Does anyone have any good wedding tips? Do's and Must Avoid's??

Question

Just some tips that i could learn from for a great day!

Answer 1

I have a general rule to follow:

Really think about and evaluate every element of a typical wedding and decide along with your finace if you really want that at your wedding. Don't just toss your garter because everyone else does, do it because you decided you like the tradition and it means something. We skipped so many things for our wedding and I can't tell you how many guests and vendors said it was so refreshinly easy and fun!

Answer 2

1: be sure you check all articles of clothing before the wedding, make sure all brides maids shoes and dresses match. I had a wedding about 3 years ago where the brides maids never looked inside the boxes their shoes came in until they were getting dressed. 1 lady had a size 7 and a size 11 shoe in her box, another had 2 right shoes and the third had 2 different styles. Another wedding the groom's Tux was missing the pants.
2: don't rely on a friend to do the photos unless he has experience as a wedding photographer. Weddings can be very stressful for the photographer. It also takes more than a good camera to get good photos proper use of lighting is critical, especially if you are having an outdoor wedding with bright sunlight.
3: If you are planning an outdoor wedding have a backup plan in case of bad weather. Your guests wont want to set in the rain to watch you get married.
4: Keep organized. make sure you know when your venders are expecting payment and get them paid on time. Make sure they all know where and when your wedding is. Have a list for every one on what they need to bring to the wedding. Shoes and the rings are the most often forgotten items.

Answer 3

DO make your wedding about you...and your groom. If it doesn't reflect who you two are, it's just another fill-in-the-blanks wedding. Consider traditions carefully. Anything that isn't legally required is on the table to use, ignore, or adapt to fit your requirements. And just because you haven't seen it done at a wedding before doesn't always make it a bad idea.

DO set a budget and stick to it. A wedding costs precisely as much as you're willing to spend on it, not one penny more. Cut back or cut out things that don't matter to you and aren't important for the comfort of your guests. Limos and personalized ribbons are great places to cut. Chairs and sufficient food and drink are not. DIY and non-standard resources are your friend...but be realistic about what you can and cannot do yourself.

DO remember that the ceremony is first and foremost a serious ritual. Put some thought and effort into making it reflect your beliefs. A meaningful ceremony doesn't cost a penny more than one you didn't consider, but it will be priceless to those who witness it.

DO remember that first and foremost the reception is a party. Organize it so it's pleasant for those invited. And remember that good hosts (and guests of honor) make the effort to interact with everyone there. Say hello, ask an old friend to dance, share a moment with your grandmother. Again, this costs nothing, but often makes the difference between a bad experience and a good one for those in attendance. Plus you'll have more happy memories to recall down the line.

DO take time out for you during planning. Take a bubble bath, take a walk, spend an evening with the girls or your guy without talking about wedding plans now and again. The little breathers will do everyone good.

DON'T get caught up in the it's all about MMEEEEEEE syndrome. Nobody wants to be around someone who is acting like a six year old in a twenty-six year old body. Consider the practical and emotional aspects of your dreams and how they affect others.

DON'T be a doormat. Not being Bridezilla does not mean that you can't get your own way about anything or that you must please everyone (an impossible task of Sisyphian proportions to begin with!) or that it's vicious of you to wish your bridesmaids to wear your favorite color rather than their own. And if a vendor is giving you poor service, don't let the fear of being labelled Bridezilla stop you insisting on being treated like a customer ought to be or taking your business elsewhere.

DON'T get swept up in the small stuff. You don't have to care desperately about every single decision. If there's something you don't really care about very much and someone who's really anxious to have it their way, consider delegating the task to them. Just make sure they okay their plans with you before signing any contracts.

DON'T allow this to become a stressful burden. If you're not having fun, then you're not doing it the best way for you. Whether the answer is hiring a planner, delegating tasks, retaining complete control, doing it fast, doing it slow, choose something that allows you to enjoy yourself.

