Wednesday, January 27, 2010

Planning The Wedding - Crucial Steps

By Adriana Noton

Everyone knows weddings are fun. And everyone who has ever helped to plan a wedding can attest to what kind of nightmares poor wedding plans can cause. But, planning the wedding doesn't need to become a nightmare if done properly.

Of course, trying to cram plans into a tiny timeframe just doesn't work well. Arranging a reception for 200 people in two weeks is all but impossible if you expect all the bells and whistles to be perfectly in place. One of the most important factors, therefore, in planning any wedding is to make sure the timeframe matches the type of wedding.

If you are hoping to get married in Paris, invite over 200 guests, and have your gown designed by Vera Wang ' you're looking at more than year, working every day on the details. If you are just hoping to have a few people meet you in Vegas so you can get married by Elvis, even a nice wedding can be arranged in a week.

Finding the perfect dress can take a month if not more. Many women are finding that this time honored tradition simply isn't worth the money, time and effort involved. School, careers, and even single moms with families are opting for less all consuming alternatives that include renting a wedding dress or even wearing something that is closer to a cocktail dress. For bridal attendants, the same options are available. Make it easy ' let them figure it out!

For invitations, save time and money by doing your own. These aren't cheap home made reproductions; these are beautiful high end pieces. Kits can be found online and in local stores. Do yourself a favor and forget those little RSVP cards that no one uses anyway. Give people an email address they can respond to. What may have raised eyebrows a few years ago is considered industry standard and acceptable today. The same goes for wedding photos. Hire a professional wedding photographer to fulfill your needs.

Instead of spending time at a printer pouring through books and books of invitations, print your own. There are specialty papers and kits made for all types of invitations and they cost a fraction of professional done invites. If time is of the essence, give people your email for RSVPs. The same goes for wedding photos. Hire a professional wedding photographer to fulfill your needs.

Formal sit down dinners are cumbersome, error prone, and rarely appreciated. With photos, dancing, talking, and catching up with family and friends, many dinners remain untouched. Opt for something just as elegant but easier on the budget and probably more enjoyable. Wine and cheese receptions are quite popular, as are desserts only with a coffee bar set up instead of a full bar.

Double check last minute details 48 hours ahead. If you are hiring a limo service, go over addresses, times, destinations, and pricing. Get cell phone numbers for the drivers if possible. If you are relying on friends and family, make certain that cars are equipped to handle the number of passengers assigned.

Also important ' tell people to leave the gifts behind, or at least send them to your home. You aren't going to open them there anyway! Don't make other people figure out how to pack them up and get them to you later on.

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