Wedding Planning Tips
by Terje Brooks Ellingsen
Looking forward to your wedding?
Have you started the research and gathering of the information
you’ll need to plan it properly? It is better to start now
instead of ending up in a stressful situation. Here are
some wedding planning tips.
Who is doing what?
Sit down with your future spouse
and discuss openly and honestly the "planning" responsibilities.
Who will plan the entertainment? Who will plan the menu?
Who will decide on the baker and see it through? The many,
many details are important.
Visit a couple of wedding shows
There are lots of wedding shows
going on all the time and you can attend a wedding show
or two in your area. The best strategy is to attend two
shows, actually. The first time, your purpose can be "information
gathering". See what vendors offer, look at jewelry, gowns,
hairstyles, cakes (and taste them too), tuxedos, flowers,
balloons, etc. The second visit should be around four-to-six
months before your wedding with the purpose of making appointments
with vendors you like, asking detailed questions about their
services and gathering information about pricing.
The wedding sites of your dream
Write a list of sites that
you have always dreamed of having your wedding. On the beach,
in the largest cathedral in the city, in the country, at
the Country Club, at your dad's beautiful backyard. There
must be hundreds of sites available in your city or in another
city (destination weddings is the rage). Narrow the sites
to three of your favorites, then check to see if your wedding
date is available at the site before making the visit.
How many wedding guests?
The size of the guest list
is one of the most important issues to discuss. You know
the rule of 50% of the guests should come from the bride's
family and 50% from the groom's family.
When planning the guest list,
consider two components: number of guests invited or the
wedding budget. Usually, a small wedding consist of 100
guests or less. These are normally a smaller budget because
the reception (food and refreshments) consist of 40% of
the cost of the event. However, a small wedding could have
a large budget of say $20,000 consisting of the finest food
and wine and other accommodations. The small wedding budget
is in the range of $1,000 to $10,000.
In average, a wedding consist
of 200-300 guests which means the average budget may come
as a surprise to you. Providing a seated affair or buffet,
champagne and entertainment at the reception consist of
40% of the budget. An average wedding in the USA for the
last couple of years is $22,000. Of course, there are many
ways to slim the budget with a little creativity.
So, what is a large wedding?
A large wedding can consist of 300-500 guests. This is mostly
an extravagant affair, and the budget isn't as important
as the celebration itself. Providing a wonderful reception
for a large number of guests can really add up! With an
unlimited budget, why not serve a savory menu and serve
the best refreshments for your once-in-a-lifetime event?
Usually, a large wedding cost anywhere from $40,000 to $200,000.
It is always a good thing to
plan a wedding well in advance. Be careful however, not
to let your wedding planning get in the way of your normal
responsibilities. If you feel overwhelmed, talk to someone
you trust, such as a minister, priest, rabbi, or counsellor,
who work with engaged couples daily and understand the stress
you may experience.
Terje Brooks Ellingsen is an
internet publisher. Check out his website http://www.the-wedding-site.net/
which offers free information for all who are interested
in wedding issues.
