Facts About Wedding Planners

The responsibilities of a wedding planner are some of the most important leading up to and on the day of a wedding. These professionals often juggle coordinating multiple rehearsal dinners, weddings, and receptions at one time. As many weddings are typically planned up to a year in advance, the wedding planner must be an extremely organized and time-oriented person. For those interested in becoming or learning more about wedding planning, here is some information:

There are many steps involved in coordinating a wedding with a planner. The planner must meet with the couple to plan out the events that will happen preceding, during, and after the wedding, as well as the budget, colors, and general style of the couple. This initial meeting is very important for the planner, as it will begin to outline the wedding events and all the details that must accompany this special occurrence.

Some wedding planners choose to "specialize" in a certain area. While they are well-rehearsed in all areas of wedding planning, some may be extremely organized and detail-oriented, while others have fantastic style taste that will help with choosing the wedding gown, bridesmaid dresses, groomsmen tuxedos, flowers, lighting, invitations, etc. Still others may have experience in counseling and negotiation, which may be useful if the bride/groom/parents are having trouble agreeing on certain aspects.

Many planners have favorite vendors they like to recommend to couples. Listening to these recommendations could be a good idea, as the vendors are likely to have a good relationship with the planner. Even if you don't choose a specific vendor due to cost or a date conflict, asking for other recommendations could lead to an even better vendor arrangement.

On a side note for couples: you should always make sure your planner is or can become very acquainted with your wedding venue. If they don't take the time to visit the space and talk to the venue manager/person in charge, they won't understand specifics such as who can be used as vendors, what time they can set up, when people need to leave, and exactly how much space can be used. To planners: visit the venue! Ask a lot of questions, and maybe read up on the venue beforehand.

For those who are considering becoming wedding planners, understanding a few desirable characteristics may be very helpful. When looking for a wedding planner, many people ask other married couples for recommendations. Always end an event-driven relationship on a good note! Be attentive, responsive, and accessible.

While there is no mandatory education for becoming a wedding planner, special training can be extremely beneficial. Taking a course to become a certified wedding planner can help others to feel more comfortable about your experience and credibility. Many courses may also be available through elearning, which will allow for flexibility and easy accessibility in obtaining certification.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Cee_Rose/1891090

Destination Wedding Planning

So, you're beginning to plan your wedding. Exciting, isn't it? First you have to pick the venue for your ceremony. Luckily you chose one that won't break the bank. Next there's the venue for the reception. Uh-oh, the bank's starting to bulge around the seams. That's okay; everything will be fine as long as you keep the guest list down. Hopefully Aunt Gladys' branch of the family won't mind if they're not...

Oh, they do mind.

And so does your cousin's ex-girlfriend's brother and his family. And your boss and her husband and three kids. Pretty soon your dental hygienist is perturbed that she's not invited. Don't look now, but your wedding budget's going to explode. It's about this time you wish you could just skip the wedding and go straight to the honeymoon on some tranquil island somewhere. Right?

Hm...maybe you can. It's called eloping. Or, in some circles, a destination wedding with just the two of you.

It seems more and more people are foregoing the traditional big wedding for a smaller affair in some exciting destination with just the bride and groom, or perhaps a small number of close family members. And, why not. With the high price of wedding planning these days, a destination wedding or eloping just makes sense.

Of course, just because you've opted for eloping or a small destination wedding doesn't mean you can throw your wedding planning checklist away. It's just a smaller checklist. Let's review what might be on your destination wedding planning checklist:

1. Choosing a Destination

This is the fun part. You have many fun choices before you. You can get married:

In a hot-air balloon over Colorado.

At Disneyland.

On a beach in Southern California with just you, your partner, the wedding officiant, and a million dollar view that's costing you nothing.

On a roller coaster in New Jersey.

While snorkeling in Maui.

Overlooking Niagara Falls.

While bungee jumping in Las Vegas.

At a historic inn in Vermont.

While planning the location for your destination wedding or elopement, do keep in mind the time of year you'll be getting married. You can keep the costs down considerably if you go during the off-season of the chosen location.

