The Ultimate Wedding Tips

Trying to conserve money and not go over your budget? Consider not handing out wedding favors at all. It is no longer viewed as bad etiquette to skip out on favors, but if you’d like your guests to walk away with something special or memorable, consider letting an item such as the wedding program double as a favor.
In order to avoid any confusion down the road, decide from the beginning who will be paying for what. This will help you steer clear of any messy arguments that may arise among family members later on in the wedding planning process.
If you’re going to cut, dye or highlight your hair, do it well in advance of the wedding. You might end up with something that doesn’t look absolutely perfect, in which case you will want the extra time to get it fixed. The same goes for trying out the hairstyle you want for your wedding day; don’t trust your favorite hairdresser to do it exactly the way you’ve imagined it on the day of your wedding. Get in a few practice hairstyles, if possible.
An open bar is a great idea if you’re looking to provide a wide selection of drinks for your guests, but make sure to have the bartender keep an eye on who has been drinking a lot, and to cut those guests off when necessary. If any drunken guests get too rowdy, appoint someone, such as the Best Man, to escort them out of the reception quietly.
If you’re having your wedding on a Friday or other day of the week to save money, be aware that your guests may not be able to take enough days off to travel to and attend your wedding. Consider having an afternoon wedding on a Saturday or Sunday instead. That way you can save money and your guests can attend.
In order to avoid awkward situations, don’t ask friends or family to provide services, like baking a cake or taking pictures, unless they are professionals. You don’t want to have Aunt Rosemary or Uncle John take your wedding photographs and be dissatisfied that they didn’t come out how you would have liked.
Skimping on photography or videography can be a bad idea – the photographs or video serve as your memories of the wedding day, and you want to make sure they are the best possible. You can’t do your wedding day over, so be sure to hire the best photographer you can while staying in your budget.
Talk to your fiancé at the very start of the wedding planning process about how involved he wants to be. If he doesn’t wish to be an active participant, just keep him updated on the status of things every so often. If he does want to be involved, remember that it’s all about teamwork and compromise. In order to get what you want, you may have to give up a few things, and the same goes for him. Present a united front when tackling the wedding planning, pick your battles wisely and avoid placing blame if something goes wrong.
If you have more than one girlfriend in your life who is special to you, you can choose to have them share the role of Maid or Matron of Honor. This way, they can divvy up all the duties and share all the tasks of helping the bride plan the wedding.
When selecting the Best Man, the groom should choose a close friend or member of his family who is responsible and reliable. He is the Go To guy if something goes wrong during the wedding or reception.
Is your guest list getting too long? Are there people on there you have never heard of, or haven’t seen in a long time? To whittle down your guest list, put people in three different categories: those who must be invited, those who should be invited, and those who it would be nice to invite. If you’re still having trouble, ask yourself if you’ve spoken or seen the person in the last few months? Have you sent them a birthday and/or holiday card in the last year? If the answer is no to these questions, don’t invite this person. The important thing to consider is: who do you want to see when you look out in the audience when you’re standing at the altar?
When selecting what music to play at your reception, keep in mind the average age of your guests, as well as if there are any teenagers or children in attendance. You may not want such classics as “The Chicken Dance” played, but if it is going to entertain the youngsters, reconsider asking the DJ not to play it. The goal is to ensure everyone has a good time, including the kids. Music is one of the most important aspects of the reception, so make sure there’s enough variety to entertain everyone.
To stay organized while planning your wedding, pick up an accordion folder, a small notebook and some kind of planner or calendar. If you see something in a magazine that you like, you can rip it out and store it in your accordion folder. In the notebook you can jot all your notes and ideas, and write down your meeting dates in the planner or calendar. Keep an updated Master To Do List on you at all times, as well, so you can check off what has been done and what is left to do.
Remember that this is your wedding – others will no doubt give you their opinions when you tell them what you want, but it all comes down to this: it is your very special day. Do what you and your fiancé want (within reason, of course).
Chances are you won’t get to eat during the reception – you have over 200 guests and each one wants to offer you his or her personal congratulations – so be sure to have food waiting in the limousine from the reception to your hotel room, or at the hotel room when you arrive. Trust us, you’ll be starving.

 

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