Things to Consider When Planning Your Wedding

The day has come and he finally popped the big question "Will You Marry Me? Wow! after you come down off of cloud nine, now what? Now is the time to plan, you have many questions that have to be answered.

First you have to figure out how you will organize and handle all the different aspect of the wedding, and reception afterwards. One way is getting a software program that with a click of a mouse you can organize all information. Some use a binder with tabs to keep all the information organized. What ever way you decide it is very important to have some kind of organization so events will run smoothly and you will be able to deal with the unexpected.

The first question to ask is what kind of wedding do we want? Who should we invite? Do we want a small, intimate wedding or a large wedding with lots of guests? If it's a small wedding, then who from the bride's family and who from the groom's family should be invited? What about friends, co-workers, family members that live far away from you? Do we have the time and means to have a hugh expensive wedding? Are you going to be married at somewhere special, i.e., on a boat, or something extreme like while skydiving, on horseback, all this will decide how large a wedding you can have. There are many questions that you need to have answered to decide which kind of wedding, small or large to have. The final decision is yours.

Next question is who will plan your wedding? Will it be family members from both sides and if so which ones? What about Uncle Bob, he is giving financial aid so should he be involved? You want to have those who help plan your wedding to have the same ideas that you have for your wedding, after all this is your special day. Whoever you have planning your wedding, make sure you tell them up front what you want and expect.

The date and time of the wedding must be decided. Items to be considered are the season, year, month and day of the week and time of day. Things to consider in picking which season is, where will the wedding take place, indoors, outdoors? How far will guests have to travel? Choosing the year of your wedding will be decided on how much time do you need to plan the wedding. According to most magazine checklists, the average bride takes a year to plan her wedding.[1]

Traditionally informal weddings are held early in the day; receptions are shorter and less expensive. Formal weddings traditionally are after 6 p.m. Really there are not set rules as to what time of day should be set for your wedding. It is up to you, consider how much time between the wedding and reception and look at the schedule of all involved in the wedding to see if any conflicts might occur. You might want to schedule a formal photo session just after the wedding and before the reception.

What month and day must be decided and will be very important decision. June thru October is traditionally the busiest wedding months, if planned during these months; will a reception hall be available? What about a band? These months are also the busiest vacation months; will your family and friends be available? How busy will the caterer be? Will they be able to give your wedding reception their best service?

Where do you want your wedding to be? Your hometown or the grooms? What about somewhere special or out of the ordinary, perhaps a beach, on a boat, on horseback or wherever your interest may be. The sky is the limit on where you can be married; you just have to make the right plans.

What about the reception, where should it be. It should not be too far away from the wedding site, and be easy for you're out of town guests to get to. Some questions that you should ask are: What is the basic fee for the reception site? What does the rental fee include? How many guests can the site comfortably fit?[2] Find out as much as you can about the reception site. Assign this task to a responsible member of the family or friends.

One of the most important aspects to consider is how much do you want to spend? Will you and your groom be paying for the wedding yourselves or will family and friends be helping? If your family and friends are paying then you'll have to have an open mind on their opinions and suggestions. You can compromise, but don't give up the wedding that you really want just because they are paying the bills. If you and your groom are paying know your limitations and don't start your new life together deep in debt. Be realistic and plan a wedding that will leave enough money to live on after the wedding.

One question is who should we invite? That question will be answered by what kind of wedding do you want, a large one or a small one. If a small one, which family members and friends should be invited. This can be an overwhelming decision, you have your family and friends and the groom has his family and friends. Sometimes feelings are hurt, but this is your special day and you and your groom have the right to choose the guest list.

There are so many items and responsibilities to attend to in planning the perfect wedding and reception that it is impossible to do it all yourself. You must delegate responsibilities and tasks to those you trust the most. Your closes family members and friends are the best choices. The groom will have items that he will need to take care of, who will be the best man? How many groomsmen will be needed? The ring, wedding attire, transportation, many little details must be delegated to the groomsmen.

The bride will have many responsibilities herself to attend to. Who will be the maid of honor? How many bridesmaids do I want and who will they be? Pictures, who will take them, how many, how much money should be spent on pictures? The list is endless and that is why family and friends must get involved. Give yourself as much time as possible to plan before your special day arrives. One year is not too long to it the day that you and your groom dream of.

Your wedding day is a day that you should remember forever. Good planning, good family and friends, and a cool head will make it happen for you. Love, honesty, caring, and compromise is necessary for a long and wonderful life together after your wedding day is over.

[1] The Best Friend's Guide to Planning a Wedding by Lara Webb Carrigan

[2] The Best Friend's Guide to Planning a Wedding by Lara Webb Carrigan