2. Make the Travel Plans

Making your travel plan far ahead of time will also cut down on costs. Also, be creative when considering the mode of travel. Maybe you could travel by train instead of by plane. A train can add some more romance to your wedding plans.

3. The Legal Issues

You need to check on the laws governing marriage in your chosen location. If you're a U.S. citizen and you plan on getting married in another country, for example, be sure to research what documentation you might need. There might also be a longer waiting period from getting your marriage license to actually marrying. Also, make sure you have your passport up to date.

4. The Wedding Officiant

5. The Photographer

6. Cake and Champagne

Whatever location you choose, be it a New England inn or bungee jumping in Las Vegas, you will probably find a company which will provide the wedding officiant, photographer and cake and champagne, as well as limousine transportation to the ceremony site. Be sure to ask if they're included in your package. If not, make sure you have them all lined up before your ceremony.

An elopement or destination wedding can be good for your budget and your stress level. And, if your Aunt Gladys is mad because she's not invited, bring her back something from Maui. That should keep her happy.

Shari Hearn is a writer and creator of Destination Wedding and Ski Vacation [http://www.skivacation411.com] websites.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Shari_Hearn/29586

Benefits of Hiring a Wedding Planner

Every couple wants their wedding to be perfect and they take all the measures to ensure that it is the most beautiful day of their lives. But it might be possible that the stress and burden of wedding preparations can ruin your dream wedding. This is the reason many couples are opting to hire the services of a professional wedding planner.

A good and professional wedding planner can relieve you of all the stress. They can help plan small, medium or large scaled weddings based on your budget. They ensure that the whole wedding takes place without a hitch.

There are several benefits of hiring a professional wedding planner:

- Ideas- A professional can offer you with new and imaginative ideas to stage your wedding. He knows all the ways to efficiently utilize your budget and won't make the common mistakes that people usually do. You can turn to them at any point for advice and discussions to make sure that your wedding is exactly the way you dreamt it to be.

- Less Work and Stress- To have someone who can take care of each and every aspect of the wedding right from beginning to end can take a lot of stress off your hands. He will plan everything as per your wishes adding his own imagination to make it better. He will also supervise everything on the wedding day so that you can focus on other important things. They are aware of all the problems that can come up during the wedding and know ways to deal with them.

- Connections- Professional wedding planners have connection with all the local services that are required for the wedding. They have contacts with caterers, reception hall owners and other service providers and can get you discount for these services. This way you can get food and reputable services and saves you from the trouble of testing different companies.

- Saves Time and Money- Professional planners can arrange weddings in shortest time period and can get you good deals and discounts on various services. Budget remains a very important factor in every wedding and a good event planner will make the best use of the given budget in planning the wedding.

It is important to take into consideration the reputation while looking for a wedding planner. You can look at the testimonials and also the photos of the weddings that have been managed by the planner. Having a wedding planner ensures that you don't have to run around making arrangements.

A wedding planner [http://whisperevents.com.au/] can help arrange your wedding in the best possible manner. Visit our website for more information on wedding planner Sydney [http://whisperevents.com.au/].

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Brandon_A/1200316

Past Great Recommendations for Brides

Don't be overwhelmed with all of the posts that have been made over these past few months. I will highlight them below, with explanations of what each are about to make it easier for new followers.

