least a year in advance. You have to book the church, or give notice if you are having a civil wedding. You should book the reception, and now is when also need to book the musicians or DJ.

Wedding Planning - coordination

In fact, when you think of it logically, most things that need booked, including the caterers, photographer and videographer will have to be booked a year ahead since that is when everybody else will be doing it. The limos, the honeymoon and any overnight stay you will need before jetting off to the dream vacation of your choice. That is the easy part of the Wedding Planning. The harder part is to make sure that they stay booked and arrive at the right place at the right time!

Once that has all been sorted out, you should start looking for a wedding dress. That could take a while because you will likely want to try on all the wedding dresses in town! And why not – enjoy yourself, because you now have some hard work ahead. You also have to choose your shoes, accessories and your honeymoon clothes. The groom and best man have to be sorted out and the suits hired if need be (we will assume here that you have a groom – if not you had better see to that now). But the Wedding Planning can start at any time.

Wedding Planning - decisions

About 6 months before, order the stationery such as the wedding invitations and ‘thank you’ cards for the gifts. You have to decide on the design of these before placing the orders, and you might also want to have place names for the tables. Other things you need to include in your Wedding Planning do are to inform your bank, etc., that you will be changing your name (unless you are a celebrity).

Three months before, you should book up all the beautifying, not that you need it. However, just in case you should book the hairdresser and beautician, decide on what kind of cake you want and book that, get the marriage license, and sort out your invitation list. That is a difficult one unless you have unlimited room. The smaller the family you have the easier it is! Don’t forget the order of service sheets for the ceremony, and make sure that you have booked the rehearsal if that has to be booked. This is all part of the Wedding Planning.

Wedding Planning - accomodations

Send out your wedding invitations and try to arrange accommodation for any relatives that request it. They will all want to stay with you but you have to be firm – it can’t be them all so it will have to be none! They can book a hotel room like everybody else. Now you are totally knackered and wondering if it is all worth it! What have you forgotten during the Wedding Planning?

There’s only a month to go now and this is when you have to do everything. Confirm all the bookings, get your wedding dress finally fitted to your new thinner size after all that work, sort the seating plan out, make sure everybody is working on their speeches and the other 101 things still to do. Are you SURE you don’t want to elope? That is Wedding Planning for you.

Wedding Planning - confirmation

During the last week reconfirm all the bookings – every single thing you have booked from the reception to the cake to the limos – make sure your passport is still in date (too late), get everything ready for the honeymoon including the cash, make sure all the bridesmaids have their dresses (forgot about the bridesmaids?), and then finally the big day is here. Just about time to move from the Wedding Planning to the actual wedding.

Have a rest for two minutes and then you realize – it was all worthwhile and you did it all yourself. Have a wonderful wedding.










Wedding Planning

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