Planning your wedding day should be one of the most joyous experiences of your life. But it can easily become overwhelming. From picking the venue to planning the honeymoon, there are a million and one decisions to be made, options to be considered, and selections to be discussed.
There are so many magazines, blogs, books and websites ready to assist you that choosing one, or even a few, can be an enormous task all by itself.
Before you start to feel like you are drowning in a sea of tulle, lace, flower bouquets and cake samples, let's just stop for a moment and take a breath.....there, doesn't that feel better?
This is a Very Simple Primer on getting through the process of getting married without losing your mind and driving everyone around you crazy as well.
First things first, take a good look at that person standing next to you. The love of your life, the one you plan to wake up next to every morning for the rest of your life. Above all things, your wedding is about making a commitment to that person. The promises and vows that will hold you together and lift you up no matter what life throws at you. There will be good days and some not so good days. Thrilling exciting moments, and tragedy that will rip at your hearts. That's life, and the person standing next to you will be the one to hold your hand and your heart through it all. That is what your wedding is really all about.
Now, that we've put things into perspective we can move on to wedding planning. Different area of the country may prioritize things differently But here in the Pacific Northwest it seems that venues are the scarce commodity. Therefore, finding a place to hold the wedding and reception that works for your style and budget should be pretty close to the top of the list. Once that is taken care of, you can start playing around with colors and themes.
The Internet is an invaluable tool for locating all the locations available for your day. But there is nothing like walking the grounds with your fiancée and visualizing the ceremony and reception to really get a good feel for how your day will flow. Take your time enjoy the process. If you have started planning your ceremony up to 12 months ahead of time than you should have your pick of most locations. Later than that and the most popular dates will have already started to fill up.
Typically the style of the venue and THE dress will determine how all the other elements of your wedding will flow together. So, as soon as you have the location determined, it's time to start looking for the dress. Your wedding gown should exemplify your personal style. You may find that the very first dress you try on is the one. You may end up trying on dozens of gowns to find the perfect look. You'll know it when it's the right one. Everything about it will feel just right.
And now you will know what the rest of the wedding should 'feel' like. Formal, casual, trendy, vintage. Romantic country garden or vintage wine country rustic, super chic urban, or casual backyard fun.
Letting your bridesmaids pick out their own dresses with a unifying theme has become very popular, especially with bridesmaids.
Be certain that the groom, his groomsmen and the fathers of the bride and groom go for a tuxedos fitting very early in the wedding planning process. It will save so much time and headaches later. My own groom waited til the day before the wedding to choose his light and dark brown tux with the ruffled collar. The 70's were really a desert for good taste.