• I just got engaged... now what? 
• For brides that are currently soooo confused when it comes to what to even begin with when starting to plan.
• Wedding Timeline... What's That?
• For anyone who has no clue what a wedding timeline is and how it could benefit them.
• Review on The Knot: Ultimate Wedding Planner and Checklist
• My take on why I believe The Knot is so awesome.
• 3 Reasons Why a Wedding Timeline is Important
• You're probably wondering what the point is for a wedding timeline.... well check this one out. 
• Lisa Vorce- The Legend 
• Check out how amazing Lisa Vorce is. 
• Interview with Bri Driggers, a Wedding Coordinator
• Find some interesting interview questions and answers with Bri Driggers!
• Wedding Planning: Top 10 Do's and Don'ts
• Here are some of the most important do's and don'ts while you're planning your wedding
• "Happiest Day of My Life"... yeah, right
• A rant about how stressful weddings really are and the truth about planning them.
• Wedding Planning in the Future
• What will the future be like?? Find out what I think in this blog
• Sparkler Send Offs--- NOT as good of an idea as ya think
• Although they may be super awesome, find out why I don't think sparkler send offs are a great idea
• The Problem with RSVP's 
• They're supposed to be super helpful, find out why they sometimes aren't in this post
• Destination Weddings v.s. Weddings near Home
• Debating on destination v.s. a wedding in your hometown? This will show some of the positives and negatives of both
• "Your wedding couldn't have been any more perfect!!"
• How great would this feel? Read this one to find out how to get all your guests to make this comment.
• First Look- Do I have one or not? 
• Check out some positives and negatives of having a first look
• What if my wedding sucks? 
• How to not be worried about your wedding not going how you think it will according to other people's comments/ opinions.

What if my wedding sucks?

A lot of people are always so worried about what other people think, not about how they see things. This is just part of how humans are and behave. The issue with this is that we worry about things that are completely irrelevant because of this. Some people may worry that their wedding “sucks”. Which I don’t even know why this should be a thought, because they are marrying the love of their life… why in the world would it suck?

They may just be thinking about what others think about it. Maybe the DJ won’t play enough music that so-and-so likes so they won’t have a good time, maybe the food isn’t good enough for your grandma who is an amazing cook, etc. These things should not worry a bride and groom one bit. This is THEIR DAY, nobody else’s. They should not be worried about anything besides being happy and enjoying the company of their loved ones.

The thought, “what if my wedding day sucks” should never, ever, come into a bride or grooms mind at any part in the planning process. They should only worry about themselves, and not about the hypothetical “if”, because the reality of it is that the day hasn’t even happened yet and they should be looking forward to it, not dreading it. If they are really worried about something, then I am 100% sure there are preventatives to make them feel better about whatever they are worried about. There can always be a preventative measure. Bottom line is that their wedding day is about them, nobody else.

First Look- Do I have one or not?

Would you want to have a “first look” on your wedding day? There are positives and negatives to this, but I think that it is the most convenient way to plan you day. Reason being that you can get all of your bridal party photos done early in the day before the ceremony even begins. That way you can just get photos with the wedding party during the beginning of the cocktail hour and enjoy the rest of cocktail hour with your guests before the reception begins and start to mingle.

Although, there are negatives too. It removes all of the suspense of waiting to see your husband/wife until they walk down the aisle. This suspense is part of the huge reveal, and it makes for a spectacular moment once you two lay eyes on each other- it all begins to feel so real all of a sudden.

But- you can still have that suspense before the first look, am I right? So that’s the same thing! But no… it’s not, because nobody else is around besides your photographers. When you wait to see each other until the ceremony, all of your guests are embracing that moment with you. If you have a first look, it is just you two and is very private. So, you’d think everyone would want to be more private about it right? Might as well, since you’ll save so much more time getting those photos out of the way so you can enjoy the day after your ceremony! I don’t know, I suppose it depends on the person but there are huge positives and negatives of both!

"Your wedding couldn't have been any more perfect!!!"

“Your wedding couldn’t have been any more perfect!” is a sentence that every bride wants to hear after her wedding day. After all of that planning, that’s all that truly matters- that she had the perfect day, and others thought the same. You never want people to know that anything went wrong or some things didn’t go as planned. Everything needs to always be known as being perfect.

I have seen many weddings since becoming a wedding coordinator. Almost every single one of them, I have had guests come up to me saying “this couldn’t have been any more perfect! You guys did such an amazing job.” This is what it comes down to at the end of the day. It doesn’t matter how much work or time you put in. When it’s all said and done, all you want is that end wow factor.

