Wedding Planning 101

Wow, I think we're covered. Hayley, we are not worthy!!! Meghan, Chuwanna, Ab Z, and, Courtney's Mom, thank you all. This really helps ALOT. It's one thing to google yourself, but it's so much better to get guidance from people you know (sort of who's guidance and insight comes from experience. Thanks again ladies.

Wow you guys covered a lot!

@Hayley - Buck and Doe's are also called Socials, and they are really only popular in Eastern Canada. I had to ask my Step-sister what the Social things she was always going to were lol. Nobody has them out here in Alberta and BC.. at least not that I've heard of lol

I think the Socials/Buck and Doe's sound fun, wish I lived up there so I could go to one.

another Wedding Planning 101 ..... a D.O.C.

Day of Coordinator. Great to have, they will help things run smooth, deal with issues, and help you relax.

https://www.weddingwire.com/wedding-forums/what-exactly-does-the-doc-do/e871c29599f8de6b.html

And Questions to Ask the Vendor when searching for a Hall.

https://www.weddingwire.com/wedding-forums/venue-questions/a1357321ec52a35a.html

I know! I wish I lived out east so I could have one! Everyone here would just think it was weird though None of my friends sounded very interested!

Darn Hayley, You are good!

Speaking of a DOC, I highly suggest hiring one, or asking a trusted, creative and helpful friend.

List your priorities when you do your budget. Some people view the reception as "their" day, and some view it as the "guests" day. I think the ceremony is ours, and the reception is all about my guests.

If you are on a budget, try a small DIY project. I never thought I was crafty. Because of budget, I found that I have some abilities. However, I have had many battles with the hot glue gun, and the gun was the victor.

Enjoy every minute of your planning. Don't let it stress you out. This is the first party your FH and you will host. Savor the moments.

Most of my stuff has been covered, but I'll throw in a few things:

1. When budgeting for your dress, don't forget to factor in the cost of alterations (which can run into hundreds of dollars), and accessories like veil, undergarments/spanx and shoes.

2. Weddings bleed time all over the place. Make a timeline/schedule for the day, saying where people need to be and when, and hand it out to your wedding party/vendors/etc.

3. Avoid the "It's MY day!" mentality. I've seen more than a few brides say they want to spend money on the stuff only they'll enjoy, like the dress, and then skimp on food and drinks and music. It's a party, not a pretty princess parade, and your wedding should be a good time for everyone.

4. Stuff will go wrong, at even the best-planned wedding. Have a sense of humor and don't have a snit on your wedding day. Heck, my mom forgot to stay for photos after the ceremony, I had late arrivals sneaking in after me as I went down the aisle, I put on my dress too (more)

Quickly and wound up with sploogy backfat in the pics, I forgot to have anyone round up the toasting steins and such...but I still got married to my best friend, and my wedding was awesome.

5. Which reminds me - allow plenty of time for getting into your dress. Wedding gowns usually have a lot of teeny buttons, etc, and can take a while to get in place. Otherwise you get a scene like this:

HAHAHA Shannon S! Getting into the dress is DEFINITELY more difficult than it was in the bridal shop!!

I absolutely could NOT have done it without my DOC!!! No. Possible. Way. I didn't pay anyone- it was a close friend that lived in Reno (we live out of the area) and she handled everything that day. You just have no idea all of the little things that come up, silly questions, etc that need to be handled, and you just have NO TIME.

On that note of Getting Dressed. Some Tips.

You can place a clean white sheet on the floor and set your shoes down on top of it. Put on your garter if you have one, then unzip or unbutton your gown and position it over your shoes. Have your mom or an attendant hold the dress open and support you, as you slowly step into it one leg at a time, placing your feet in your shoes as you do so.

If you have a sheath or other style of gown that you must slip over your head, put your shoes on first and use the scarf to cover your face to avoid makeup smudges. Have your mom or an attendant zip or button the gown.

If your gown has a lot of buttons (Like Shannon) , make sure you have a crochet hook to help pull the loops over them. Keep a clean white towel on standby, as you'll need it to cover the front of your dress when fixing make-up, drinking or eating.

A crochet hook? Why didn't I think of that? Oh well.

I crochet hook can help with the bustling too if you have the button loop system.

I have found its not how much you CAN afford but how much you WANT to afford- just because you technically can spend 10000 on your wedding... should you? Your marriage isnt all about this ONE day! Think about your future and if you really think spending 10000 on one day is worth it. To us it wasnt! We would much rather spend the money on other toys we can enjoy all our lives or spend money on remodeling our home.

Talk to your FH about the wedding- dont just plan it yourself.... you would be surprised at how many guys want to be involved.

timelines and checklists are highly important- not just for the wedding day but with the whole planning process!

I have to agree with so much of what has been said here. I am mid planning process right now. There's one thing that I have found that so many people told me, and it is untrue. Many people told me time and again when we got engaged that our wedding was all about me that day and that I shouldn't bother asking my fiance his opinion because he wouldn't care about anything. Wow, way to alienate the man I'm going to spend the rest of my life with. Now granted, is he interested in what song I plan to dance with my father to, no, but does he care where the reception is going to be, or what food is going to be served, or who is going to be taking pictures? Yes, he did. Not only that, he cared that putting all of that on me was a great deal of stress. He has taken over a few things such as the photographer and the transportation. And we have shared several decisions. Then there are others that he has left solely in my hands. But I feel that all of those that told me to leave him out were wrong.

Wow... thanks all!

