11 Pro Tips on Planning the Perfect Wedding
When it’s time to plan a wedding, there are elements you absolutely need to have and others that will make welcome additions but are not an absolute necessity. You may already have a wedding checklist and a team of your close friends and family members helping you plan the perfect wedding, but we’re going to share some tips that will make the process much easier so that nothing is forgotten. It’s not okay to be unhappy on your own wedding day- read on as we address the main elements of your wedding, including venue and vendor selection, so that you can actually create lasting memories.
Wedding Planning Tips Here are some tips to help you plan your wedding and enjoy it so that you don’t have any regrets about your special day later on. Tip 1: Start With the Main Idea Many people make the mistake of looking at individual elements, like the location, catering menu, season, etc., and then piece together their wedding. If you’ve just gotten engaged, it’s a good idea to take your time deciding on the perfect theme and idea for your wedding. Are you looking for a casual beach wedding with a bonfire at night? Or a Disney wedding with an indoor ballroom under massive chandeliers? Once you have an idea to go on, you can look for caterers, venues, décor, and more that fit into it.
Tip 2: Divide the Items into 2 Lists- The Must-Haves & the Maybes
When it’s time to plan a wedding, there are elements you absolutely need to have and others that will make welcome additions but are not an absolute necessity. You may already have a wedding checklist and a team of your close friends and family members helping you plan the perfect wedding, but we’re going to share some tips that will make the process much easier so that nothing is forgotten. It’s not okay to be unhappy on your own wedding day- read on as we address the main elements of your wedding, including venue and vendor selection, so that you can actually create lasting memories.
Planning an entire wedding is not the most budget-friendly task on the planet, and while you might want to get monogrammed placeholders for every guest, you need to see if your budget has room for it. Before you start actively ticking things off your wedding checklist, divide it into 2 parts
- The elements that are absolutely necessary, like finding a venue, a caterer, a dress, the overall décor, etc.
- The elements that aren’t necessary, but would make lovely additions to your special day, like customized wedding favors, an array of different dishes on the menu, and so on.
Tip 3: Don’t Get Too Sentimental About the Date
Many brides and grooms are very stubborn about their wedding dates. Whether it’s a particular memory attached to it (such as an engagement anniversary) or it’s just their preferred season, they won’t be willing to budge. Not being flexible with the date can lead to two problems: firstly, your wedding may fall on a public holiday, event, or more which could make it difficult for many of your guests to get to your wedding in the first place (in such cases, you can also expect a delay in catering, wedding band, etc.). Secondly, you may end up forgoing the wedding venue that would have fit perfectly in your vision because it just wasn’t available on those days.
Tip 4: The Weather is Important in Venue Selection
With an indoor wedding, you don’t really have anything to worry about. But if you’re having an outdoor wedding, you need to be mindful of the weather. For instance, choosing an open-air ground at the peak of summer will wreak havoc on the bride’s makeup and have the guests sweating and exhausted before the fun has begun. Alternatively, choosing a cooler season for an outdoor venue works better.
Tip 5: Prioritize Your Guests & Your Venue
If your budget has the room for a grand wedding with a large guest count and all the fixings you’re looking for, you’re all set. However, if you’re managing a slightly tighter budget, you’ll need to sort out your priorities. Would you rather have a more intimate event that completes your vision for the big day, or would you rather invite more guests and have a simpler event? This depends entirely on what is more important to you, but just remember, if you’re inviting a few hundred guests, you should have the budget to entertain them as well.
Tip 6: Negotiate With the Vendors
From the wedding venue to the caterer to the band to the photographer, you’ll be signing contracts left and right. Before you seal the deal, talk to your vendors about any room for extras. Maybe the florist can add a wedding bouquet with your favorite flowers into the mix, or the photographer can give you an extra hour. Negotiating may end up getting your caterer to serve up an extra dish within the same budget for your original menu.
Tip 7: Don’t Be Afraid to Ask for Help
Even if you feel like you can do it all, planning a wedding can be an overwhelming task. If your budget is large and you are planning a grand event, you may even want to invest in hiring a wedding planner. Not only will they take care of everything for you, but they’ll give you multiple options for everything, such as the venue, etc. within your set budget. If you don’t want to hire a wedding planner, you can even have your own wedding squad where a few of your loved ones divide different tasks and help you tick them off.
Tip 8: Stay in Touch With Your Vendors
Around a week before the wedding, connect with all your vendors and suppliers to see that they’re on track. Feel free to get their suggestions when you’re making decisions. For instance, your caterer may suggest dishes that are likely to be crowd favorites.
Tip 9: Check in On Guests Coming From Out of Town
If a number of your close guest are coming in from different cities or countries, as the host, it’s ideal for you to make arrangements for their accommodation. If they’re not staying with you or other relatives, find out if your venue has accommodation. Some wedding venues like clubs and resorts have guest houses and rooms which you can rent for your guests.
Tip 10: Add a Personal Touch
In the flurry of putting together a wedding, don’t end up compromising on your wedding vision. Add personal elements that customize your wedding to fit your personality. This can be anything, from having a floating lantern ceremony at nightfall, to having a fun wedding slideshow, to having a creative photo booth with funny props so that your guests have a memento from your wedding (the last one can even double as a wedding favor!).
Tip 11: Make Sure to Enjoy Your Wedding to the Fullest
Yes, we know, it’s quite obvious, but you’d be surprised at the number of times brides have compromised on their comfort for a particular dress, and couples who didn’t get the chance to try the food at their own wedding because they were too busy dealing with vendor mishaps and guests. You’re putting in all the effort to create a magical event, make sure you have some fun too- a positive start to your new life together.
Focus on the Main Elements of the Wedding First
Planning a wedding involves a number of tasks: looking for a dress, finding the right menu, finding a wedding cake, selecting floral arrangements, and, most importantly, finding the right venue. Fortunately, you’re living in the 21st century where all of these tasks have been made easier for you.
Finding the Right Venue
The traditional style of hunting for a wedding venue is reading reviews, asking around, visiting websites, and then heading out to see multiple venues in different parts of the city.
360SiteVisit has made this process much easier for any happy couple living in the New Jersey area and beyond. Simply enter your zip code, and we’ll find all the locations near you. Once you’re in, you can narrow down your search based on your desired dates and your preference for an indoor/outdoor venue. From here on, 360SiteVisit offers a 3D interactive virtual tour of all the wedding venues. Observe what the venue looks like life without having to rush to multiple locations. Scour countless venues to find the perfect one and then head on down for a final look before signing your contract.
From indoor ballrooms like the one at Park Savoy Estate and Nanina’s in the Park to beautiful outdoor grounds like the one at Crystal Springs Resort and the Valley Regency, find the venue that’s perfect for your dream wedding.
360SiteVisit offers the complete wedding experience: apart from easily selecting a venue, you can take care of all the major items on your checklist here. We connect you to vendors in different categories, including:
- Florists
- Photographers
- Caterers
- Cake and dessert makers
- Wedding Transportation
- Wedding Entertainment
We make your wedding venue search easy and use our resources so that you can actually enjoy yourselves on your special day.
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