If you follow the posts I have made about some key things you need to remember to consider on your special day, everyone will be saying how perfect everything was. It isn’t hard, and it may seem like a lot but if you put your time and effort where it needs to be, it will all be worth it in the end and everyone will consider this to be the most perfect wedding they have attended. After all, isn’t that the end goal? You want the perfect day, and you want your guests to think it was just as perfect as you did. It is all going to be worth it in the end, I promise!

Destination Weddings versus Weddings near Home

Once you get married, you must make the decision of where you want to get married. Some people enjoy having destination weddings, or just completely eloping. Others enjoy having a wedding near home so more people will be in attendance. There are negatives and positive to both.

Destination weddings can be very expensive, and most of the time you may not have a bridal party because some people cannot afford to go. Although, some may give their bridal party a while in advance to save the money up in order to be in attendance. That is a huge negative when it comes to eloping. The positive about destination weddings is that you can make sure to only have/invite people come who mean the most to the both of you. Since it is going to be a smaller group of people, it makes it a lot more intimate versus having a large wedding with a bunch of people you may feel like you are obligated to invite. 

Getting married around home can also be very expensive, depending on how many people you invite and venues, etc. However, a large negative is that it may not be as intimate as an elopement. You may feel obligated to invite people that have invited you to their weddings, or people that are friends with your parents, etc. so there are more and more people being added to your guest list, and the less intimate it is. A huge positive is that the people you do invite are more likely to be able to make it since it is not going to cost them a lot of pocket money in order to leave the country or state.

The type of wedding you have just depends on the couple and what they feel is the best decision for them. There are positives and negatives to both decisions! 

One thing you cannot forget if you have a destination wedding is an "I Do Weddings" Flask! They are $20.39 and can be found here, I Do Weddings Flask. Get yours today! Cheers!

The Problem with RSVP's

RSVP’s are a huge deal for weddings, and most people do not understand this. When they receive an RSVP, they should know that means that they need to give a yes or no answer about their attendance. They are so important for many different ways. It is very disrespectful to not take the time to send it back or let them know whether or not they will not be there. The problem is that most of the time, people think they are just a guidance. “Oh, you really don’t need to respond to this, they already know we’re coming” UM… that’s fine if they already know, but the whole point of an RSVP is to get a final count on numbers.

Venues, rental companies, and vendors all need to know the final numbers for the wedding so they can get the correct invoices out for the wedding. If numbers are off and you end up paying for 30 more chairs than you needed, then you may be out as much as $90, depending on the type of chair, and that does not include the amount of overcharge for food. Wedding numbers are usually due 2-3 weeks before the actual date of the wedding, and this is why. Everyone needs to remember that RSVP’s are an important step in a wedding, and they should not be taken as something to maybe fill out. They need to be taken seriously, for the sake of the Bride and Groom, since weddings are costly as it is, your family does not want to be the reason they are overcharged since you didn’t RSVP.

A great idea to remind your guests is to put a sticker with every RSVP so it is a constant reminder that they need to respond! Get yours here, I Do Weddings Sticker! The plus is that it comes in a pack of 10 so you can buy in packs for $26.99! 

Sparkler Send Offs--- NOT as good of an idea as ya think

Sparkler send offs look like such a great idea when you see the beautiful pictures that come out of them. But those photos you see are taken in the middle of what could be one of the hardest things to coordinate. If you think about sparklers… you need to hold them for at least 5-10 seconds to a lighter for them to light. Now imagine having to do this with 200+ people at a wedding… at the SAME TIME. It’d be a lot easier if they did not have to be lit all at once, but it’s tricky. You need them all lit at the same time to do the send off.

Now also keep in mind that the send offs are at the end of the night, so what has everyone been doing beforehand? DRINKING! So now try to get 200+ people that may have been drinking for the past 3 hours to all listen to you at once while holding sparklers, and trying to make sure they all are lit at once as well.

Another difficult factor is the weather. If it’s windy, there’s no way a sparkler send off would be easy as pie. You must then try and get the sparklers not only lit, but to stay lit. Um, it seems like an easy task but add in the fact that there may only be a few different lighters available.

