You’ve watched the reality TV shows and you’ve perused every bridal magazine. You have the exact idea of how you want your wedding to look like. But the harsh reality of the cost of a wedding starts to hit you as you begin to talk with wedding vendors. Little did you know that the tablescape you’re dreaming of costs $3,500 per table!
So how can you plan your perfect wedding while keeping your wedding budget under control?
Amid all the other decisions surround one of the most important days in your life is whether you want to have a wedding video and/or videography. The answer might not be completely clear to you at first. For a some, they know without a doubt that they will make sure they have one! Most people really would like to have a wedding video but don t plan it into their budget early on and end up saying, it just isn t in our budget . Just think about it for a minute. You have spent an enormous amount of time planning just about every detail of you wedding day but have you considered the days following and how you will remember everything and share it with others?
When my husband and I got engaged in December 2008 we immediately started discussing what we wanted to do for our big day and within hours we knew that we wanted to have a destination wedding. We decided that we wanted to have our wedding on 1*10*10. We chose that date because it was easy to remember, it would be before the busy season (less expensive!) and our friends and family would have a new batch of vacation days so most should be able to come! We had our sights set on Playa del Carmen, Mexico because we knew it was a beautiful location and it wasn’t super expensive. We really wanted to be able to have our friends and family there with us.
One of our toughest tasks was finding a resort that would allow our 75 guests (yes, 75!) to celebrate with us without having to pay extra. We found that Sandos Caracol was the winner! They had very reasonable rates, a great kid's section for our family that had kids and they wouldn't charge us extra for having 75 guests! The only thing that would have been extra was a private reception so we chose to party in one of the bars with anyone that wanted to join.
The ring is purchased, the question is popped, and you’ve made the decision of your lives—to spend them together. As a couple, you’ve gotten yourselves this far, but another question soon comes up—can we do this? Whether you’re dreaming of a traditional wedding with a black-tie reception, a bohemian gathering at an art gallery, or a barefoot beachfront start to your lives together, the details can be overwhelming. From the guest list to the last dance, planning even the simplest wedding requires time and dedication that few busy brides and grooms have to spare. Enter, the wedding planner.
"Planning even the simplest wedding requires time and dedication"
You know you have had days where you wish you had a personal assistant. No better day to actually have one than your wedding day! A personal attendant makes sure the bride doesn’t have to do anything but enjoy her day. She (or he) stays at the bride’s side all day and isn’t relieved of her duty until the reception. She (or he) will also have an emergency kit on hand for any last minute issues and will make sure that the bride’s day goes off without a hitch.
I have been a personal attendant multiple times for close friends and family members and I take my job as a personal attendant very seriously. I treat my brides like they are one of my clients. It’s all about an attention to detail and making sure the bride is nothing but smiles all day long. It’s a very important job. Think of it as being just as important as a bridesmaid but she gets to pick her own dress. Plus, she doesn’t have to be in a million photos so her face won’t hurt either… Bonus!
So you are starting to plan your wedding....right? There are so many thoughts, ideas, and questions flying through your mind. Where do you start? Here is a simple way to get started.
1. Set a Budget
It is important to set a budget for your wedding right away. Whether you, your fiance, your parents or his parents are going to be paying for your wedding, be sure to sit down and discuss the amount of money you're allowed to spend.
The average cost of a wedding in the United States is around $25,000. It's okay to have a less-expensive wedding that you and your fiance can afford. A wedding planner can help you stay within your budget.
Forever Bride shares a short recap from the Twin Cities Wedding Professionals meeting at The Van Dusen Mansion. We were lucky to get some great tips from wonderful wedding experts! Brides take a look and see what you can take away to make planning your wedding fun and easy!
Author: Kaitlin Keller | Director of Content | Forever Bride
As a little girl you dream about your wedding day, the way your dress is going to look coming down a flight of marble stairs, your husband (tall dark and handsome) standing up by his groomsmen waiting for you to walk down the isle, and all your wedding guests complimenting you right and left on what a great wedding it is.
But when your husband's best man drinks a little bit too much, destroys the DJ's sound system, drops his beer glasses all over the dance floor (3 times), and rips his rental tux... you may have to do damage control. (hopefully that NEVER happens)
How to prevent any of your guests from getting out of control:
Join Forever Bride's host, Amanda Day, as she walks and talks with brides about January 2012 The Wedding Fair by The Twin City Bridal Association.
Author: Kaitlin Keller | Director of Content | Forever Bride