Disclosure: In any review for a product or service, products or compensation may have been provided to me to help facilitate my review. All opinions are my own and honest. I am disclosing this in accordance with FTC Guidelines. Please see “Disclose” and "Terms of Use" tabs for more information.
From wedding planners to the mothers of the brides, nearly everyone connected with weddings has one piece of advice: if you want to have a perfect wedding ceremony, you should plan early.
During engagement season, the most popular wedding locations get booked up quickly, so it’s important to reserve the wedding venue well in advance of the big day. Other details require early planning if you want the event to go smoothly and without a lot of aggravation.
The following is a list of wedding planning tips to help you design a ceremony and reception that is less hectic and as special and memorable as the love that the couple shares:
Recording and Preserving Precious Memories
The details around which wedding photographs to take are often left to the last minute. Couples that want to create mementos that are truly meaningful to them should really meet with the photographer well in advance of the ceremony. This way, couples can discuss exactly which special moments they especially desire to be captured.
Striking the Perfect Pose
There are a number of shots and poses that are traditional favorites. For example, images of the couple joining hands, and closeups of the wedding bands are extremely popular. Since many moissanite engagement rings are specially designed with matching wedding bands, a close-up shot of the groom placing the band on the bride’s hand, next to her engagement ring, is a great choice.
Other wedding photo favorites include shots of the wedding dress, and its train, as well as candid photos of the bridal party in action. A good example is shots of the bridesmaids assisting the bride as she prepares for the ceremony.
Breaking with Tradition
More unique poses and themes are gaining in popularity. For example, some couples have the photographer take professional photos, or video, of the actual proposal, in addition to recording the wedding ceremony.
Taking pictures of the bride in her wedding gown in unusual and unexpected poses shortly after the wedding is a growing phenomenon. Rather than taking care to preserve the dress for future generations, these photos usually feature the bride doing something that might stain the dress. Good examples of this include photos of the bride wearing her dress and sitting on a sandy beach, playing in the rain, or throwing mud.
Picking out the Dress
During the service, all eyes are usually on the bride and her dress as she walks down the aisle. Which is why so many brides spend so much time and money picking out the perfect dress. According to 2014 wedding statistics gathered by The Knot, the average amount spent on the wedding dress is $1,357.
Since it is a focal point of the service, and is so expensive, many brides wait until the last minute to pick out the dress, with the hopes that they can lose a few extra pounds before the big day. This strategy usually backfires. Very few dresses fit perfectly off the rack, and alterations take time, so it’s a good idea for the bride and others attending the wedding to go ahead and pick out their wedding attire early.
If the bride genuinely believes she will lose more than one dress size before the service, she should still decide on the dress. Just schedule the final alteration to occur two weeks before the actual day of the wedding.
Shopping for the dress and shoes later in the day is also a good strategy since our bodies and feet tend to swell as the day progresses, and this ensures that everything will fit more comfortably.
Additional Preparations Best Made Early
It’s hard to create and stick to a budget for food and entertainment if you don’t know who will be in attendance. For this reason, couples should decide early on who will be involved in the wedding, and in what capacity. A list of guests should also be compiled, and invitations sent, as soon as possible. This increases the likelihood that prospective participants and guests will be free to attend.
Once couples have a list of participants and guests, it’s time to contact the caterers, pick out a cake, and decide on a menu and seating arrangements for the reception. This is also a good time to contact and book the florist, a DJ, and any bands that will perform during the ceremony and reception.
Planning the perfect wedding ceremony and reception isn’t an easy process, but taking the time to iron out every detail in advance, reduces the stress that the bride and groom feel. This makes the day less hectic and more relaxed, allowing the couple, other participants and guests to be able to fully enjoy and celebrate this union of two lives.
Speak Your Mind
You must be logged in to post a comment.