Wedding Planner: Divide and Conquer the Details

Planning a wedding can be stressful and overwhelming. To make things smoother for you and your groom, you should talk to each other and be patient with each other when trying to make the decisions and choices that will create your perfect wedding day. If you break down the tasks that you need to accomplish before, during, and after the wedding, and assign those tasks to people who are willing to help you, you will make the process easier for both of you.

Determine the type of wedding you are going to have. Will it be a large wedding or an intimate gathering of family and friends? Discuss your concept of the wedding with your groom. Listen to his input. The two of you should decide what will be best for you and the budget you have. Then, discuss the concept with your families. If your families are willing to pitch in to pay for expenses and they want to add more guests to the list or present a different concept, you and your groom should listen. Discuss the possibilities and make the decision that is best for the two of you.

In days past, the bride's family usually paid for the wedding. In modern times, it is not always possible for the bride's family to foot the entire bill for the wedding. In some instances, the bride's family may purchase the dress and accessories for the bride and partially pay for the reception. In other cases, if the bride's family can afford it, they may pay for the entire wedding.

Your choice of wedding type or style will depend on the budget. If your family can afford to pay the entire cost of the wedding and they want it to be an elaborate affair with a lot of guests, you and your groom may go along with this concept.

If your family is paying for only part of the costs, discussing where the money could best be put to use is something you and your groom should discuss with them.

Remember this is your wedding day. The theme, colors, music, and formality of the wedding are really the choice of you and your groom.

Once you have an idea of how many guests you will have, you can then discuss reception possibilities. You should look at places where weddings and/or receptions have been held before. The manager may make suggestions that you have not thought of. They will also give you information, a breakdown of costs, possible menus, and so on. This will allow you to start formulating your plans. You can always call or go back with more questions. You can also determine if the place allows the flexibility for your individual needs.

If the food for the reception is to be prepared at the place where it will be held, you will want to sample the food you choose for your reception. A factor which will influence the type of food served is the time of day. You may select a brunch if the wedding reception is held mid-morning. If the wedding is in the evening, you will want a more formal meal.

You may not want to have your food prepared by the place where the reception will be held. Check to see if you can use the caterer of your choice. Hotels usually make the most money on the food. If you can not provide the caterer, you will want to consider a place other than a hotel for your reception. Whichever method you choose, you should ask for references. You want to evaluate their service as well.

Your personal choices for flowers, invitations, music, and photography are based on the theme you have chosen. You may also be able to trim your budget in these areas. Consider having a simple invitation and less formal decorations.

If you are planning your own wedding, the details have to be taken care of. If you hire the caterer, you need someone to be at the place of the reception to make sure the set up is the way you want it and that the caterer and other service providers arrive on time. Ask friends to assist you. There are other details they can help with such as making sure the place for the ceremony and the reception is decorated, taking gifts that are brought to the ceremony are taken to the reception, and a number of other tasks. Being able to delegate tasks will make the planning of your wedding less stressful.

Be creative in planning the various details of your wedding and you can still have the wedding of your dreams.