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Whether you're having a simple, intimate affair or an extravagant gala, one thing remains the same; a wedding needs careful, proper planning in order to go as smoothly as possible. Many couples easily feel overwhelmed by the sheer number of details that are involved with planning their wedding, which makes preparation for one of life's most exciting events stressful rather than enjoyable.
Planning a year in advance is the best guarantee that everything will go as smoothly as possible when the wedding finally does arrive. The following guide outlines all that should be done six months to a year prior to the big day so that planning your wedding is fun and exciting, instead of frustrating and overwhelming.
As early as possible, couples should make the first basic decision as to what kind of wedding they would like to have. Will this be an informal affair, a sophisticated bash or somewhere in the middle? This may depend on a number of things such as the amount of money available to spend and the date and time of day the wedding will take place.
In regards to your budget, discuss who will take care of what and also, what the proportional parties are able to pay. Once the budget is in place, you can then begin planning the rest of the wedding around it. Some brides opt for a wedding consultant or coordinator to take care of all the essential planning aspects, while others choose to take care of everything themselves and save money in the process.
Twelve months prior to the big day is also when couples should reserve both the wedding and the reception locations. Arrangements should be made with the officiator of the ceremony during this time as well. The members of the bridal party should be selected along with beginning the search for the perfect wedding dress. In addition to the ever-important dress, brides should select their veil and all of their accessories such as undergarments and shoes. If desired, the couple should also have their photo taken for newspaper announcements at this time.
Now it's time to discuss the guest list and decide on the exact number of people that you are able to accommodate. It's important to set guidelines for the list ahead of time and strictly stick to them while deciding who to invite. In many cases, the guest list can be divided into thirds with the bride's family allowed one third of the guests, the groom's family another, and, of course, the final third for the bride and groom.
If necessary, it's also a good idea to arrange vacation time from work for the honeymoon many months in advance to avoid any conflicts. Traditionally, the groom is responsible for making all of the honeymoon arrangements and reservations but many couples choose to plan the details together.
Finally, buy a binder, some folders, or a wedding planner to keep all of your receipts, contracts, and notes all in one safe place. It's also helpful to devise some sort of record-keeping system to help keep track of invitations, gifts, thank you notes, and all of the other minute details that may be overlooked in the exclusion of planning your wedding.
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Source by Yolanda Nash
