Do you have your wedding date marked on your calendar? Congratulations, you’re well on the way to being a married person! But there are still so many preparations that need to be made before the big day. In this blog post, we’ll go over 11 tips for preparing for your upcoming wedding.
1. Pick your wedding date
First and foremost, you need to choose a date. You probably already have one in mind based on the availability of your guests and venues, but it doesn’t hurt to do a little research just in case. If you’re tying the knot during off-peak times (such as winter and fall), you’ll probably get better deals on things like venue rental fees and catering costs. On the other hand, if you’re having a summer wedding, it may be more cost-effective to book during the shoulder seasons (spring and fall) instead.
2. Pick your wedding venue
If you haven’t done so already, choose your venue(s). Do some research online or in magazines for places that would appeal to both of your tastes and then set up site visits with your top choices. It’s always better to view a place in person if possible, because you’ll be able to get a feel for the space and its surroundings.
3. Contact possible vendors
Make a list of potential vendors and do some price comparisons. This is where the wedding planning sites come in handy because they often have vendor lists sorted by location. If you’re not sure which ones to choose for catering, flowers, photography or any other services, take a look at what your friends recommend based on their own experiences with certain vendors, or ask your venue’s coordinator for suggestions. Plan to book for your guests’ transportation to the reception by hiring bus companies.
4. Choose a wedding theme
Once you’ve picked a date and venues, it’s time to start looking at potential wedding themes! If you’re not sure where to start with this one, Pinterest is the perfect place because there are so many boards devoted just to weddings! You can look through all of the ideas and see which one(s) you like best.
5. Have a list of your guests
Now that you’re done with the hard part, it’s time to get started on your guest list! If there are certain people who would be offended if they weren’t invited (such as exes or family members), make sure to include them because nobody wants a grumpy guest at their wedding. If you have a large family, try having two receptions so that each side of the family can spend time together without being overwhelmed by everyone in attendance.
6. Plan a good place for honeymoon
Don’t forget about your honeymoon! This is easily one of the most exciting parts because it’s something you’ll remember for years to come. Look into packages for resorts or cruises, and make sure to include some activities that you’d both enjoy.
7. Make a seating chart
Make a seating chart once your guest list is finalized so everyone knows where they’re sitting. If there are some people who don’t get along (such as exes), try putting them at opposite ends of the room from one another instead of having them sit next to each other.
8. Hand over your invitations
Address your invitations by hand so they look nice and personal instead of like something you printed off on the computer. If you don’t know how, there are plenty of tutorials online that will show you how to do it quickly! There’s no need to spend money on envelopes because pretty much any piece of paper will do.
9. Find wedding gowns/wedding attires
Look for the best wedding gowns of your liking, with the right price. Don’t forget to check out different types of wedding dresses with various prices, you might find something that would please your budget as well!
10. Select the best make-up artist
Make sure to contact a makeup artist for bridal makeup so it looks great on camera and is good for your skin too. Wedding day is not the time to try new skincare products or makeup hacks, not unless you want to risk the possibility of your skin breaking out after all that touching up!
11. Prepare for bridal parties
Have a great wedding day with fun bridal party ideas. All you need for this one is some creativity and lots of love to make it memorable no matter what!