PLANNING A WEDDING

It’s The Big Day – Your Wedding.

Planning a wedding really means more than just “The Big Day.” It means considering all the things that lead up to it. Whether it’s a small ceremony or a gala affair, making the appropriate arrangements will help you enjoy your wedding, rather than worrying about it.

In the movies, wonderful weddings often seem so easy. It’s as though things just seem to fall into place. Unfortunately, with weddings, life seldom imitates art. Planning a wedding involves more than just saying: “I do.” When planning a wedding some of the questions to consider are:

Who pays for what, who should be invited, and what types of invitations should be sent?
What are the dates, location, formality, and dress?
Who will be the attendants and how many will be on the guest list?
How large is the budget, and what is the size of the wedding and the reception?

Planning a wedding can be fun and exciting or confusing and stressful.
Trying to organize your wedding may mean devising your own checklist or hiring a wedding planner or wedding consultant.

With many couples and families, just trying to find the time and resources to plan a wedding, can be inconvenient or even impractical. When considering the many details of the wedding, such as the members of the wedding party, the wedding events, the photographer, the rehearsal dinner, the ceremony, the music, the caterer, the reception and even the honeymoon, the preparations can be overwhelming, Using a wedding planner, bridal consultant, or event planner can help organize, coordinate, and supervise the many aspects of a wedding

CHOOSING A WEDDING PLANNER OR WEDDING CONSULTANT
How will a wedding planner or wedding consultant be of benefit to you?

When talking to a wedding planner or consultant don’t hesitate to ask questions. Be certain to discuss what type of wedding you have in mind and how much you can spend. Find your comfort level. Be aware that you will be working with this person on a regular basis. Oftentimes, you may talk to your planner or consultant as much, if not more, than your family members, or even the groom.
Here are just a few topics to be discussed. Based upon what is needed, you will probably think of many more. Consider the following:

How much does the wedding planner charge?
How is the wedding planner paid, by the hour, a flat fee, the number of guests, or a percentage of the costs of the wedding arrangements that are made?
How does the wedding planner list expenses?
What are the credentials of the wedding planner?
What are the wedding planner’s references?
What type of experience does the wedding planner have?
How does the wedding consultant define his or her services?
What does the wedding contract include?
If there is an emergency, and the wedding planner or consultant is unable to full fill his or her duties, who will replace the planner or consultant?

WHAT DOES A PROFESSIONAL WEDDING PLANNER DO?
A professional wedding planner will help with all aspects of a wedding, or may assist with particular segments of the event. When selecting a professional wedding planner, there are many aspects to consider. An experienced wedding planner can help you find the right caterer, photographer, florist, and musical accompaniment for your events, while keeping in mind, your tastes and your budget. There are several types of books and a magazine to help you find out what a wedding planner or consultant does. Here are just a few examples. A professional wedding consultant or wedding planner:

Is trained to oversee the entire wedding process.
Will consult with the bride and groom, concerning their wishes for their wedding.
Will conduct business, considering the best interests of the bride and groom.
May serve as a liaison between the bride and groom and other family members.
Will discuss vendor options and may also help interview vendors with, or for, the bride.
Will objectively review the offers and contracts made by vendors.
Will help supervise the orders and contracts from the vendors.
Will be prepared to help with unexpected problems, during the ceremony or the reception.

OTHER TYPES OF WEDDING AND PARTY PLANNING
There are several resources to help you plan a wedding, an excellent reference source is http://www.weddingandpartynetwork.com. The Wedding and Party Network can help you to find: The Who, What, and Where needed to plan a wedding?

Don’t forget to also consider advice from: