Trying to set a date?

Question

I'm planning my wedding and trying to decide on a date. I've been told you should allow 12 months to plan the wedding. Does anyone have any tips for deciding the date or just planning the wedding in general. We've already decided on where the wedding will be. Also does the wedding party need to be even (i.e, same number of grooms men and bridesmaids)?

We will be having no more than 100 guests. (in the process of making the guest list now) Our wedding will be indoors and because we are on a budget it will be simple but classy.

Everyone's answers are really helpful. (Getting a bit nervous about the amount of things we'll need to do.) We've been together for quite some time and although the dream wedding is always nice we've decided to go a VERY budgeted route. We're planing on spending about $1000-$1500. The venue is only $495 (if seen it used so I know its cheap but great quality) which includes * Minister* Three and one-half hour chapel rental, including reception room* Half hour rehearsal* Dressing rooms* Music-recorded* Pew bows* Flowers-choice of available colors* Candles-includes use of our unity candle* Up to 100 guests. The reception room includes serving table, table cloth, punch bowl, nut and mint bowls.

Answer 1

you should try to plan it on a day that really isnt special to people who are really close to you, like b-days or others anniversaries and things like that. other than that, make it a day that is convenient for you.

Answer 2

Well, I set the date and planned my wedding in only 4 months. I don't know why anyone would need a year unless they were planning to waste an exorbitant amount of money instead of applying that money to getting your home life started with your husband. Nothing is worse than starting a marriage in debt.

The wedding party looks best balanced on both sides. Frankly, my husband and I only had a maid of honor and a best man, no grooms men and bridesmaids.

Since it's already almost June, I'd say you'd probably be best off waiting until next year though because in four months wedding season will be completely over.

Go for a spring wedding, sometime in early May, where it won't be too hot so you won't be sweating and your makeup won't be running down your face, but also not too cold so that you'll have to have goosebumps and nipplebumps in your gown.

Go pick out and get ready the invitations about 4 1/2 months ahead since sometimes the printer makes an error, you want time to have it corrected, mail them 3 months ahead, have the RSVP by a month and a half in advance to make lastminute catering changes.

Have the flower delivery and the catering ready 2 months in advance, with an update on how many people will be there to catering a month in advance.

Have a banquet hall/dining hall/restaurant/whatever ready as much as 4 months in advance because they tend to book rapidly and very much in advance. Especially if you insist on expensive, prestigious places.

Get your dress but don't fit and tailor it until the month of your wedding, because you may lose or gain weight; my dress was a bit tight at the wedding day, embarrassingly.

Book a hair appointment and nail appointment a month in advance and then call and double-check a week in advance AND the day before, because MY MAKEUP GIRL DOUBLE BOOKED MY TIME! And she went to some other bride's place and did her makeup and we had only 2 hours to have a last-minute crazy old woman do a house call and do my makeup, and I looked awful, she took an hour doing my makeup and it sucked and she charged 75 dollars.

Above all, try not to blow a lot of money into it, I know it's hard not having your fantasy dream amazing wedding bonanaza thing, but it'd be nice to have an extra 5,000 dollars or so in your bank account to pad the onslaught of newly-wed expenses that come afterwards...

Answer 3

Do you have a special date in mind? Like the day you and your fiance first met? Or the date of your engagement? Keep in mind that Saturdays are the most common day for getting married but it may be cheaper on a Sunday or Friday. Also, you probably need only 9 months to plan the wedding just as long as you find the wedding venue and put down the deposit. Will it be an indoor or outdoor wedding? That will help you determine the month you want to get married. You can't always predict the weather but it helps to plan ahead. Also, it's your wedding so NO, you don't have to have have an even # of bridesmaids and groomsmen. Best of luck to you. Congrats!

Answer 4

For my wedding we didn't have all that. The church we used we already attended. The minister did it for free. We spent $20 to rent a volunteer fire dept hall. We maybe spent $200 on everything, and didn't need to plan it a year ahead of time. We just spent a couple of months planning it. Something else, don't worry about it being perfect. No one remembers much about perfect weddings. It's the funny little things that go wrong that people remember and smile about years later. Like when I threw my bouquet, it hit the ceiling, so I had to throw it again. Then it got caught on something. The third time someone finally caught it. And the cakes. I at first made our wedding cake, because my dad is on a special diet. Well, it fell apart after I made it, all except the top tier, which my dad got to eat. So, I went and bought four blank birthday cakes. No one cared,and we laugh about it now. It's 5 years later. My parents were involved in my wedding, so don't get the idea having parents and grandparents involved ruins everything. Many brides and grooms only WISH their parents were alive or around to share in their happiness.

Answer 5

Hi!
Yes you should give yourself about 12 months of planning if you would like everything to be Perfect! If you are having a VERY small wedding, 6 months should be enough.
You should choose a time of the year whihc is Most convinient for you and your family. For eg. Dont have it around major family holidays since people have lots of plans around this time.

You should first decide how Much money you are willing to spend.
Then, decide how many people you are inviting.
Make sure and make a downpayment to book your reception location, it will be horrible if you send out the invitations and then you lose the location!!

Then choose a color scheme, cake , CATERER!, flowers, etc etc etc

The wedding party does not have to be equal, but it should be approximately the same number

ps send your invitations about 4 months before the date!

Answer 6

You need to decide on the date before you pick the places or at least be open with your date. Reception places book fast and so do churches if that is your thing. As soon as you have an idea on the date call the place you want to make sure that date is available. Don't put it off. As far as the wedding party it does not have to be even unless you are the kind of person you likes things to be all neat. Try checking out www.theknot.com or www.weddingchannel.com for information on planning weddings. theknot was a great help to me. Best Wishes!

Answer 7

Usually, a lot of the time, a year is used as a guideline because in some cities, the minister/church, venue/caterer and band are often booked at least a year in advance.
We lived in a moderate sized city, so planned our wedding within eight months. We chose a long weekend in the summer - July 29, the holiday was the Monday - because we had a lot of family and friends coming from out of the city. I would think the only rule of thumb to use is to not have it on someone's birthday, anniversary, etc. - just because it's nice in the future to have YOUR OWN day to celebrate.
It's pretty much standard to have equal men and women in the wedding party, just too awkward to deal with if they aren't.
Good luck and have fun planning - make sure to spend time with your love NOT talking about wedding plans!!!

Answer 8

I would say you need at least 6 months, but not necessarily 12. I had 8 and had no problem. The things that take the longest are - getting the site reserved (doesn't take long to do, but you have to make sure it is done several months in advance!), getting all the dresses ordered, received, and altered. It can takes months for dresses to come in. http://www.theknot.com is a great planning site, because they let you customize checklists so you won't forget anything.

Your wedding party does not have to be even. You don't want it to get too uneven, though. Like, you don't want to have 1 bridesmaids and 8 groomsmen or anything. Fairly close together will look better for pictures, but just have who you want to have!

Answer 9

The earlier you begin considering the date the better! The earlier you can book services the cheaper they will be. You may consider 'off-peak' times such as on a Sunday afternoon, Friday evening, or during the week. Also if you have a tight budget, consider booking during the shoulder season, a time between low and high season when rates are good and the weather is nice.
To keep ourselves in check, for our budget, we have a must haves list of what we really want so we spend money on those items most important to us.
Also, It is perfectly fine to not have an even wedding party. Not all families come in even numbers!

Answer 10

Set the date you are most comfortable with. Do you want it on a special day (i.e first date etc.). Also try to avoid holidays if possible. But definitely check with your immediate families as to the date you are thinking about in case of calendar conflicts.

The wedding party does not have to be an even amount of people. Have who YOU want in your wedding. There are ways to have the bridal party walk in and out of the wedding if the number is uneven.

Answer 11

You don't necessarily have to have 12 months to plan a wedding. I'm getting married in July and I got engaged in December. And I've got everything done practically

Also, if you choose to marry in the off months (ie. Sept or Oct-Feb) you will get cheaper rates on things because it isn't the prime wedding season.

I'd pick a date that wasn't around any huge holiday or on any family member's birthday.

As for the bridesmaids and groomsmen, it doens't have to be equal, but it will look more symmetrical if it was.
It's up to you. Enjoy the wedding and best of luck in your future!