Where should I start?

Question

I want to start planning my wedding. Where should I start and how do I find a place to have the ceremony and reception?

Answer 1

Email me if you want . I have a planning list I offer my brides.

You can have a ceremony in a garden, farm, ship (no captains can't legally marry a couple) home, Art gallery, park, museum, even the venue where you have your reception; which is becoming quite popular.

You need to decide where you'd like the wedding, then get on the phone. Some places book a year or more in advance.

To find an officiant type into Yahoo your city, state & wedding officiant (no 's' on the end) You should have a few to choose from. You can also go to some of the bridal sites, but they make vendors & officiants pay for your info, so you might not hear back from some you'd hoped. Visit their site instead.

Answer 2

A fantastic resource for wedding planning is a wedding website-like WeddingChannel.com or TheKnot.com. I think Brides.com also has one. You can start your own wedding website free, which will list your wedding location and details, usually you can upload pictures, you can say something special to your bridal party on there, list hotels for guests (if applicable). Most helpful to me, was their guest list manager, where I was able to list all the guests and their addresses. Another fantastic feature of those sites is their planning checklists. It's a long, very comprehensive list of all the details, large and small, that you'll need to take care of from beginning to end.

Involve family, friends, and most of all, your bridesmaids (after you choose them) in helping you to plan, even if only to bounce ideas and thoughts around.

As to ho to find a place for the ceremony and/or reception, if you want a church ceremony, then choose a church that is special to your family. If there is no particular church your family is affiliated with, then choose a local one and meet with the priest/pastor/minister. He/She may have suggestions for the reception venue. If you don't want a church ceremony, then the options are wide open. You could choose to have an outdoor wedding in a local state park, or near a lake-somewhere picturesque. If the outdoor option is too risky for your taste, then there are still many options. For that, I would get a bridal magazine, any one would do, and check out their reception venues section. The bridal magazine websites (Brides.com, for instance) list venues as well.

Here's a little pointer-if you find yourself purchasing anything, don't tell the vendor (unless you have to) that it's for a wedding. The word WEDDING seems to drive prices skyward quick!

I hope this information helps. Just remember, this is the happiest event of your life, so don't get all stressed out. Enjoy the planning and the big day!

Congratulations.

Answer 3

The first thing you need to do is pick your wedding date. Then, determine your budget for your wedding. After that decide what kind of ceremony you want to have (church, outdoors, out of town). Then you need to book your location as soon as possible. If you are doing a church wedding and reception at a reception hall, do what I did. I looked around at churches that I liked and chose one that I thought was beautiful. Then I looked at several options for the reception and considered the following things: price per person, time available for reception, amenities, how helpful they are, what the packages include, cancellation policy, deposit and payment information, etc. Good luck with your planning! I hope I was helpful!

Answer 4

First you need to think about the style of wedding you want. Do you want to have it in a church, outside, court room, somewhere far away? Once you know what type of wedding you want, start calling around and looking for the perfect place. Ask questions like is the date open? How many people the building will hold? What is the cost? Can you have your reception there? Are there any restrictions? Soon enough you will find the perfect place!

I suggest finding a wedding planner book if you plan to do all the planning yourself. You can buy one for pretty cheap on half.com. I got a WONDERFUL and very detailed one there for $6.00 intead of a similar one in the store for $25.00!! Wedding planners can help lead you step by step through what you need to do and at what time to do it. Good luck!!

Answer 5

Actually, the first thing I'd do is after registering at www.theknot.com, I'd start working on the guest list. Because so many other decisions that have to be made will include the question "How many people are you planning on?" Remember to get both sets of parents input as well, as there will be people they would like to invite as well. The next thing I'd do, is figure out how much money you have for this event, because there's no point in falling in love with a reception site that you simply cannot afford. Talk with both parents (again) and see what (if any) contribution from them you can expect. Best of luck to you!

Answer 6

first thing first, PICK A DATE, then call the most important vendors and places, THE CHURCH/OR other facility, The reception facility, confirm they have opening for the date you want, most places for wedding, normally receptions halls, djs, caterers, book up 6months to 1 year in advance. Where you book kinda determines what theme you might want to go for, for example, don't book your reception at a 'tuscan/mediterranian' themed venue then try to pull off a 'whimsicle fairy tale princess theme.' personally I think that would look funny. But thats just my idea. Good luck with all the planning!

Answer 7

I think a good start would be joting downs ideas and thoughts: what type of ceremony & reception........another suggestion would be to start with a budget, and work from there as to what your resources will allow you to have. Set a date, choose sites for both the ceremony and reception, select bridal party...........

Answer 8

start with a visit to a wedding planner and then arrange for the church first if it matters to you ;and then the reception place; then get a date co- orinated with the place and the church

Answer 9

You should buy a wedding planner (book). It will give you step by step details of what to do.

Answer 10

try www.theknot.com. It's been a godsend for me.