A wedding is a very special occasion, not only for the couple but also for both the families. A lot of planning and preparations goes in making the occasion memorable and fun for all. For those with months at hand before the wedding, there is ample time to get into the tiniest of details. However, if you are getting married at a very short notice there are a few things that you must keep in mind to ensure everything is flawlessly perfect on your big day.
Here are some wedding planning tips that will help you sail through the chaotic phase of planning and executing before the wedding.
Before starting
Get organized: Before you start the preparations for a great wedding day, you need to get organized. Get hold of a planner and a diary to keep notes. It is best to have a casual get together of both your families and decide on important things like the wedding date, the guest list, and who will take care of which responsibility. Keep the time frame in mind and allocate a budget to each item on your list as per priority and importance, before you begin.
Allocate responsibilities: When there is too much at hand to take care of, it is best to delegate. Look for friends and relatives willing to help. Tap their areas of interest, as well as, their convenience and then allocate them some responsibilities. Your younger cousin can go gown shopping with you while your best friend can take care of the flowers. You may like to ask your elderly aunt to guide you with the menu; while mom and dad can take care of conveyance for the guests.
Getting started
Decide the wedding theme: If you have a particular theme in mind for your wedding, it needs to be discussed and finalized foremost. Your wedding theme will be the base of all the other preparations you need to make. Some common wedding themes include spring, autumn, fall, beach, rustic, classic, vintage, all natural and many more. Opt for a theme, based on what is close to your heart and what holds significance for the two of you as a couple.
Decide the wedding place: According to the wedding theme chosen by you, look for a venue that either compliments it or is a place of special significance to you. Your budget is another vital consideration while selecting your wedding venue. Australia has beautiful beaches, gardens, parks, mountain sides and even deserts. If tight on budget, opt for a natural setting as your wedding place. A beach side wedding or one with a water fall in the backdrop will make for a great choice. If you are opting for a wedding palace, church grounds or a resort, book in advance and make sure it is convenient for most of your guests to reach. If you are planning an island or desert wedding or any wedding place out of town, you may also have to look into arranging the mode of conveyance for your guests.
Purchasing the wedding gown: It is one important thing to allocate enough time for wedding gown and accessories shopping. Make sure you don’t do it alone. You need someone with an honest opinion to be your shopping companion. Make sure the gown fits right and if not your boutique agrees to make the adjustments. While you are at it; also look for bride’s maid dresses. If your friends are with you it is best to convey your budget to them and ask them to choose the dresses of their choice. Buy all dresses including the gown well in advance catering for enough time for alterations.
Buy the wedding rings: You can either go wedding ring shopping with your partner or opt to give him/her a surprise by selecting the rings yourself. Wedding rings are an important part of not just your wedding day but also your whole life. Therefore, your rings must be chosen carefully and in a way must reflect your personalities and bonding. While gold, silver and platinum rings are an all-time favourite; you can also opt to go trendy with the Tungsten rings from madtungsten.com.au. Crafted from the second hardest metal on Earth, these rings are unbreakable, long lasting, corrosion and abrasion free. These rings are a perfect representation of your timeless love and can be easily engraved with unique love messages for that special touch. You can further customize them with gold, silver or diamond embedding, and use gemstones or carved designs to further enhance the look. Mad Tungsten offers some great wedding ring designs to choose from. Get the one that compliments your tastes, lifestyle and personality the most.
Wedding Decor: For your big day you can either choose to go simple or go for an elaborate decor with minutes details coordinated as per the theme. If you are on a tight budget and still want a themed decor’ you may rope in your friends and family to brainstorm and come up with creative, simple DIY ideas of wedding tips that will stand out and make your day special. Balloons, strings of flowers and leaves, ribbons, satin sheets and colourful stoles all work well as reasonable, yet great decor ideas. Alternatively, if budget is not an issue, you can hire a professional to take care of the complete decor of your wedding, ensure the seating plan is perfect and everything looks just as you had dreamt of.
Wedding catering: It is always advisable to make a count of the number of guests you are expecting in advance and finalize a caterer at the earliest. Most venues come with their catering service as well. However, if you are arranging for someone on your own, pre-plan a menu as per your budget. Request for a tasting of the food and remember to negotiate and get a good deal. It is not uncommon for service providers to offer significant discounts if booked in advance. Do remember to cater for food for your helping staff as well. You may not want to opt for the same menu for them as is for your guests, but choose an equally elaborate, less expensive one by discussing it with your catering agency.
Wedding cake: You can either ask your aunt or mom to put her baking skills to use and come up with a beautiful wedding cake for your big day; or you can get a custom made cake to mark your wedding. The choice of cake depends both upon your budget and the emotional value you attach to it. It is always advisable to order the cake after initial tasting to ensure a delicious treat. If you have a particular design in mind or want your cake customized, have a meeting with the designer and discuss details. You can choose from pre-existing designs in their catalogues too. Tiered cakes in vintage, pastel designs work as well for weddings, as do contemporary colour blocked or geometrical cakes. Think about your theme, budget, tastes and personalities before finalizing.
Wedding invites: For the invites, you can either choose to go green and send out e-invites; or opt for personalized handmade cards. Get your pack of friends and cousins together and ask them to come up with creative ideas. It could be an invite with your photographs or a lovely short poem. You could create paper frill borders with stencils and use handmade paper cards with handwritten messages. Alternatively you can get your wedding invites published. If you are feeling generous and your budget permits; you can also get some special candy or cake boxes printed matching with the card. Fill them up with goodies and deliver them personally to all your guests for that special touch. Whatever way you choose to go; make sure all your invites have the correct names, date, and time and venue details mentioned along with the program details.
Wedding accommodation: Based on the RSVPs received make arrangements for accommodations for any outstation guests. While the very close relatives and friends can stay at your home or a friend’s place; your official guests and acquaintances if any would require a room at a hotel or inn closer to the venue. Do not forget to arrange for conveyance for pick up and drop as well.
The music for the wedding: The music sets the mood for the whole occasion and it is important to choose wisely. While there can be a soft, soothing background music playing on a CD as the guests arrive; a live orchestra may work wonders to announce the arrival of the bride. For after the ceremony dancing and celebrating, a mixed collection of some fast dance numbers as well as slow love songs would be a good choice. You can either hire a DJ, a band, an orchestra or simply ask a cousin or a friend to be all these and more for you.
Wedding favours: For wedding favours get creative and come up with things that will be easy on your pocket while still touching a personal cord with your guests. It could be a collection of special love songs on a CD or a box of homemade chocolates made by you that everyone has always loved. You can even pack a small pouch with essential oils and bath salts or gift instant wedding photographs of each guest as a way to thank them for being a part of your special day.
Some other creative wedding tips to make your day special: Besides the usual; you can always add your own special touch to make the guests cherish your special day as well. Ask them all to leave you a personalized message. For this you can either use a guest book or alternatively circulate a fish bowl with a note pad and a pen; where each guest can tear a page, write a message and drop it in the bowl.
During toasts the couple can even chose to read out some of the folded messages. To make your party enjoyable arrange for some group games and some couple games for added fun.
If you have friends with small children make sure you arrange for a small play area for them; where there is someone to attend to them. This will allow your friends to enjoy your wedding assured that their kids are in safe hands and are having a good time too.
A wedding is fun and while there are too many things you need to prepare for; if done sportingly and in a planned manner it paves way for happy memories forever. It is always nice to take help from friends and family and make them a part of your special day. So go ahead and use the above mentioned wedding planning tips for your wedding and enjoy as you do so!