1. Plan your engagement party - what a better way to try out those planning skills then planning your engagement party ! Make it fun by using bright colours and signature cocktails ! If you already know some of the details of your wedding why not add a hint to your engagement party to set the scene for the upcoming nuptials.
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2. Set your date - be sure to think about events in your area that may sky rocket or limit your catering or venue options. If you have several guests coming from out of town or it s the weekend of the big football match you may be hard press to rent your limos or book your preferred hotels . Also keep in mind your caterer will charge you extra during prime event times.
3. Set a Budget - of course we all want that huge 20 tiered cake but we can' t always have our cake and eat it too ! When it comes down to it we are all on a budget and should not have to take out a mortgage in order to pay for our dream wedding. Make a list and prioritise what you must have versus what you can cut back on .
4. Plan a guest list - Sure you want to invite every single person you have ever meet in your entire life to see how fabulous you will look on your big day . Lets come back to reality though and realize that even though your mom's co-worker's daughter who you met once is a really nice person it is not essential she be at your wedding. Keep in mind every single person you invite should be entitled to bring their partner/date making one for the price of two !
5. Find a Venue - If there is only one place you have ever dreamed of getting married, be sure to book it well in advance. It s not uncommon to have venues booked completely up a year ahead of time You can never book early enough!
6. Find a Photographer - This was one of the hardest to find in my opinion. Photos are one of my most favourite possessions and it was extremely important to me to have great photos on my wedding day ! Read a lot of reviews , look at their body of work and you will find a photographer that matches the style you want to portray with your photos.
7. Find your dream dress - look through magazines and online to find a style with in your budget . The best way to know if you like a dress is of course to try it on . It may not look the same way you had imagined it to. Get a group of friends together and make a day out of it!
8. Set a theme/feel for your wedding - Whether it s a country picnic with red checkered napkins and tablecloths, an elegant white themed wedding with glistening diamonds and jewels everywhere or a romantic candle lit wedding with red roses and candles it 's your day ! You can make it how ever you like !
9. Honeymoon - start by making a list of places you and your soon to be husband would like to go and you can start to narrow it down as it comes closer to book
10. Start a file / wedding planning binder - You will want all your deposits , ideas , receipts ect all in one place . The best way , I have found to do this is to make a binder with dividers for each category. At the front i printed off a calendar so that i could right done important dates, meetings or when things had to be paid in full. This way everything was all in one place and it kept everything organized. I even put cut outs of photos from magazines for ideas for my flower bouquet and my hair so that i had something to go off of rather then just trying to explain everything.
Planning a wedding can be very stressful but it doesn't have to be. With the right tools to keep ahead of the game, knowing what you can spend money on and what you have to cut back on and staying organized will be right on track to the best day of your life !
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