You just announced your wedding engagement. With the wedding now coming up, you have a lot of planning to do. There are a number of questions going through your head.
What do you need to do? Should you buy an all-inclusive wedding package or individually go seek vendors? What is your budget? What about wedding venues? Do you need a wedding planner? Read on to have these questions answered, plus get more insight into the wedding planning process.
1. Should You Have an All-Inclusive Wedding Package or Not?
Of course, this is up to the soon-to-be-married couple—everyone is different and has their own unique wants and needs. Still, there are some things you should know.
First off, all-inclusive wedding packages normally are cheaper than seeking out individual vendors. Which can be a perk to those who want to stay on a budget or want to spend more of their budget on a wedding specific—such as the wedding dress or the wedding ceremony.
Nonetheless, you may have a friend who is a photographer. Or you already have a particular flower vendor in mind that you want to use. In which case, it may be best to go with them.
Nonetheless, you can always ask your wedding planner to see if he or she has a few contacts he or she can use and give you a discount on.
That or why not mix and match? Talk with the wedding company to determine if there is some leeway with the all-inclusive wedding packages? In other words, can they include music, venue, and catering but not photography or flowers?
2. How Many People Should You Invite?
The wedding shouldas, wouldas, couldas, with the number of guests being high on the list.
In this day and age, with the advent of social media, there can be pressure to invite a lot of guests.
You may even feel obligated to invite co-workers, neighbors, or other people that, while they play an important part in your life, you want to make sure no feelings are hurt.
Still, you need to stay within budget. And, frankly, you and your significant other may not enjoy being around large crowds and having to converse with several people.
What to Do?
Imagine your wedding with hundreds of people attending it. Could you both see yourselves being happy? Does the happiness outweigh the stress?
Or do you see it as a hassle that is unnecessary and, to be honest, expensive? This could the case for some couples, especially if they are forking over the entire wedding bill. In which case it may be best to keep the wedding party small and intimate.
If you do need another ear to listen and some advice, discuss this concern with your wedding planner. Being that he or she has been in the industry, they have experience with both large and small weddings and can provide another perspective.
3. What Food Should You Serve?
You are considering going with the classic chicken and veggies. But you are inching towards more authentic Mexican food cuisine?
Still, you haven’t pinpointed your wedding theme yet, which may not fit the catering. You want to secure a caterer soon, but are not sure what to do first: wedding theme then catering? Or visa versa?
What to Do?
Ask your wedding planner what he or she recommends. It may make the wedding planning process easier if you choose the wedding theme first, and then go from there—with not just the catering, but decorations and wedding venue.
Speaking of catering, however, since you will want to start to be thinking about wedding invitations, you may want to have people list their food preferences: vegetarian or vegan or allergies?
That way, you have all the information you need ahead of time to make the final decision on the catering while meeting your guests’ needs.
4. When Should You Have the Wedding?
Should you have it in the summer? Or what about the winter? Or even a fall or spring wedding?
Again, this comes down to preference. Which season do you like best? What is the easiest time of year for out of town guests to come down?
Would a certain time of year be more convenient and easier for you or your significant other? This especially applies if someone normally travels a lot or consistently has a certain busy time of year work-wise.
Again, you may want to contact your wedding planner to see what he or she has to offer about this.
5. What Wedding Dress Should You Choose?
You may want a wedding dress that goes with the wedding theme. For instance, if you are having a beach wedding, a simple yet elegant wedding dress may be perfect. While an indoor wedding may call for even a ball gown.
Nonetheless, do what feels most comfortable to you. Remember, while personal style is a priority, you are wearing this dress for a whole day (at most) if not several hours (the least).
That being said, it is important that the dress (and shoes) are comfortable to where you can focus on celebrating your big day and not on your cramped feet or itchy sleeves.
6. When Should You Send Out the Wedding Invitations?
The simple answer: sooner rather than later. The sooner you are able to send out the invitations, the more convenient you make it for your wedding guests (and yourselves).
Wedding guests can now put your big day on the calendar and have the time to reschedule or plan around it. While you and your significant other have much time to wait for the RSVPs without having to juggle other wedding planning responsibilities.
7. What Song Should You Choose?
When planning for a wedding, it is common to leave your wedding song out of the planning process until your wedding day is almost there.
To make sure you are not in that situation, start listening to songs you and your significant have fond memories of. For instance, do you have a song when you were dating? Or would you rather go with a more classic wedding song?
You can also contact your wedding planner for some guidance. Most likely, he or she has heard everything and can give you his or her professional opinion, taking into consideration the wedding theme and your personal styles and tastes.
8. What Wedding Venue Should You Choose?
This is one of if the most important questions to ask yourselves. Where will the wedding celebrations take place at?
Again, this comes down to personal preference. Do you want to have your wedding venue indoors or outdoors?
If it is outdoors, consider that time of the year you want your wedding to be at; if it is during the rainy season, you may need to do a little more preparation in case it does drizzle.
Also, how many guests are coming? If you are having a small wedding, you may be able to book a wedding venue closer to the wedding date.
If you are having a larger wedding party, it may be best to book your venue months out so the venue can accommodate you and your party’s needs. Nonetheless, the sooner you do it, the better—whether large or small party. That way, it is one more check off of your wedding planning list.
Contact your wedding planner to see if he or she has any recommendations, especially taking personal preference and time of year into account.
Final Thoughts
Getting married and having a wedding to celebrate your love is a beautiful experience. To make sure there are fewer hiccups in the wedding planning road, start planning early. While you don’t have to run a million wedding errands the weekend after you get engaged, it may be best to start thinking about what you want for your wedding, as well as possible vendors you have in mind.
What other wedding tips can you give the engaged? What was your wedding planning experience like? Please feel free to leave a comment in the comments section below.
Summary
- Planning a wedding can be stressful; thankfully, doing it in advance can stave off the unnecessary stress
- Nonetheless, a wedding planner can offer valuable advice and insight into how to manage the wedding planning process and make it enjoyable rather than dreary
- Consider an all-inclusive wedding package as a more affordable option
- Also, see if the wedding company is able to give leeway should you want to choose a vendor or two
- While there may be pressure to invite many people, do what would make you and your significant other the happiest on your wedding day
- First figure out a theme before deciding on the catering
- Look at one another’s schedules to determine what would be the easiest time to have the wedding
- Choose a wedding dress that is not just stylish but comfortable
- Send out your wedding invitation as soon as possible
- If you do have an outdoor wedding during rainy season, you may want to plan ahead should it drizzle on your big day
To speak with an experienced wedding planner and check out all-inclusive wedding packages, contact Electra Cruises.
