My boyfriend and I got engaged in July and have started our wedding planning. We decided on a theme and colors we'd like and a date, May 21st, 2008, but we still need to work out more details for it. I was wondering if there was something that can help me self plan my wedding and keep things affordable? He and I don't have a lot of money and we've yet to announce our engagement to our families, we're not sure how they'd react, but we'd like to at least get a blueprint set up. Anything on wedding planning (advice, tips, stories, etc) would be great appreciated. Thank you.
2007-09-04 13:29:07 · 8 answers · asked by Tic-Tac 2 in Family & Relationships ➔ Weddings
I got married last september, and my best advice is to stay organized. I bought one of those wedding planners (you can get them at any bookstore) and it was great because it gave price breakdowns, what questions to ask each vendor, spaces to write down things during interviews, etc. The best thing I did was to keep my wedding list in an excel spreadsheet with a column for names, phone #s, addresses, accept/decline, and gift. I can't tell you how much it helped with thank you cards (for the showers and the wedding) and then later for things like christmas cards, holiday party invites, etc.Now I have a list of all of the names of our family members and friends, their phone numbers, and their addresses saved right on my computer. I could also just use mail merge whenever i wanted to address envelopes, it is such a time saver. Best Wishes!!
2007-09-04 15:30:14 · answer #1 · answered by Kristi 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
First off you need to do some research. Do you want a big wedding, a nice size wedding but not expensive. Decide how many people you are inviting. Just a ballpark.
Do some research online for a place to have it. Find out how much money it will cost you to rent it. Do the wedding and the reception int he same place. This will cut down on cost. Have your family or close friends break down the ceremony chairs and set up for the reception. Do the wedding on a Sat around 12:00 to 1:00. This way all you need to do it have small food. Sandwiches or platters. Chips, dip. Veggies.
Food is the most expensive thing for a wedding. If you make your own bouquets it will be cheaper. I am planning my own right now and would be happy to help you in any way. email me if you want. rachell624@yahoo.com
Good luck
2007-09-04 22:13:46 · answer #2 · answered by rae 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
theknot.com is a good website to use. plus there are a lot of books out there on the market that will give you step by step of planning and checklists that you can use to plan your entire wedding.
First of all set a budget for what you would ideally like to spend and go from there, and make a list of what things are most important for you to have at your wedding and reception.
I'm in the midst of planning myself, so if you need any help, let me know, there's a lot to it that's hard to just put into a yahoo answer! :o)
Good luck and congrats!
2007-09-04 21:11:20 · answer #3 · answered by Courtney 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
theknot.com. Its free to join, they have a budget calculator, a checklist with a timeline, photo galleries, a shopping list, tons of advice and articles on every aspect of planning a wedding, free wedding websites (easy way to announce engagement and keep guests informed of details), a guest list manager, and tons of other stuff. I've planned my entire wedding using that website and its a godsend. They even send you special offers and updates in your e-mail. Those people have planning a wedding down to a science. Good luck! It can be overwhelming, but its a lot of fun if you can keep yourself in check. Get planning!
2007-09-04 20:47:04 · answer #4 · answered by tehuskey513 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I deal with weddings on a constant basis and honestly too much for my liking...
But take this advice and I only hope it helps you :)
Planning is only planning. It is all about the marriage you are about to begin together. Don't try for a perfect wedding, just try for a great day and do it only for eachother. So much I see couples who are so concerned and caught up with the reception and their hotel accommodations, they are forgetting the purpose of the day. How it has become so lost, truly boggles my mind.
Google wedding planning "budget" key word and I imagine a million and one links will come up!
As for your parents and being worried about how they may react... as it is with everything- if you believe in something or driven to do something - people will follow. Be sure that when you & your fiance announce your plans of marriage, hold eachother, show your family how right you are for eachother, it's all about you guys! If you truly love and believe in eachother, everyone will find their place in supporting both of you. If people close to you do not jump at the moment you tell them, don't be shocked, as you may have just shocked them. Be sure to wait it out and continue discussions. In the end, no parent wants more than for the son/daughter to fall in love with the right person and be truly happy!
Good luck :)
2007-09-04 20:42:26 · answer #5 · answered by kristinfrederick131 1 · 1⤊ 1⤋
For a do-it-yourself wedding planning book and free planning worksheets, visit the link below. This includes a timeline, tips on budgeting, and so forth. The budget is broken down by percentage of total, which helps in understanding how much of your budget should be spent on what. Shop around for everything.
2007-09-05 00:12:09 · answer #6 · answered by Jenny 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The most important thing to remember, especially as the day gets close is that you love this person, and upcoming marriages tend to amplify Small disputes into "can I really marry a guy who does that?" But its just the tension, and getting married will be one of the most wonderful days of your life. Other than that, delegate as much as you can to friends and family who offer, Get things done as far in advance as possible, and make sure you take the time to enjoy the good parts, like the bridal shower, or trying on a thousand dresses til you find the right one. Those are rites of passage and should be cherished. Also, try www.theknot.com, its fun to look at their galleries of dresses and hairstyles, and they give you ideas about things you did’t even know you had to do! My wedding is in 18 days, and this is really crunch time, but I feel good about it, I hope you do too, good luck and congrats!
A cheap favor i dea that we are doing is to take all the songs that you use (ceremony, first dance, etc..) and put them on cds with a picture of you and your honey and the wedding date, and hand them out to your guests, its personal and inexpensive. Also, try looking at informal dresses and not the formal ones, they are just as beautiful and most of the time alot cheaper.
2007-09-04 20:42:33 · answer #7 · answered by alaska_flower2004 1 · 1⤊ 1⤋
There are many web sites out there that can help you with the timeline for planning. Try www.theknot.com, or www.weddingchannel.com
Try searching for wedding planning, there are so many out there! Good luck!
2007-09-04 20:43:38 · answer #8 · answered by Reba 6 · 1⤊ 1⤋