DON'T sign a contract until you have read and understood the terms completely. Know what is and isn't covered and how disputes will be handled.

DON'T work with any professional you dislike. It doesn't matter how good they are if you get stressed every time you talk to them. Choose to surround yourself with people who make you feel good and do their jobs well.

DON'T forget that the wedding is one day and it won't be perfect. Something will go wrong. Be mentally and emotionally prepared to cope with it gracefully. Sometimes it's the thing that goes wrong that really makes the day. I'll never forget one wedding I attended. The music for the ceremony was provided by a small boombox. Just as the recessional started, the batteries died, leaving the party with no music. Then the bride started laughing. We all joined in. It was the sweetest music possible, and a perfect way to begin a marriage.

Have fun with your wedding!

Answer 4

DO eat before the ceremony, with all the fuss and a beautiful dress, you won't really be too interested in eating

DON'T drink too much the night before, or at the reception. who wants to be hungover or look hungover.

the day of, give away as much responsibility as possible. give the rings to the best man. he should also have the tip for the officiant and the dj, maybe the video guy. let him handle settling up for you.

let the maid of honor handle any problems with food or cake or dances... just communicate to her what you want and don't fret if it isn't perfect.

REMEMBER it's only a party. the most important thing that will happen on this day is that you will make a lifelong commitment to your partner. everything else is just small stuff.

Answer 5

Don't use SILK or FAUX flowers. A real Bride only carries REAL flowers when she walks "down the aisle."

Don't tell your guests to come dressed "casually" unless you are having a picnic or barbecue. Some people think casual means blue jeans . . halter tops . . bib overalls . . bowling shirts . . fishing hats . . flip flops . . and advertising T-shirts.

It is better to serve a quality meal to a few people than to serve a lousy meal to a lot of people. Your guests will always remember the food that was served . . good or bad.

Wedding cakes are sold "by the slice." If someone tells you that they can bake a wedding cake for you at $1 or $1.50 per slice RUN the other way as fast as you can. A wedding cake should be lovely to look at . . plus moist and flavorful. A good wedding cake starts at $2.50 per slice.

Avoid low cost or budget DJs . . you get what you pay for. Do you really want someone to entertain your guests that doesn't even own a tuxedo or a decent sound system?

Wedding or table favors are a waste of time . . money . . and effort. They are either left on the reception dinner table or thrown away when the guests get home. The world is full of dumpsters that are filled with "wedding favors."

Do NOT permit your bartender to have a TIP jar. The host (who pays the bar bill) of the reception should tip the bartender NOT your guests.

DO NOT have a CASH bar. Wedding guests should not purchase their own drinks, it is the responsibility of the host/hostess of the reception (who is paying the bill). And if you cannot afford to have a CASH bar then do not serve liquor at all (a dry reception). Your wedding guests do not have to buy their own dinner and they should not have to buy their own drinks/beverages.

Don't forget to TIP all of the service personnel . . coat room attendants . . limousine driver, etc.

Don't let the bridesmaids take off their shoes and don't let the gentlemen take off their tuxedo jackets. The pristine look of your wedding should be maintained throughout the day. You want a wedding album full of photographs that you will be proud to show off to friends and family members for years to come.

Wedding professionals and service providers (caterers, wedding cake bakers, photographers, florists, etc) do not like to hear the word CHEAP when you are describing your wedding to them. When you use the word "cheap" you are downgrading the importance of your wedding.

There is a time and place for children but there is no reason to order a full dinner for a child because they are not going to eat it. Save your money . . have an "adults only" reception.

Avoid buying wedding invitations . . unity candle sets . . toasting glasses . . wedding day accessories at the "bridal gown store." That's where they make all of their profit.