Sparkler send offs seem like this great idea if you see them on Pinterest, but there is a lot that goes into them and I am not a huge fan because it is just ridiculous trying to get it all to work, and to work well. Hats off to you if you try to make it work and do it well!

Instead, why don't you get all of your guests to take a shot! Get your "I Do Wedding" shot glasses here, I Do Weddings Shot Glass for only $8.39! It would be a great cheers for the new Mr. and Mrs.!

Wedding Planning in the Future

I believe that planning a wedding in the future years to come will be a lot easier than it is now. Usually if you don’t have a planner for your wedding now, it seems to be a lot harder than to just pay the amounts of money planners ask of you. Since there is so much that goes into a wedding, it almost might be easier to fork out that money.

However, with times changing and technology evolving, I believe that there will be online people that will be able to plan your wedding for you without you even leaving your home. You would just have to choose your venue, cake, etc. on your own and give them the contact information for the people you chose to book with. You wouldn’t have to do anything but supply that, and email back and forth questions of preferences for your special day.

Everything else would be taken care of by someone else on the other end of an email. They would contact vendors, catering, and such without needing you, the bride. This could allow you to have such a more relaxed planning experience since all you would need to do is respond back to emails every now and then.

I think that there’s a lot evolving in this industry already as far as outlines online that can be filled out by the bride herself, but no true online planners that allow them to do their work all from home without much help from the bride. I believe this may be coming in the near future!

"Happiest Day of My Life" ..... yeah, right

“So, people talk about your wedding day as being “the happiest day of your life” … sometimes it doesn’t seem like it. Do these people realize that it takes almost a YEAR to plan this one special day?! Come on, how is that supposed to make me feel okay? I’m spending at least 365 days to plan this ONE day, what happens if it’s not exactly how I want it to be? What if things go wrong? What if EVERYTHING goes wrong? This is the definition of stress.

How am I supposed to enjoy planning this if I am not sure if it’s even going to go well? What happens if I forget a HUGE detail that ruins the whole day? It seems like the most stressful thing in the world, but I guess time will tell. Especially since it’s taking up a bunch of time to plan. I guess it’s one big waiting game.

Yes, there is a lot that goes into planning, but I should be enjoying this… and why am I not? What am I doing wrong? Did I make the wrong choice? How am I supposed to pick between navy blue and midnight blue? I GIVE UP!!!”

If you’re feeling this way, you are NOT alone. B-R-E-A-T-H-E. Everyone worries about these things, and it is totally normal. The only way to not feel this way is to remember that you are marrying the love of your life, and no matter what goes wrong, nothing is changing that. There should be some calming factor there for you!

Wedding Planning: Top 10 Do's and Don'ts

There are many different ways to look at wedding planning, and I think that analyzing the different do's and don'ts makes it a little easier on someone who's planning their special day on their own without a planner! Kaitlin Perata wrote a fantastic article, The Top 10 Do's and Don'ts of Wedding Planning and I fully agree with everything she says! 

She makes a great point, making sure to let people know not to hire their friends or family to be the photographer, and to not arrange your own flowers or bake your own cake. Most of these things brides wouldn’t even think twice about, and she goes into further detail about why you shouldn’t do these things.

Another good point she makes is to not wear brand new shoes on your wedding day! This is another minor detail that most of the time isn’t thought about, and can actually stress you out and make you crabby and uncomfortable the whole day. You’re going to be on your feet A LOT and wearing a new pair of shoes is not the right way to go about it!

I personally believe the best point she makes is to not feel obligated to choose your bridal party. Just because you were in someone else’s wedding, doesn’t mean they have to be in yours. This choice should be one of the easiest ones… it should be the most genuine people up there with you helping you make your day all the more special.

Kristin makes some great points that I think you could benefit from! Enjoy her blog and let me know what you think!

Interview with Bri Driggers, a Wedding Coordinator

Bri has been a Wedding Coordinator at Palace Events for 6 months now, and loves weddings! She has such a strong passion for every little detail that makes a brides day perfect and even better than expected. Here are some key points I took away from our interview: 

• What do you think is the most important part of planning a wedding and why?

