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Stay Organized!
Get a planner and write everything down, such as dates of showers, dinners, ceremonies, meeting dates with vendors, etc. Staying organized will help reduce the overwhelming feeling that something was forgot.
Determine Date & Time
Remember to take into consideration family and the wedding party's schedules when planning the date and time of the wedding. Most will do what ever they can to be there, but sometimes there are scheduling conflicts that they may not be able to get out of.
Consider the decor and style you desire with the time of year. For instance, it might not be a good idea to have fall colors at a Spring wedding or to use a certain flower when it is clearly not in season.
Consider where the ceremony will take place. If you want to have an outdoor wedding it might be best to avoid the rainy season and not hold the ceremony during the heat of the day in mid-summer.
Also take into consideration how formal you want the wedding. If you want the wedding as formal as you can possibly make it, it is typically more appropriate to hold the wedding in the evening verse mid-afternoon.
Place (Rehearsal, Ceremony, Reception)
Various factors should influence where to have your wedding rehearsal, ceremony, and reception. Its important to take into consideration the date and time of the wedding, as well as formality, style, and decor. For an extreme example, if you want a traditional, formal wedding you probably would not pick a ball field to get married on.
You should also take into consideration what fits your and your fiances personalities. If you both like the outdoors, you may choose a park, lake, or beach. If you both are traditional, you may want an eloquent building such as a church. If you are both romantics, you may want a location that provides a sunset backdrop.
Come up with several options, visit those locations, and try to envision the wedding ceremony and/or reception in your head as you stand in each location.
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Décor & Style
Picking Decor and style can be difficult. Again, make sure your colors fit the season of when the ceremony is to take place. Decide if the decorations and style you are using fit with the surroundings and accomplish the feel you're looking for. If you can afford a designer/decorator, you may want to use one. If you prefer not to pay for a designer/decorator then find a friend you know who has a good feel for design and decorating and have them help you put something together.
Invitations & Wedding Programs
When creating your invitations, you should decide if you want children at the event. If the ceremony is going to be a very formal, eloquent event, you may want to indicate, in a tactful way, that you are requesting that children not attend.
With the design of the invitations and wedding programs, they should set a certain expectation of the theme and mood of the ceremony. Meaning, don't send out the most eloquent invitation you can find if you're intention is to have everyone sit on lawn chairs, wearing jeans and t-shirts in your backyard. The colors and design should flow with the colors and design of your ceremony.
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Music
For your ceremony, put together what best fits your taste and style. Music is a great way to set the tone and theme of the wedding, as well as to express your individuality. When selecting music, think about the mood you would like to set during the different parts of the ceremony and reception.
Determine if you want to use musicians or a DJ. Musicians can add a sense of elegance to the ceremony and a good band can create a livelier atmosphere at the reception. On the other hand, with musicians you may be limited to what they can perform and are usually more costly. With a DJ, you can select from a wide range of music to use and they usually do not cost as much. On the other hand, be careful to select the right one. Some DJ's lack tact, and a sometimes a brain, turning an eloquent moment into an awkward moment.
Photographer
There is a wide range of choices out there from the high-dollar, top photographers to your Uncle Earl, who will snap some shots for free. You must decide on how much value you will put on these pictures. Some people display wedding pictures forever, while others throw them in a drawer as soon as the wedding is over. It seems most people display them for a few years then put the photos away to be replaced with endless pictures of their children.
When choosing a photographer, get references and look closely through their portfolio. Look at the photographers style and determine if that is what fits your taste in photography. Photographers have their own style from traditional posed shots to the candid shots. Talk to each one about the shots you have envisioned in your head and feel out how well they understand what you are envisioning.
Videographer
As with photographers, you can choose a high profile, expensive videographer or you can get your tech savvy friend to use a camcorder and edit the video on their video-editing program installed on their home computer. It all comes down to how important you feel this video is to you. Some couples are ok with just pictures and don't need a video, while others want a video filled with all sorts of interesting editing magic to impress every friend and family member that steps into their house.
Similarly to selecting a photographer, you should get references and watch clips of work the videographer has created to determine if they will be a good fit for what you are looking for. Feel out the videographer's personality. If they seem quiet and standoffish, you may not get the guest interviews you may hope for, or if they are very strange, in the hippie sense, your video may be filled with a lot of overly artistic, awkward shots that take away from the eloquent feel you may be looking for.
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Florist
Flowers are a great way to create a mood and feel to the wedding. When shopping for a florist, find a reputable florist who does good work. It is helpful if you choose one that is not the type to drop the flowers off and leave before the ceremony. If something goes wrong with the flowers between drop off and the ceremony, or even reception, its nice if the florist is close by to quickly correct the issue.
Officiant
Don't forget about this person. You can choose anyone from a religious leader to your own dad. Just remember, whomever you choose must be recognized by the state as one who can legally officiate the ceremony. Each state has different requirements for registering as an officiant to perform a wedding ceremony.
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Wedding Dress
Determine a budget before you shop. Have in mind what you envision your dress to look like. As you try on dresses, take several people with you who will give an honest opinion of how you look in the dress.
Attire
You may have to compromise on color coordination of your bridesmaids and groomsmen. Though they may not say anything, not many men feel comfortable wearing pink and bridesmaids would rather not be in a dress that is unflattering. Its helpful to get input from all parties, the bride, groom, bridesmaids, and groomsmen. If all parties can come to some agreement everyone will feel much more comfortable. Keep in mind, this is your wedding, so if you want everyone in chicken costumes, that's your privilege to do so.
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Other Reminders
- Marriage License = Don't forget about this! Find out what documents the state will require for the license.
- Timeline = For the wedding day, have a timeline created and pass out to everyone involved with the wedding from the wedding party and officiant to the vendors providing their services at your wedding.
- Guest Attire = If there is a particular way you would like guests to dress, you may want to specify that in your wedding invitation.
- Gift Drop Off = Specify a spot where gifts should be dropped off.
- Seating = Make sure ushers know where to appropriately seat your family and friends.
- Marriage Vows = Go traditional or write your own.
- Departure = Be creative with your departure, or be traditional. Its your wedding.
- Remember, this is your day! Put it together how ever you like!
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DISCLAIMER
*The information listed above is intended as suggestions for the pre-planning stage and not professional advice. We do not guarantee that these tips will be helpful to everyone, as each person's situation varies. Texas DPS Credit Union always recommends that you seek the assistance of a professional advisor.
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