Answered by: A Certified wedding specialist / A Professional bridal consultant / A Wedding ceremony officiant

Answer 6

Remember that sales people are in it for just that....SALES! This includes wedding magazines...they are full of pictures of the super-expensive Martha Stewart wedding and full of advice about what you "must have" or your day will be ruined. Of course they have to make it sound like chair covers are essential and guests will talk behind your back without them....if they said otherwise their advertising would die off and the magazine would fail. When thinking about those things remember it's 30% actual advice and 70% sales pitches. The only thing you "must have" to be married is yourselves, an officiant, and two witnesses to sign the license. When you start exploring sites like theknot.com you are going to find things you have never even heard of but all of a sudden are absolutely necessary. For me it was bathroom baskets...sure they are a nice touch but wedding sites make it sound like I would be seen as the worst hostess ever without them.

Sit down with your fiancee and decide what one thing is most important to each of you. Is it food, your dress, pictures, music, what? Then, when you are considering a purchase say pew bows...ask yourself how that helps make your item better. For instance my fiancee really wants open bar, Pictures are important to me. Well, you can't drink pew bows and don't show up in the pictures except like two shots...so we are skipping them and saving at least $500 that we can put towards something else.

Answer 7

I got married two weeks ago. Here is my advice
DO:
-Have extra corsages.. your fiancess might get smushed before the wedding or photos from people hugging him
- Have a 'safety bag for yourself.. fill it with mints, tampon, perfume....
- Make sure the video camera and camera are chared (ours went dead during the wedding ceremony)
- Make a list of MUST HAVE photos and give it to your photographer (so you don't end up wishing you had them later when it's to late...)
- Wear your wedding shoes for a day before the wedding..to see if they give you blisters or hurt (i brought slippers for the reception)
- Make a timeline to check things off. you will get stressed out and it will help you to keep track of things that need to be done
- Make sure to relax the day before the wedding. Get lots of sleep (if possible)
- ENJOY your wedding day- it will go by so fast.


DON'T
- don't spend lots of $$ on wedding favor, lots of people leave them behind
- don't spend lots of $$ on the midnight buffet, there will only be about half the people left

Answer 8

Be true to yourselves, your likes, dislikes and things that dont make sense to you, avoid them. Make it a representation of how you wish to be presented and have fun with it.

I'm having the same mental preparation to explain to my family because the whole thing with the ring bearer who in present day doesn't carry a ring, makes no sense to me whatsoever, but you may want to do it.

Create your own beautiful day with new traditions for your new family.

Answer 9

I can tell you what I as a guest, appreciate, and dislike.
DO: Greet every guest. Just "Hi, thanks for coming, it's nice to see you" not an hour with everyone, just a hug or a handshake will do.
If someone gets overly inebriated, DO find them somewhere to lie down, away from the party.
DON'T: Cake smash. I hate that, it is never fun, never cute, always sickening.
DON'T do anything for extra cash. No money trees, money dances, money wishing wells.
DON'T have anything sexually suggestive. That is for the bachelor/bachelorette parties, not the reception. If you think the toastmasters are going to sneak in a cute R-rated quip, warn them ahead of time not to.

Answer 10

Be considerate to your parents. Do not ask for teh moon and the stars. Settle for what they can afford, or better still, for what you can afford.

Do not ger in debt over a wedding. It's not worth it. Have a wedding that youc an afford,

Be considerate to yoru bridal party. No $300 dresses and $100 shoes, do not force your friends to be your unpaid slaves that have to help you with everything.

Do not expect everyone to drop their lives and make your wedding the only focus of their lives. This is an unrealistic and selfish expectation

Do not ask for money in your inviations

Have bachelor and bachelorette parties a week before the wedding, not the night before.

Be a gracious host. Do not neglect yoru guests,. Go table to table and thank them persoanlly for attending. Propper etiquette is never out of style.

Send Thank you invitations on a timely manner.

To avoid:
-Money dances
-King size weddind parties
-Personalized favors or presents
-Anything engraved with YOUR name on it
-Greedy wedding vendors, everything labled "wedding" is grossly marked up. Those vendors prey on people's emotions and try to convice you to get a bunch of unncesary stuff because is "traditional". BS!!!
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