marriage...how do I start?

Question

My fiancee and I plan on being married in the summer of 2008.We would like it to be in the new england area and on a beach.I am very open to suggestiuons,but my question remains this... how do I even begin to start planning for a wedding?Neither of us have been married before and I dont want a weddingplanner(or can't afford one rather),but I dont know,is it too early to even be thinking about it yet?Is there a wedding for idiots book out there(not litterally).... -lost and confused! answers and opinions are greatly appreciated! Have a fantastic day

Answer 1

My husband and I planned our wedding without a planner, we couldn't afford one either. And honestly, we didn't use websites or binders full of information to get started, those didn't really work for us or help us. The first thing I recommend that helped us cover all the bases was to first pick a specific day. Once you have the day, pick the venue or location that you both would like to have the ceremony and reception. Once those are booked, you can start with other things. One thing you might want to do it make a list and add to it when you think of something you want or need to get done in planning. Assess what you will need for the particular venue you've chosen for the wedding. Once we picked our location, I was able to get a better idea of what dress I wanted, what flowers, decorations, etc. Then comes the obvious stuff when the day comes closer such as food, DJ, photographer. We actually didn't use the web much but searched locally for our vendors. We found things in our budget and vendors we were satisfied with. Ask around, the most helpful thing for us was the word of mouth on certain vendors, my neighbor knew of a wonderful and afforadable caterer and our friends had fantastic photography for their wedding. Don't stress and have fun!

Answer 2

You don't need a wedding planner anyway. Buy yourself a 3 ring binder with separators (or buy a wedding workbook). The key to planning a wedding is organization. It is certainly not too early to start planning, as a matter of fact, you have a perfect opportunity to get what you really want. You could probably start right now by planning a budget, since that is what is going to determine what choice you can afford to make. I would also start browsing websites in New England to find out where you could have the ceremony. If it will be in June, you are lucky you have lots of time, because the fact is, some places book up over a year in advance. Since it will be next summer, you and your fiance could plan to take a day or two and explore the places you have in mind to see what they are like in the summer. You may have a gorgeous beach in mind, and get there and find it loaded with sweaty tourists. Best you know as soon as possible. Congrats and you can do it!

Answer 3

I agree with the person who mentioned the Lighthouse in Dennisport, MA; it's beautiful! I was staying there this summer and saw them hold three awesome weddings.

The first thing you need to do is decide on where you want to get married. This is the perfect time to start looking for spots, they book quick! Narrow down your choices then call and visit your top picks and see what dates are available. Don't wait till this summer when everyone else is doing it! The facilities are generally able to provide a list of suggested vendors and ideas for your wedding. Pick up a couple planning books and you should be fine. Good luck!

Answer 4

I too do not want a wedding planner. There is an amazing amount of info on the web if you have time to look. A great site is www.weddings.com for budget, planning, guest list, creating a web page. Do your research. I bought my dress from ebay with all of my jewlery, tiara, veil. We are buying the guys suits at Sears, because they are cheaper then renting. Plus Sears does sell tuxedos, wedding dresses, and bridal party dresses. You can even look for briadal party dresses at amazon. I have been told that using a regular photographer, verses a wedding photographer is cheaper. We are buying all of our decorations at the local dollar store. There is tons of information for themed weddings. Beach theme is quite popular. Remember, this is the most expensive party that you are every going to have, so have fun. I had a friend that sepnt $25000 (cdn) on her wedding and didn't get a honeymoon. I spent $2500 and got a honeymoon on my first, and it was just as memorable.

Answer 5

There is this book... it's the BEST wedding planner you could ask for. It's called Wedding Solutions and they sell it at Barnes & Noble. It has checklists, timelines, pictures of flowers, invitation wording, ceremony order (who walks when), ceremony music, reception tips and ideas. It helps with choosing a dress for your body type and keeping track of all alterations. It seriously has everything you can think of. They also have a website where you can order invitations and party favors. Before you order anything off the website, buy the book because there are coupons in there. Have Fun Planning!!!

Answer 6

Get mamried on Cape Cod
Rent a couple of beach houses
Get a permit ftrom the city to use a beach
Get a minister to marry you there
hava champagne toast there
have great pics at the beach, it;s so beautiful there that you don't need no fancy photographer
Get a videograher that knows how to handle the wind noise
Party the whole weekend New England style!

Lucky, lucky you...

Answer 7

It's never too early to start. Try doing some research in the areas you want to get married. Also look up these sites.... www.theknot.com & www.theweddingchannel.com They have a lot of resources to work from, and will give you plenty of ideas on how to do things yourself. Ask advice from friends and family members, even use them for a sounding board on different ideas. Remember to have fun with it, cause it goes by very fast.

Answer 8

Go to Books A Million's wedding section pick the books that interest you, find a chair, start reading and take home the ones that are really helpful. Seriously.

Answer 9

My wife and I were in the same situation. We bought about 5 wedding magazines and included was EVERYTHING we needed for a do-it-yourself wedding. We followed their schedule (which proved very helpful) and ordered invites and accesories. We had a VERY nice wedding AND reception for a couple of thousand dollars.

I didn't like any of the groomsmen gifts they offered though, so I got zippo lighters for my boys and had a local jewler engrave them.

Answer 10

i just recently got married this past Sept and i planned my own wedding in less than 6 months. it was hard but i keep and journal of things like: color, gowns, tuxes, flowers, etc. that came out of mags. i really just started with a theme and colors that me and my husband agreed on. my next step was the bridesmaids clothes even though that shouldn't have been because me and my bridesmaid gained weight!!!!! the best thing to-do is write down ideas and to-do list. and always put a time line on your to-do list so you don't run out of time on the important things. i hope i helped you and congrats on the wedding!!!!!