The Bride’s Guide to Easy Wedding Planning

By the avenue banquet hall

The Stress-Free Way to Have a Perfect Day

Timeline

Once you are engaged, you choose your wedding date and set your

timeline for planning your perfect wedding. The steps you take are the

same regardless of the length of time you have to plan. If you have

less than three months before your big day, you might have to rush

with some elements. This guide will help you step through the wedding

planning details successfully, whether you plan a simple wedding or an

extravaganza.

There are some tasks that you have to start early:

Setting the date

Finding the location for the wedding and for the reception

Building a guest list

Sending invitations

Choosing a theme

Planning the menu

And some that are ongoing. The first task is:

Announcing Your Engagement

Placing the engagement announcement in a newspaper was the

traditional method for getting the message out but social media has

become an acceptable alternative or additional method. Some people

send out emails, or set up a dedicated website or Facebook page

announcing their engagement.

An elegant and old-fashioned method is sending out handwritten notes

to your friends and family. If you prefer, you can have announcements

printed and mailed out.

Mini Checklist

Write Announcement

Include date: Yes or No

Send Announcement

Setting the Date

Hand in hand with announcing your engagement is setting the date

and time for your wedding. You can announce your engagement and

wait to announce the date when you send out the invitations.

The venue for the wedding determines the date. You may have to

make a choice between the time and date and the location. Some

times of the year are popular for weddings so if you have your heart

set on a location, check early to see if it is available and if it is, book it.

Mini Checklist

Check venue

Choose person to conduct the ceremony

Set date

The Guest List

Start with the essential guests you want to celebrate with you. These

are your family, your best friends, and the people you are duty-bound

to invite.

Mini Checklist

Make a list

Set it aside until the budget is decided

Refine the list

The Invitations

Choose the invitation design and style and begin to address the

envelopes. You have the choice of inviting people to the wedding

ceremony or to both the ceremony and the reception.

Send out the invitations about six weeks in advance.

If guests are coming from out of town, allow them time to make plans

to travel. You might want to send out invitations out 10 weeks in

advance.

Mini Checklist

Choose design for invitations

Consider ordering matching cards for sending out thank you

notes after the wedding

Collect the addresses for mailing the invitations

Address the envelopes

Choose the mailing date

Mail the invitations

Mini-Tasks

These are all essential elements that you can fit in around the big

tasks. Start working on these as soon as you can.

Set up your gift registry

Choose bridesmaids and maid of honor

Choose best man and groomsmen

Choose wedding hairstyles

Choose dresses

Choose tuxedos or suits

Choose gifts for your wedding party

Videotaping

Wedding music

Wedding cake

Flowers

Having an ongoing

Keep a running list of wedding to-do items. Add to it as you think of

new things.

Budget

How much money do you plan to spend?

Who is paying the bill?

You need to discuss this first before deciding on the size of the

wedding. The average cost per guest per wedding is about $100. Half

of this cost is for the reception. The other half covers items such as

the flowers, decorations, and space.

Incidentals and Other Necessary Costs

Guest book

Basket for the flower girl

Pillow for ring bearer

Party favors

Wedding Theme

When you plan your wedding, after the details such and date and

guest list and budget, choose a theme. You need this set in place

before choosing the décor, music, flowers, and food.

Theme Ideas

Classic old-fashioned wedding

Cultural wedding with the wardrobe, music, food, and ceremony

that represents your heritage

Hobby-based theme such as a golf course wedding

Fairy tale theme.

Vintage wedding

Tropical wedding

Tropical wedding in a tropical locale

Back yard wedding

Color-based wedding where everything has a touch or the same

color

Choose flowers and music to suit the theme.

The Food

This is a checklist to cover all food-related decisions.

Who prepares the meal?

Caterer

You and friends

Serving style:

Buffet

Hors d’oeuvre

Sit-down meal

Hot meal

Cold plate

Finger food

Salad bar

Concerns?

Vegetarian guests

Gluten-free diet

Religious dietary concerns

Allergies

Caterer Checklist

Shop around

Check out their reputation

Ask for a sample of their food

Have a written contact with the caterer

o The time, location, and equipment responsibility

o Cost per person

o The number of guests clearly defined

o Deadline for final confirmation of the details

Arriving at the Reception

The reception begins when you arrive.

The receiving line is usually set up this way:

Mother of the bride

Father of the bride

Mother of the groom

Father of the groom

Bride

Groom

Maid of honor

Best man

Bridesmaid and groomsman (repeated all bridesmaids and

groomsmen)

However you can rearrange this to suit your needs. An alternative is

bride’s parents, bride, groom, and then the parents of the groom

followed by the maid of honor, best man, bridesmaids and

groomsmen.

If there are delicate situations such as divorced parents, discuss the

receiving line with the parents to see what they feel comfortable

doing.

Entering the Reception

After everyone has gone through the receiving line, the master of

ceremonies introduces the wedding party.

The entrance of the wedding party is usually in this order:

Parents of the bride

Parents of the groom

Bridesmaids and groomsmen in pair

Maid of honor and best man

Flower girl and ring bearer

The bride and groom.

The first dance can take place now or you can wait until after the meal

and the dancing begins.

The Meal

The order of events may begin with a blessing or prayer. It is followed

by a toast by the best man.

Speeches can be delivered throughout the meal.

The Dancing

After the meal, the dancing begins. If you already had your first

dance, lead the dancers up to the floor.

Once the dancing is underway, you can cut the cake.

Having planned a time to leave for your honeymoon, get ready to toss

the bouquet. It is a nice touch to have snacks around this time so

people can still socialize while you change into your going away

clothes.

Ready to Go?

Come back for a last dance and then leave for your honeymoon.

Your wedding party helps pack up items in the banquet hall that

belong to the wedding party.

Copy write by the avenue banquet hall

The caterer takes care of the meal cleanup and the banquet hall takes

care of the tidying up of the hall.

Things You Must Do

Check in with the caterer a month before the wedding to confirm

the meal and the number of guests

Check in two weeks before on the flower arrangement plans

Arrange hair and makeup appointments for the morning of the

wedding

Check to see that all dresses fit in time for alterations if

necessary

Order “Thank You” notes

Keep your guest list addresses to make sending thank you notes

easier

Recap

Keep a list. Just use one main list so you do not accidentally miss

anything.

Start early and consistently check your list to see that all is

progressing as planned.

Set a realistic budget and adjust the cost of the wedding either in size

or complexity to keep within your budget.

Have fun and enjoy your new life together.

Copy write by the avenue banquet hall