Newly Engaged?
(MS)
— Making the commitment to live life with another person
is a large step. It marks the beginning of your future together.
Planning
a wedding can be big undertaking. Many times the course
of planning from the moment of engagement to the wedding
day can stretch over several years. It requires patience,
budgeting and organization. A wedding binder or filing system
can help keep receipts and information all in one place.
Additionally, use these steps as guidelines for your own
event.
Whats the Next Step?
1.
Engagement party: Many couples enjoy having an engagement
party to announce that theyre planning a life together.
Engagement parties are receptions on a smaller scale. Its
not necessary to invite all of the guests youd be inviting
to the wedding unless you have the budget to do so. Keep
it to immediate family, including grandparents, aunts and
uncles and first cousins. You may also want to invite close
friends. If finances are an issue, consider a brunch or
a cocktail party with passed appetizers instead of a full
sit-down dinner.
2.
Set the date: Once you decide youre getting married, you
should consider when you want the big day to occur. This
can depend on what month of the year you enjoy or when you
think you may have saved enough to cover the cost of the
wedding itself. Prime months include the spring and summer.
If you want to have your wedding relatively soon, you may
find that certain dates are already booked up for houses
of worship and reception halls. Choose an off-peak time
of the year, such as January, March, November or December,
instead.
3.
Establish a budget: The scope of your wedding will depend
largely upon what you can afford. Many of today’s
average weddings range from $25,000 to $35,000. Make a list
of all the costs you will have: wardrobe, clergy fees, reception
hall, flowers, photography, gifts for wedding party, transportation,
honeymoon, etc. Figure that the majority of the costs will
be around $2,000 each (excluding the reception site, honeymoon
and ceremony). Seeing the end cost will help you develop
a plan for saving. Keep in mind that many of the payments
and deposits are made over time, so you won’t have
to come up with the lump sum all at one time.
4.
Wedding sites: Once you have a date and budget, your next
step is to make arrangements with the church, synagogue
or other place where the ceremony will take place. Most
houses of worship prefer you secure the day with them before
booking your reception site. Many places book a year or
more in advance, so it is important to shop around and secure
your locations as soon as possible. When looking at reception
locations, it helps to have a preliminary idea of how many
people you’ll be inviting to the wedding so you can
compare costs and decide on room sizes. Certain places offer
lower rates for Friday and Sunday than Saturday night. This
can help to keep your reception more budget-friendly.
5.
Photography, Music, Flowers, Limos, Hairstylist: Some wedding
vendors book up as fast as reception sites, particularly
if they come well recommended. Secure your date for services
with these people shortly after you reserve your ceremony
and reception site. Vendors will likely require a deposit
and balance paid before the wedding.
6.
Wardrobe: The ladies in the wedding will need to browse
for and decide on gowns roughly 6 to 8 months before the
wedding. This allows time for the dresses to be ordered
and alterations to be made. Gentleman can typically shop
for tuxedo rentals a month before the wedding.
7.
Registry: If you want to select gifts from a specific store,
register for them as far in advance as possible. This way
if people want to give you gifts from the registry in advance
of the wedding, they’ll know what to choose. Definitely
register by 2 to 3 months before the wedding, because this
is when the bridal shower is typically held.
8.
Stationery: Order your invitations, save-the-date cards,
etc. 5 to 6 months before the wedding so you have time to
check the proofs and ensure they’re printed correctly.
Wedding invitations are usually mailed out 1 to 2 months
prior to the event. It is customary to stamp the RSVP card
so that guests simply put it in the mail.
9.
Religious requirements: Some houses of worship require classes
or retreats before a wedding ceremony to prepare the couple
for marriage in a religious sense. Make sure these tasks
are completed.
10:
Honeymoon: It used to be the groom’s task to book
the honeymoon, but most couples do it together these days.
Book the honeymoon and apply for passports if necessary,
several months in advance.
11.
Seating arrangements: This can be one of the most challenging
parts of wedding planning. Once the majority of your RSVPS
are in hand, you’ll want to think about seating. Most
reception halls will give you a seating map that you can
use to determine seating. If you are a visual person, you
may want to enlarge the map and actually cut out the names
of guests to stick and re-stick in different areas of the
room until the seating is just right. There are also computer
programs that can help you with seating tasks.
12.
Balances due: In the last months to weeks before the wedding,
most balances will be due for the services. The reception
hall will want a final seating count and you will be picking
up your gown. When paying these balances, it’s also
a good idea to confirm with musicians, photographers and
limo companies.
13.
Rehearsal: Set a rehearsal a week prior to the wedding or
within a few days before. This gives everyone a trial run.
A dinner is customary following the rehearsal.
14.
The big day: Rest up the night before and organize all of
your wardrobe, honeymoon packing and then get set for one
of the most momentous days of your life.
CAPTION:
From the moment you get engaged to to enjoying a bite of
wedding cake there are many moments in between that require
careful planning.
