Getting engaged is the easy part, but once you’ve said yes, it’s time to start planning the perfect wedding. Starting from the perfect venue and ending at the perfect dress, there is an entire wedding checklist that you need to prepare and get through.
Read on as we look at the different aspects of wedding planning, with a particular focus on finding the right venue because, without one, there’s really nothing to plan. Avoid cheap wedding venues, caterers, and more, just to stick to your budget and focus on creating the wedding of your dreams.
How to Plan the Perfect Wedding
Set Your Budget
If you have big plans, this conversation with your future spouse can be particularly tricky. You need to decide where you can splurge more and where you’ll have to compromise. You can limit your wedding catering to fewer dishes, but make sure not to compromise on your “perfect” venue (more on that ahead).
Decide Who to Invite
Prepare a guest list with your fiancé and make sure you’ve included friends and family from both sides. If it’s a small wedding, be careful not to add everyone you know – just invite the people closest to you. If you have a long guest list, make a column where you either know they’re coming for sure, maybe, or not at all. This will help you later on when you’re consulting caterers.
Set the Date & Prepare the Invites
When you’re planning your perfect wedding, you probably already have a date in mind. Whether it’s the day you got engaged, your spouse’s birthday, or just a particular season (summer, spring, etc.) that you prefer, look for a date that works for you and your close guests.
Once you’ve chosen the date, look at the wedding venues you’ve shortlisted and see which ones are available on your preferred dates. Be flexible by a few days if you want the right location. If the day can’t be switched around for whatever reason, look for new venues. Once you’ve finalized the place, you can get the wedding invites printed and send out save-the-dates to your guests so that you have an estimate of the number of people who will be attending.
Find the Right Venue
The Park Savoy Outdoor Ceremony[/caption]
Wedding locations are booked well in advance. Some people book a few months ahead while others may even make their booking a year or so in advance. Narrow down the type of venue you’re looking for by considering the following:
- Do you want an indoor wedding or an outdoor one?
- How many guests do you want to accommodate?
- Do you want a hotel or resort nearby for guests coming in from different cities/countries?
From resorts with rolling green grounds to barns with a rustic feel and elegant ballrooms straight out of a Disney movie, think of what you want.
With 360SiteVisit, you can look at multiple wedding venues within minutes from the comfort of your living room couch. Get a virtual tour of your favorite venues and save yourself plenty of time and effort since you won’t have to visit in person.
Decide on a Theme
Once you have the location, you can play with different ideas when it comes to what you want your wedding to look like. Firstly, decide among yourselves whether you want a formal wedding with a black-tie dress code or something more casual where you can enjoy yourselves with your loved ones around you.
Once you have settled on a theme, you can start looking into details like:
- Finding a caterer – connect with caterers near you in New Jersey here.
- Selecting the right band
- Selecting someone for the décor
- Hiring a florist – connect with florists near you in New Jersey here.
- Planning your wedding dance, etc.
The theme will help you decide on what you want in your wedding dress. If you have a traditional wedding, your dress will also be along the same lines. If it’s a more modern, minimalist event, your dress might be simpler and understated as well. If you have a particular theme, like country, you might add something related to it to your dress.
Along the same lines, your theme will also help you decide the type of wedding cake you should get. Will it be tall enough to reach the ceiling or just a few tiers high?
Hire a Photographer Look for the right photographer who will be able to create beautiful, lasting memories that you can open up on every anniversary. Make sure to hire somebody whose style closely matches your theme and your wedding plans. If you’ve looked through the photographer’s website and found multiple images that move you, then they’re the right fit.
Add a timeline to your wedding checklist to make sure you’re on track and you don’t miss out on anything important.
Frequently Asked Questions When You’re Planning a Wedding
Planning a wedding is no small task. We’ve answered some common questions that brides and grooms ask when they’re up to their eyeballs in wedding checklists, guest lists, and more.
Should I Hire a Wedding Planner?
Plenty of people are not meant to plan weddings on their own, and if you have a big budget, go ahead and get a wedding planner. However, make sure you’re there to make the crucial decisions and to have the final say.
For instance, if they’ve shortlisted venues based on your theme and number of guests, look through the venues to find the one you like best. Apart from that, hiring a wedding planner will really lighten your load and allow you to enjoy your wedding more. Just make sure they don’t compromise on your vision.
What Are Some Ideal Wedding Venues in New Jersey?
If you’re planning a Jersey wedding, here are some ideal locations that’ll help make your big day magical:
- Brooklake Country Club- with access to club facilities and an incredible ballroom, you can have your Cinderella wedding here.
- Florentine Gardens- A beautiful Georgian-style mansion in River Vale, NJ an elegant and sophisticated location for your wedding. The beautiful newly renovated Grand Ballroom with floor to ceiling windows give you a stunning look into the green gardens.
- The Palace Somerset Park- enjoy a regal indoor wedding with a beautiful outdoor ceremony where. You can step outside for your wedding photoshoot and get the best of both worlds.
- The Cart House- you can have a splendid indoor wedding and waterfront ceremony & enjoy the view of New York City. This venue is a particularly good choice for a nighttime wedding when the twinkling lights make the city view even more breathtaking.
These are just some of the many wedding venues in the New Jersey area. For more venues to inspire you, and to create your dream wedding, take a virtual tour at 360SiteVisit.
How Can I Make My Wedding Unique?
Pretty much all weddings have the same basic components- the bride walking down the aisle, the parents crying in the front row, and so on. But every couple wants their wedding to be a little something special. The important thing is to stick to what you like and want on your big day. Add personalized touches here and there. For instance, if it’s a small wedding, you can write a small handwritten note for each of your guests. Or get your best friend to sing you a special song. Anything that you like.
If you’re working with a wedding planner, make sure they’re in the loop about any of these extra details.
Don't forget to arrive in style a limo is defiantly the way to go limo find can help with this task.
Add a timeline to your wedding checklist to make sure you’re on track and you don’t miss out on anything important.
Wedding Planning Made Easy
Most of the time, planning a wedding can get really hectic, especially if you’re running around town trying to look at venues, getting in touch with caterers, trying different cakes, looking for photographers, and more.
With 360SiteVisit, planning a perfect wedding is really easy. You can get virtual tours of your favorite wedding venues and select them without having to schedule meetings and struggle with traffic. Apart from that, they also help you connect with vendors for services like catering, floral arrangements, music, dance lessons, photography, makeup, and many other categories that work together to bring your fantasy wedding to life.
As you continue to plan your wedding, make sure to enjoy the entire process. After all, you’re about to start a new life with the person you love, and you want to start it on a positive note. The entire wedding planning process is much easier and happier when you can find all the right vendors and people online.
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