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First, in planning a Wedding , the budget for the whole affair needs to be determined on. This will likely roll-coaster out of control, but if you've been asked to be the wedding MC – maybe you can help to apply the brakes (depends on your relationship to the couple). Perhaps a few examples of "here's what I learned from weddings I've been involved with" is appropriate. Sharing your spreadsheet (you have one, do not you) will help as well.

Second, the couple will need to find a location or venue for the wedding itself, and the reception. Often, it's the same place. This decision and the next one (date) will have to be made together. Third, the date of the big event needs to be determined. This is primarily driven by availability these days, and most spring-summer-fall weekends book many months (years) in advance. It's unfortunate that the couple actually wanted to get married right away, but unless they compromise, they may have to wait for up to two years for venue availability.

A factor which will affect the budget and the venue is the number of people the couple would like to invite. Again, this may be an area of ​​compromise ("we can get the venue for the date we want and the price we can pay, but we have too many people"). Start adding up the people in the wedding party. Flower Girls, Maids-of-Honor, Ushers, Best-Man, Groomsmen. Then figure out how many people each of these folks will bring. That's the beginning of the numbers game. Then figure out immediate family (both sides!). It adds up pretty quick. This may come down to "I need this person to be at the wedding" versus "I want this person to be at the wedding". Often the wedding list and the reception lists are different.

These are only the very first steps in a long process to pull off the perfect wedding. Wedding planning can be helped dramatically by paying close attention to all the moving parts. A spreadsheet (the Wedding MC should be using one) can be invaluable in making sure nothing is overlooked. Try it – you'll be amazed at the work it can do, and the "I never thought of that" moments it creates.

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Source by Doug A Stewart