"The most important part of planning a wedding would definitely have to be attention to detail. Having a coordinator isn’t always necessary but it’s nice because they put all the details together for you. On your big day, the last thing you want to worry about is some little detail that you didn’t think of months ago. Having a backup plan for weather and making sure all of your vendors are on the same page are just a couple details that a lot of people forget about."

• What do you think is the best way to organize planning a wedding and why?

"The best way to organize planning a wedding would probably be to have a coordinator do it for you honestly. The only way you’ll have a totally stress-free wedding day is if you have every detail worked out beforehand. There are also a lot of great wedding checklists on Pinterest and books you can buy to plan your own wedding! Organization is key, though. It is also important to get started early! I would say a year before the date you picked is a good time to already have a bit of a plan and start hiring vendors and scheduling everything, but it’s a constant process for that whole year. If you’re planning on being in charge of your own wedding and not hiring a coordinator, it’s important that you are constantly on top of your planning and working every possible detail out."

Lisa Vorce- The Legend

Lisa Vorce is a Celebrity Wedding Planner. She can create the perfect wedding day anywhere your heart desires. She loves to do this in new destinations and cultures. New design challenges “feed her soul.” She also loves her clients and will do anything for them. The way she creates a deep connection with them is by communication. She communicates with them on a deeper level so that she can design and produce events that are filled with their personalities.

She says that her job is never done until she creates a flawless event and hears “This is the best event we’ve ever been to!” from multiple guests. Lisa has created Lisa Vorce Co. and has a wonderfully talented team and select vendors. She says, “they are creative geniuses, and they are fearless” and would not do anything without them. They are a close-knit team.

Lisa has been in business for close to 18 years. Before becoming a celebrity wedding planner, she was working for Intel and IBM. She quickly realized sitting at a desk was not her calling. Shortly after, she began throwing parties for her husband’s uncle, a well-known talent agent, and fell in love with creating wonderful memories for people through events.

She rarely looks at what others are doing in this competitive industry, and believes that if you are passionate about what you do, success will follow. Reaching this level of success may be difficult to think about now, but making sure you remember to be passionate about creating your own perfect wedding day can make all the difference. You may even find a new talent and passion like Lisa Vorce did and continue to do it for others!

Here is the link to her website: Lisa Vorce

3 Reasons Why a Wedding Timeline is Important

A wedding timeline is one of the most important things every wedding should have. I explained this in a previous Blog; however, I am going to list out 3 specific reasons why they are so important.

1. Organization. There’s a lot that goes into a wedding- the ceremony, cocktail hour, reception, etc. You do not want things to go wrong just due to a minuscule hiccup in the schedule. Everyone in charge of something during the wedding day should have a timeline on hand always so they all know what is going on. Keeping things organized is most important and will make everything flow.
2. Flow. Without a timeline, things will be chaotic and confusing. If there’s a set time schedule for things, then there will be a good flow to the wedding. For example, the DJ can make sure they are ready to make an announcement for people to take their seats since the food will be served shortly since they have a timeline of this information and won’t have to search around for the catering company to ask them these things.
3. Stress-free. The last thing a bride wants on her wedding day is to be stressed. This should be the happiest day of her life, not one of the most stressful. With a timeline, everything is already planned out and communicated to everyone, and there should be no questions needing to be asked to the bride. Nobody wants the bride running around trying to find the rest of the bridal party for the reception. This will already be communicated and put into the timeline and everyone that needs to know will know exactly when the wedding party will be lined up and ready to be announced for the reception.

A LOT goes into planning a wedding, but I fully believe that a wedding timeline will allow for a more organized and stress-free wedding. 

Review on The Knot: Ultimate Wedding Planner and Checklist

There are so many different Wedding Planner Books and Checklists out there that people never know which one to buy! That’s why I’m here. I’m going to tell you that the one made from The Knot is top notch! 

