Wedding Planning 101: A Bride's List

While planning a wedding can be very exciting, it can also be very stressful for a lot of brides, especially for those without the luxury of hiring a wedding planner. But this shouldn’t stop you from making your special day awesome. Take charge and be your own wedding planner.

Start with these important factors:

• Budget – How much are you willing to spend for your big day? Your answer to this question will greatly affect the following items below. Discuss this matter as a couple.

• Wedding Date –When do you want to get married? This will also set the timeline for your wedding preparations. The longer preparation, the better. You’ll have more time to save for your wedding. You may score early bird discounts from suppliers. You’ll also be able to book venues earlier.

• Guest list – Who do you want to be there? How many guests you’re going to have will determine how big an event your wedding is going to be. Since you already have a specific budget to follow, this will be easier.

Writing down all the guest names will be very helpful. If your initial guest list is 150, then prepare for 170 when estimating headcounts with suppliers. Don’t forget to send out RSVPs early. Ideally, you should have them back, at least, three weeks before yout wedding. After all the RSVP’s return, expert your guest list to either blow up or slim down.

• Venue – Indoor, outdoor, or both?  There’s an endless choice of hotels, gardens, pavilions, and resorts where you can have your wedding. If you’re a Catholic, then obviously, you have to do it traditionally inside the church. So, you just have to think about where you want the reception to be.

Consider logistics when choosing venues.Don’t choose a wedding reception that’s too far from the church. Make sure it’s not too far for guests. Note about road conditions and other driving or commuting details for your guests’ convenience. If it’s out of town, it gets tricky. You have to think about accommodations, not just yours, but your guests, too. If you have hefty cash to splurge, then good for you.  But if you don’t, then please save yourself the trouble.

• Theme – The theme is the specific vibe that you want your guest to feel during your very special day.  From vintage, whimsical, nautical, movies, to an array of color motifs, there’s a lot to choose from.  Be creative, but be sure to keep it classy.

• Suppliers – Luckily, more and more suppliers are offering more flexible wedding packages for couples on a tight budget.  Be sure to look around for the best deals.

Yes, there's more! But so far, these are the chunkiest ones you have to deal with before all the girly details you have in mind. I’ll write about the details of each of these wedding essentials in future blog posts.

So, keep posted!