I love this thread! Its very true, all of it. One thing though, its very true that no one knows your guests the way you do. Also some traditions may seem tacky to one, but normal to another. So take the advice here online with a grain of salt if its not advice you can use. I have received advice that was not useful to me, so just skip it : )

Also, search, search, search! I made the mistake of booking one venue when it was just too much. We ended up moving it because we found one that was much more affordable. Also research do it yourself projects, not only is it fun, it makes for some great pictures! Weddingbee.com is one of my favorite inspiration sites, I can't wait to check it out and get new and fun ideas. Look for sales, and use coupons. I bought my cake topper for $1. Its a discontinued Martha Stewart picture frame cake topper. I got my guestbook for $2, cake and knife set for $9.99 at Party City. I also bought my dress from a bridal outlet and paid less than what they wanted me

(Cont) to at David's Bridal. I alos bought my hair clip from a smaller urban store, I got three flowers for $5, and my earrings I also got fpr $5. My necklace is from Icing and I got that for $16 as a gift from fh, he also bought my garter set only $7.99. I also went to Big Lots, Marshall's, Ross, Christmas Tree Shops, and Ollie's Outlets.

Big Lots-Cake topper and guestbook

Marshall's-Candy dishes

Ross-Dress shirts and nice candy dishes for candy buffet

Christmas Tree Shops-Customized (initials) bridesmaids gifts (they were wine glasses)

Ollie's Outlets-stickers to seal invites only .99 a pack of 25

Keep eyes peeled out for sales, and beware of online shopping because you pay shipping!

Another definition

Jumping the Broom - History

This is a ceremony dating back to the 1600s and derived from Africa. Dating back to slave days, jumping the broom together has been part of weddings for couples who want to honor that tradition. It also has roots in the Celtic culture and including but not limited to Welsh, Celtics, Druids, and Gypsies and some aboriginal or shamanistic cultures.

Some couples choose to incorporate it into traditional and non-traditional ceremonies. Broom jumping is a brief ceremony usually within the wedding ceremony toward the end. The jumping of the broom is symbolic of binding a couple in marriage and also can be used to symbolize fertility and prosperity of the couple.

http://www.ceremonybroom.html

Tasting the Four Elements

and Other traditions: Catholic traditions, Jewish traditions, Latin & Mexican Traditions

www.2.a-weddingday.com/weddings/africanamerican.html

Wedding Survival Kit.

Your kit should contain the following items:

(Note not all items may apply to you)

Grooming

1) Hand Lotion

2) Wet Wipes

3) Tissues

4) Cotton balls or swabs

5) Makeup

6) Make up remover (or make up remover pads)

7) Nail polish, clear polish (in case of runs in pantyhose), remover and a nail file

8) Tweezers

9) A small scissors

10) Lint brush

11) Curling Iron

12) Brush, comb, hairspray or gel

13) Bobby pins or elastics

14) Toothbrush, toothpaste and floss

15) Mouthwash

16) Deodorant

17) Perfume

Attire

1) Tossing Garter

2) Extra pantyhose

3) Extra earring backs

4) Extra buttons

5) Safety pins and a sewing kit in the bride and bridesmaids' dress colors

6) Masking tape or sewing tape

7) Club soda or stain removal towelettes

8) Flat shoes in case your feet hurt

9) fashion tape - double sided tape

10) quick hem - iron tape

Health Aids

1) Antacid

2) Antihistamine

3) Cold Remedies

4) Prescription Medications

5) Aspirin or Pain Relievers

6) Band-aids

7) Upset stomach medicine

8) Feminine Hygiene Products

Miscellaneous

1) Copies of directions to ceremony, photo location and reception

2) Phone numbers of all wedding participants

3) Contact information for all vendors

4) Breath mints

5) Snacks and drinks (a limo service may provide these)

6) mini alcohol bottles

7) super glue

***Get some of those Blue Oil absorbing sheets that they sell in the make-up aisle of any drug store.

Great to get the shine off without taking the make-up off. Will come in handy for you summer brides incase you take outdoor photos.

Picking your Wedding Colors

*first find a venue to have your reception. You don't want to pick Colors and a Mood for your wedding and have the atmosphere of the venue clash with your choices.

Take a look at this site for some ideas. They have some really great color combos to consider.

http://www.squidoo.com/weddingcolorcombinations

And you could always take Martha Steward's quiz to get ideas for colors and Mood that you want to go for.

http://www.marthastewartweddings.com/quiz/choosing-your-color-palette

Here is a color wheel site.

http://colorschemedesigner.com/

You can slide the little dot around to pick your first color. Then pick what type of color combination you want. You can move those dots around too.

Mono- different shades of the same color.

Analogic - colors that are next to each other on the color wheel

Complements - colors oposite on color wheel - give the most contrast

Triad - three colors spaced an equal distance apart

Tetrads: color harmonies 4 colors

Just want to add about budgeting- make sure you look into things and hoe much they will cost. The type of wedding you want may not be in your price range- and you may either have to push the date back, or do a different type of wedding.

When i first started looking at venues i was shocked! even places like community centers started at like $1500 for the evening. Not to mention all the decorations you would need to make it look, well, not like a community center.

We ended up going for a place that was more expensive- but will save us $ in the long run because it is so pretty on it's own it won't need much to be added to it.

Don't think that all DIY's will be cheaper- the cost of materials may end up more then buying it done (especially if you have a few mess ups). also don't think that renting will be cheaper- we found buying linens was SO much cheaper then renting- plus we can re-sell them after. Don't rule out catering schools- con't.....