Engaged? Ready to start the planning of one of the most special days in your and your families life? The energy is flowing and you are reading every blog, looking at all kinds of magazines for ideas and inspiration? Do you feel like you could stay up forever doing research?
You are not alone. Most brides spend endless hours searching for the perfect location, talking to friends/family/co-workers about the celebration day upcoming...I say again, you are not alone.
What is the first thing an organized and level headed bride does to get the ball rolling? From my experience it is off to dress shops to find the "perfect!" gown. I think it is really important to go and see what lines look best on your body, what type of body improvement you might want as far as the gym and tightening up any loose areas the dress reveals.
In the past when social situations had us play dress up for imperial occasions you could see yourself in a full lengh party gown several times each social season. Now we are much more casual in dress when we go out to parties. And shoes, are they important or what? ...as most modern party gowns are not full length. Remember, in a wedding dress you need shoes that will support you for over 8 hours of standing. I repeat, keep your eyes out for the right shoes.
Get out there, look at yourself in the mirror and get a take on what the possibilies are. This is true fun. Also, an eye opener to know what a dress costs that makes you happy. Do you want to spend $1,000 or over $10,000 - available are dresses for many different price points. Are you an ethnic bride, where it may take travel to an exotic location to find your attire?
Then now let's settle in our chair, get on the computer and really start working, talking to trusted friends, and find a few wedding planning professionals to speak with - usually the first appointment is gratis so you can work out a relationship or move on - and get some meetings set up. Is your phone call returned promptly? Does whoever answers the phone seem to be interested in your well being? Wedding planning is such a personal job, and you want someone on your team that cares about you and is going to share time, materials and resources freely.
After you find someone you can work with, check, that is one budget consideration to put on the fire. Then start looking for locations. Your professional may have some great ideas and even be able to share a turn key budget from past experience to get you to a point where you can visit with your funding base about details. Do you need more flowers? How important is food to you? What are the top 3 most important aspects of your wedding for the bride and groom?
After you have your location chosen, there is a fantastic groundwork set so that organically you can work through details in a hierarchical order of importance. My big hits to get out of the way are: planner (of course), photographer, videographer, and entertainment. Most of these vendors can handle only one occasion per night, and there are only so many Saturdays in a year, but wait, are you a Sunday bride, so you don't have as much pressure to get Saturday vendors? ...so many decisions.
Now after you have your location you can really focus on a dress that allows for movement. Are you seen in a grand large ballroom? How do you look 300 feet away? Is there a special ceremony space with a long or short aisle? How long will the dress be seen from the back? Do you want to trouble yourself with a bustle or have a more manageable train? Are your dinner tables going to be close together or far apart? Check these details with your catering director or rental company for set-up details.
You are on the way. Many blessings to you. It is an honor to be part of so many special celebrations for families over the years. Take time to decompress, bride/groom be gentle with each other. It is not the only celebration in your life, so take it easy, it is just one of the most important and usually the first time you have entertained everybody all at once.
You are not alone. Most brides spend endless hours searching for the perfect location, talking to friends/family/co-workers about the celebration day upcoming...I say again, you are not alone.
What is the first thing an organized and level headed bride does to get the ball rolling? From my experience it is off to dress shops to find the "perfect!" gown. I think it is really important to go and see what lines look best on your body, what type of body improvement you might want as far as the gym and tightening up any loose areas the dress reveals.
In the past when social situations had us play dress up for imperial occasions you could see yourself in a full lengh party gown several times each social season. Now we are much more casual in dress when we go out to parties. And shoes, are they important or what? ...as most modern party gowns are not full length. Remember, in a wedding dress you need shoes that will support you for over 8 hours of standing. I repeat, keep your eyes out for the right shoes.
Get out there, look at yourself in the mirror and get a take on what the possibilies are. This is true fun. Also, an eye opener to know what a dress costs that makes you happy. Do you want to spend $1,000 or over $10,000 - available are dresses for many different price points. Are you an ethnic bride, where it may take travel to an exotic location to find your attire?
Then now let's settle in our chair, get on the computer and really start working, talking to trusted friends, and find a few wedding planning professionals to speak with - usually the first appointment is gratis so you can work out a relationship or move on - and get some meetings set up. Is your phone call returned promptly? Does whoever answers the phone seem to be interested in your well being? Wedding planning is such a personal job, and you want someone on your team that cares about you and is going to share time, materials and resources freely.
After you find someone you can work with, check, that is one budget consideration to put on the fire. Then start looking for locations. Your professional may have some great ideas and even be able to share a turn key budget from past experience to get you to a point where you can visit with your funding base about details. Do you need more flowers? How important is food to you? What are the top 3 most important aspects of your wedding for the bride and groom?
After you have your location chosen, there is a fantastic groundwork set so that organically you can work through details in a hierarchical order of importance. My big hits to get out of the way are: planner (of course), photographer, videographer, and entertainment. Most of these vendors can handle only one occasion per night, and there are only so many Saturdays in a year, but wait, are you a Sunday bride, so you don't have as much pressure to get Saturday vendors? ...so many decisions.
Now after you have your location you can really focus on a dress that allows for movement. Are you seen in a grand large ballroom? How do you look 300 feet away? Is there a special ceremony space with a long or short aisle? How long will the dress be seen from the back? Do you want to trouble yourself with a bustle or have a more manageable train? Are your dinner tables going to be close together or far apart? Check these details with your catering director or rental company for set-up details.
You are on the way. Many blessings to you. It is an honor to be part of so many special celebrations for families over the years. Take time to decompress, bride/groom be gentle with each other. It is not the only celebration in your life, so take it easy, it is just one of the most important and usually the first time you have entertained everybody all at once.
