So you are ready to plan your wedding. Take to heart some of these tips that Clifton shares with you for that special day.

Wedding Planning

So you have got the list all worked out. But which of them will you pay attention to first? Always try to work from the biggest to the smallest. Decide on the wedding venue first, as you already know that some of the “hot spots" are booked a year before. So you really got to decide on which venue you want to hold your wedding. As a wedding theme will eventually decide where your wedding is going to be, work on the wedding theme first. A wedding theme tells a lot about your style, taste and personality, whether you want a theme that liken you to the king of neptune or a traditional home reception depends much on your wedding budget. Another concern will be how far your guests will travel to attend your wedding. Bare in mind the cost involves various dates, different cities may have different kinds of rates even if the hotel is under the same management. What about guests traveling expenses? Are you the one footing their bill or they are generous enough to come and grace your wedding at their own expense?

There are several things you need to consider if you are having a traditional church wedding. You don't just walk in and book your dates with the pastor or priest like ordering your wedding cake. There are reasons which you have never thought of why you are not eligible to hold a wedding in that church. Are you a member of that church? For how long have you been attending that church? Your music selection is not suitable for the church or your wedding gown is too low-cut front and back. It is wise to check first with the clerk, or if you have any family members that is a leader of the church ask him to make some arragements to meet the pastor.

Where to look for information in such a big wedding industry? Search the web first, it will give you tons of information and tips. Visit your local bookstore and browse through some wedding magazines, normally you will find wedding rates at the back of the magazine. Attend bridal or wedding shows, you can save some leg work as all the things that you are looking for is under one roof, be it wedding favors, invitation cards, wedding venues etc.. subscribe to newsletters, member's discounts can be an attraction.

You got to be involved, after all it is your wedding. If you have attended weddings before, you may notice things that you would want and not to want in your own wedding. Talk to your married friends, you can get very good advice from them, and the best part is they have done the research for you. Some of the wedding venues they have dropped due to other reasons, it can be your dream site. If you have friends that you consider someone with good taste, ask them for suggestions. Think of unconventional locations, try museums, art galleries, bay area, gardens....

Look for wedding venues that suit your needs, if you need a reception and a cocktail before the wedding, you need to find a venue that is adequate to handle all this. Ask the management about the turn around time if you are looking for external florist. There may be functions before your wedding, and the staff will have to turn the whole venue into your specified wedding décor once the function stops. Timing is a great factor that involves in a smooth wedding planning.

If you think that the turn around time is too short or it simply cannot be done, you may consider having different venues, one for the reception and the next for the wedding. You can save some flower cost by recycling them from your reception and transport them to the wedding venue. There are certain cost to bare in mind, one of them is the transportation of items and your guests, you may not want some of your guests who are not driving to settle their own transportation. Timing must be adequate from your reception to your wedding venue, take special note on the time of the day traffic congestion, your test route timing at 1pm may not be the same at 5pm on the actual day.

Courtesy Clifton T.