Creating a magical wedding that has all the elements of celebration, fun, and memory-making moments requires careful planning before you ever decide on what dress to wear. Avoid common pitfalls like forgetting a backup plan for rain or trying to do it all alone. There are a lot of details that you need to take care of, and overlooking one can send your joyous day off the tracks. Consider some of these tips to avoid major wedding-planning mistakes before you begin your own ceremony.
Set a Budget Before All Else
Expect the unexpected when setting a budget for your big day, and make this the first step once you accept the proposal. Last-minute costs always seem to pop up during the planning phase of any big event, but knowing what you have to spend will help you navigate those instances.
Taking the time to figure out how much money you have available will help you resist saying yes to a dress that uses more than half of your planned expenses. Setting a spending guideline at the start of your planning phase will also alleviate considerable amounts of stress because you know what you can afford.
Make a Plan for Mother Nature
For those planning an outdoor affair for their nuptials, don’t risk your wedding getting delayed or canceled because you didn’t have an alternative option. Modern weather prediction is impressive but not 100% reliable, so arrange for another area to conduct your ceremony if it rains, or the heat is just too much for some of your guests.
Get a Venue Before the Bridal Gown
You may want to wear an elegant princess cut dress that has a long train with diamond accents, but will this look appropriate at a beach wedding venue when you get sand in your shoes? This situation is exactly why many brides first pick the location and then their dress. You have to consider the environment of your ceremony and choose a gown accordingly.
Give Your Photographer Specifics
When it comes to wedding photographers, many couples leave it up to their best judgment on what shots need capturing. These same couples sometimes experience disappointment when certain pictures didn’t get taken, or worse, the framing of the scenes was bad. Decide on what you do and don’t want in your photos and make it clear to your photographer.
Family Members are not Staff
Your wedding day is one of the most significant life events you will ever experience, and probably one of the most expensive as well. While it may seem like a great idea to put your crafty cousin in charge of creating your flower arrangements and have your aunt in charge of making hors d’oeuvres, you won’t save as much money as you think. On top of that, you will deprive close family members of sharing in the joy of your wedding experience.
Try to Relax and Have Fun
With deadlines pressing to arrange your DJ and catering services, you may feel like planning is all you can focus on until the day of your wedding. Consider using a professional wedding planner service to take over some of the details that need arranging, and relish your time until the big day.
Pick a Song List Sooner Rather than Later
Picking a song list for your DJ isn’t hard to do if you take an organized approach and break it down by event activities. Start from the beginning when your bridal party makes their entrance into the reception area, then choose a song for your grand arrival. Continue this pattern of thinking until you have your dance music for the after party selected.
Hire Experienced New Jersey Wedding Planners
Don’t let the pressures and mounting details of your upcoming wedding make you feel stressed. Windows on the Water has a team of senior wedding planners ready to assist you in creating the perfect environment at our Central Jersey venue. We will follow your direction and create the ceremony and reception you’ve always wanted.
From menu creation to carefully planning the use of our event space, we offer insight into how to best utilize our breathtaking lakeside facilities. Contact us today at (609) 795-5852 to receive our Windows Wedding Packet that contains menus, pricing, photos, and additional amenities and services that are available.