Planning a Wedding You and Your Guests Will Be Happy With

Planning a wedding can be a daunting, grueling experience, but it also will be the most exciting thing you ever do. It’s a one in a lifetime event where you’ll celebrate your union with your loved one, a person you’ll be spending the rest of your life with. Still, it will take more time and effort than anything else you’ll do. But that’s the price you will gladly pay for a night you’ll always remember, and later on tell your grandkids about. Planning the perfect wedding can be a bit much for most people, so these are some tips and hacks to make your wedding night the most memorable in your life.

Early start

A key point in planning your wedding is the early start. The last thing you want to do is slack till you lose track of time and find you only have two or three months remaining. Starting early means you’ll have the time to work on the tiniest of details and prepare for any emergencies. On the plus side, when the day does come, you’ll be completely relaxed –– sort of at least –– because everything about the wedding has been taken care of a long time ago.

Set a budget and stick to it

Talking about money can make most people uncomfortable, but it’s a discussion you’re going to need to have anyway. Talk with your spouse to be and decide on a budget, one that would not strain your financial resources. This is the most important and first step you’re going to take, because it will set the pace for how the whole thing will go. According to your set budget, you’ll determine everything from what food you’re going to cater to the venue. Moreover, stick to the budget! Setting a specific amount of money which you can afford means going overboard will compromise something else. That could be your honeymoon or your mortgage. That’s why it’s important to be realistic with the budget, and more importantly stick to it.

Invitations

It might seem trivial, but invitations actually set the mood for the entire wedding. Is it going to be a classical, bride in white groom in black, type of wedding? Or maybe a beach style one? Whatever the case, your invitation needs to reflect the tone and mood of the wedding, so your guests could respond accordingly. Plus, it’s always important to strike a good first impression!

Guest list

Let’s face it, you don’t really want your aunt’s third cousin from her uncle’s side, or whoever those weird people who claim to be your relatives are, at the wedding. You need to be selective with your guest list, because the more the people, the more money you’ll pay. Having many strangers at the wedding also makes it an impersonal one that’s devoid of intimacy and soul. Forget your feelings of guilt and sit down with your significant other and decide: who do we really care about and want at our wedding?

Rings

Rings are a crucial part of the wedding and the engagement before it. The type of rings you have make a statement about the kind of couple you are. Are they antique rings passed down from generations before, to signify family bonds? Or are you going for solitaire rings to catch people’s attention? Whatever the case, it’s another discussion you need to have. Just make sure to think of what kind of ring that says about your love. Fortunately, there are engagement rings in Toronto you can explore and you’ll have a wide variety and selection to choose from. But the important thing to not overlook is, you satisfy your interests without disregarding the quality.

The venue

The venue might be the most crucial decision of the whole wedding debacle. It’s the first thing the people set eyes on and notice, even before they see the bride and groom. Your wedding venue needs to be something expressive of your personality and who you are as a couple. Are you looking for a vintage chapel or would you prefer a more modern looking one? There are so many questions to ask concerning the venue, and based on the answers you could find yourself going in a completely different direction than you thought you would. You should also know that certain venues maybe be booked well over a year in advance! That is why the planning process needs to start as soon as possible, because once you decide on the venue and date, you should book ASAP.

Photography

How are you going to document the most important day of your life? Are you going to have a photo session in a separate location before the wedding? What you do with the photography determines how the day will live on in the future. Try to find some quality wedding photographers that would capture the day’s best moments and create an iconic memento of your wedding day. Each photographer has a different style, so make sure to follow your prospects’ work to get an idea of what your wedding would look like if you hired them.

Catering

Your guests will talk about this more than anything, and it’s probably their main concern for the wedding. How you handle the food and catering determines how well your guests will perceive the wedding. This is one arena where you’ll have to spend money; you’re definitely not going to be feeding your guests Cheetos and Oreos. Also, decide how you want the food served. Is it going to be an open buffet, set menu, or any other option? You decide.

Clothes

While the bride and groom find themselves swamped with planning every tiny detail, they quite often forget their own dress and suit. Your wedding wardrobe is another crucial element of the wedding, and it’s not one you’ll want to leave to the last minute. Picture wrong sizes and out of stock shoes; not a pleasant image. Get your suit and dress done with as soon as possible so you could focus on the more pressing matters.

Remember to enjoy

While wedding planning is stressful, it’s not supposed to be miserable. At the end of the day, you’re getting married to the person you love. So the preparation phase shouldn’t be all screaming and high blood pressure and anxiety attacks. Remember to enjoy yourself. Whether it’s while choosing the bouquet or putting together a playlist, remember why you’re doing all this. And remember to have a little fun; this is what it’s all about anyway. Taking the fun out of it and turning it into a boot camp for yourself and your best men/bridesmaids won’t do anyone any good and would only make things difficult. Relax and take it easy, and enjoy the ride.