Your wedding day should be one of the best days of your life – exciting and beautiful and something you never forget. However, sometimes the process of planning a wedding can be anything but exciting and beautiful. For many couples, the thought of researching and planning and booking is enough to put them off having a fancy ceremony and reception! To make things a little bit easier, here are some wedding planning tips to keep in mind for some of the absolute essentials for your wedding.
The Venue
You can’t have a wedding without a venue, so this should be your first priority. You’ll need to make sure that the venue is big enough to comfortable accommodate all of your guests. If your guest list is maxing out the number of people seriously think about how well all of the guests tables will fit. If there are any tables that have to be placed in an awkward location, or in another room entirely, either scale down your guest list, or look for another venue.
Depending on the sort of wedding that you want, and the scale of the ceremony and reception, this might need to be booked months or even years in advance. Popular venues will often be already booked for the current year, and well into the next year, so if it’s somewhere you are desperate to get married in, ask if they have a waiting list available, or be prepared to push your wedding date back.
The Officiant
Another thing you really can’t have a wedding without is an officiant. The officiant is the person who will be leading and conducting your wedding ceremony. He/she must be legally qualified to do so. This is one thing that you cannot do without, otherwise your marriage won’t be legally binding. Talk with your officiant about how you envision your ceremony to be. He/she will be able to provide a wedding ceremony that is “proper” yet expresses you and your fiancé.
The Photographer
With everyone owning cameras and smartphones these days, sometimes people don’t see how essential a professional photographer is. But don’t you want to make sure that one of the most special days of your life is captured perfectly (ok, as perfectly as possible in real life)? Think about what you want out of your wedding photos. Do you want a large photo to hang on the wall? Some great images to remember the day, and pass down to your children?
What photographic style do you want? Candids that “tell a story” are more popular than a lot of posed photos these days. Do your research early on and find out a little bit more about wedding photographer pricing and the different styles, and what the photographer includes before making your decision.
The Caterer
Unless you’re having a simple “cake and punch” style reception, you’re going to need to feed your guests. Some venues provide catering as part of the package, but if they don’t, you’ll need to source your own. Sit-down meals are often thought of as more formal, and a buffet more casual. However, either can be made to fit your desired level of formality.
While a buffet style is usually a cheaper option, some sit-down meal entrée selections can be budget-friendly. Don’t forget to go and taste your food selections beforehand to make sure that it is to your liking.
The Transportation
How you’ll get from home to the venue, or from venue to venue is something that often slips people’s minds until the last minute. What sort of transportation would you like? Will it be suitable for both the venue location and the time of year? You might dream of a horse-drawn carriage but if you’re getting married in the spring or autumn, what will you do if it rains? If you are hiring something quirky, make sure that it can access the venue! If you decide to get married somewhere remote, make sure that your guests can get there and back easily.
The transportation companies can help in your decision. Ask what they do in case of inclement weather. Have they been to your venue before, and if so, what type of vehicle was it?
Hopefully, these wedding planning tips will help ensure your wedding day goes smoothly.
* This is a contributed post
I hope you found this information useful!
Hearts, Joy, Love!
Jean
For planning help and unique ideas for your wedding call or text me at 937-581-3647, or email me at [email protected]!
