10 Essential Wedding Planning Tips


Before jumping right into the planning, review the following list. It provides useful tips, information, and suggestions to be used throughout your wedding planning process.


1. Do Your Homework: Would you buy a car without doing any research (did you know most weddings cost more than a new car)? Know what you are doing and dealing before you begin. Take some time to research trends in all aspects of wedding planning. This information is readily available in wedding books, magazines, and on the Internet.


2. Get Organized: Save your sanity and set up an organizational system that you and your fiancé will use. A computer software program, expandable file folder, or 3-ring binder
good choices.


3. Be Realistic: Think about the formality, style, and look you want, and if that fits your personality, lifestyle, and budget.


4. Be Smart: There are many brilliant people who fall prey to high-pressure sales tactics for “too good to be true offers” when they get involved in the wonderful craziness of wedding planning. If something sounds so good to be true it probably is.


5. Be Dollar Wise: Determine your priorities up front: What do you want? What does your fiancé want? What can you afford? What are you willing to do without? Where is money coming from? Put the budget down in writing and track it.


6. Seek Advice and/or Help: Learn from the mistakes and triumphs of friends, family, and workers. Ask them what they did right and what they would do differently. You may want to hire a professional wedding coordinator (even if it is only for an hourly consultation) for sound and reliable guidance, as well as to help you through some of the planning challenges. Finally, select the members of your wedding party carefully. Choose people you can rely on and trust.


7. Get Everything in Writing: Unfortunately a handshake doesn’t cut it anymore. A written contract outlining all the details (times, names, products, services, special requests, payments and deposits) is always in order. All finalized details should be in writing and signed by you and the vendor.


8. Ask Questions, Read the Fine Print, and Follow the Rules: Don’t be surprised or disappointed; gather all of the information you can. A vendor or site should welcome and respond to intelligent, sensible inquiries in a timely manner.


9. Make the Wedding Your Own: The best weddings have personal touches and are a reflection of the bride and groom. Use your creativity, interests, hobbies, etc, to add personal touches to everything from your Save the Date cards to the ceremony to the first dance. “Break the mold"—have fun, do the unexpected and enjoy yourself, and the guests will too.

10. Take Time for Yourself: If you get frazzled or stressed during the planning, take a break and regroup. On the wedding day go with the flow and “let go”. If something should happen to be different than you expected, chances are very good only a handful of people will ever know. People are not there to judge your wedding, but to share this wonderful occasion with you.


Reference: BrideWorld Wedding Planner

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