I love this book and think that the way they organize it makes the most sense compared to other books available to you out there. There is a whole lot that goes into wedding planning, which I’m sure you already know, but having all the contact information on the first few pages so it is easy to find is the best way to do it! There is also a “wedding style worksheet” that can include a rough estimate on how many guests you’d like to attend, which season you’d like to have it in, etc. which is kind of what I spoke about in a previous Blog! These types of questions are vague and don’t have to be super specific right off the bat because you have time to decide things and set them in stone later. 

I think that this book organizes it in a way that allows it to be easily read and filled out. Other books out there get straight down to business and sometimes this can be overwhelming for a new bride that has a lot of decisions to make. This might work for some people, but I think that The Knot is the best choice for a newly engaged, busy, and excited bride! What do you think? Do you have a book that is maybe even better than this one?

Wedding Timeline... What's that?

A timeline is an essential component to the perfect wedding day. It shows exactly what time things are going to happen throughout the ceremony, cocktail hour, and reception. A wedding timeline is important to have because you can then give it to the caterers, DJ, officiant, and anyone in charge at the venue that should know what is going on. It can be a rough estimate on times; for example, if you assume the ceremony will be done at 4:30 and it is done at 4:35, that’s not a big deal. It just is a template of what is going on around those times, and what will be happening next.

If you have ever been to a wedding that is very unorganized, it is most likely because they do not have a timeline to go by and everyone is on different pages. To avoid this issue, you should always make a tentative timeline so things can flow smoothly.

The timeline can include things as small as when a toast will be happening to as large as when the exchanging of vows will be taking place. The more you include in your wedding timeline, the better. Including names of songs, the order of procession and recession of the bridal party, and even the order of tables being dismissed for dinner can help create the perfect day. If something ever goes wrong, you can always look back at the timeline to see what you missed or skipped over. It can help in many ways and is one of the most important components for creating the perfect wedding day!

I just got engaged... now what?

Getting engaged is the first step in starting the rest of your life with your significant other. After the engagement... then what? Sometimes it all happens so fast and you don't stop to think about the things that need to happen first. Here's a list of steps that can point you in the right direction: 

1. GET EXCITED!! This is the start of the rest of your life with your love. 
2. Don't Panic! It is a lot to think about, but things are going to be easy if you just relax and be calm throughout the process.
3. Pick a time of year that you would like your wedding to take place-- you do not need a date quite yet.
4. Decide whether you would like an indoor or outdoor wedding. Remember, you always need a backup plan if the weather is not on your side! 
5. Now is the time to go and see some possible venues! Pick out 3-5 places you'd like to see, and remember to keep an open mind.
6. Pick the “I do” date! This should be easy, since you have decided the general time of year you’d like to get married.
7. Get some pictures of you and your love and send out “save the date” cards to your friends and family that you’d like to share the special day with.
8. Go dress shopping with your favorite gal pals and look for a wedding dress, and possibly bridesmaid dresses as well.
9. Make appointments with floral shops and cake/catering places to see what types of floral arrangements and food offerings they have for weddings.
10. REMEMBER TO KEEP SMILING- this should be a fun process, and this is only the beginning!!

About I Do Weddings

Hi, I am Court, and I write IDoWeddingsBlog to help future brides get the help and resources they need to have the perfect wedding day while still being reminded to have fun and be stress-free! I am a college Senior graduating in May and started working for a wedding planning company in 2017 as an intern and fell in love with weddings, and everything that goes behind the scenes of that special day. I am now a planner with many experiences from past weddings. Unfortunately, it seems that most brides are busy enough while planning a wedding which makes it hard to meet in person with a specific planner, or it is just too pricey and can’t fit in their budget. I started writing this blog to help brides with the planning process by giving them tips and reminders of things that cannot be forgotten on their special day without breaking the bank. There are many details that need to be remembered throughout the process of planning a wedding. Don’t worry, I will cover almost every single one from checklists to reminders and everything in between! Every bride wants that “I do” date to be picture-perfect, and what better way for that to be done than by the bride herself? Take all the credit for your special day, and make sure to check in to my future blog posts for planning help and tools to have the most memorable day yet. To contact me, please email idoweddings2018@gmail.com