If you are like most couples, you are at ground zero and trying to figure out a million details to create your perfect moment. You might be considering a wedding planner or are attempting to do it all on your own. Do not stress over wedding planning. There are little secrets to planning, picking your theme and saving thousands in the process. These ideas for wedding planning will help you create your dream wedding.
The First Steps to Wedding Planning
The process of wedding planning involves finding the dream location, a picturesque venue, theme, colors, wedding attire, entertainment, food and a seemingly endless list of other details to make your wedding day just like the dream. You will also be planning other events simultaneously, such as the rehearsal dinner and the honeymoon. Booking the wedding venue is usually the very first step to planning, since it will allow you start the clock and get the events on your timeline in motion. However, you must pick a date, estimate your guest count, think about location and theme, and consider your budget before rushing out to book the venue.
Pin on the Map
Location is the essential foundation to everything you will plan. Think about meaningful places on the map. Location is about the setting and the area. You will want the area to be accessible and conveniently located to other destinations, such as hotels. At this stage, the goal is to imagine a general location to help you narrow down your choices for a wedding venue. For example, if you are seeking a coastal city that puts you on a convenient side of town, you might pin a radius on your map to include parts of Fort Lauderdale, Florida. This will help you choose a venue in a specific area.
Wedding Planning with a Theme
It might seem out of order to choose a theme before a venue, but the theme can help you make many decisions about your wedding venue. If you know you want a rustic Italian or Tuscan theme, you might choose a venue with some of those basic elements in the furnishings and décor. An all-inclusive venue with design services can generally recreate any theme out of their almost endless décor options, but it is a good idea to bring the idea with you when you tour venues and meet with designers.
Think About Your Theme
Common themes include Italian rustic or Tuscan, The Great Gatsby, Harry Potter, Beauty and the Beast, Star Wars, Cinderella, Alice in Wonderland, beach themes and significant locations. These are just some of the most common themes. The possibilities for your wedding day are endless. Think up something unique and meaningful to you.
Ideas for Rustic Romance
Think about the kind of experience you want to create. The types of cuisine you serve, the music choices that serenade your guests, the décor and all the little details will play a part in the creation of your theme. Rustic weddings are becoming a popular wedding trend. Combining a few elements of nature to an elegant affair is all it takes to create the romantic and earthy wedding of your dreams. A little taste of Tuscany will drizzle on the romance to an Italian rustic wedding theme. Consider flickering candles with melted wax, wood slices for charger plates, layers of floral arrangements with lots of greenery, wine bottles for wedding favors, candelabras and lanterns.
Ideas for Beauty and The Beast
Recreating a French classic, such as Beauty and the Beast, demands rustic French décor, crystal chandeliers, oversized candelabras scattered throughout the space at different heights, a dramatic blue and gold color scheme, and stacks of books. Incorporate red roses in the wedding venue, on top of candelabras and in the wedding bouquet. An accent table with the enchanted rose will create the perfect touch. Let the characters of Beauty and the Beast inspire your décor. Add antique clocks throughout the venue or as centerpiece décor to incorporate Cogsworth, the talking clock. Adorn each table with over sized candelabras to perfectly represent the castle’s maître d', Lumière. Include a tea party for Mrs. Pots and Chip at the reception. Belle’s love for books should be evident within the space. Recreate the library with a small stack of books on every table. Serve French cuisine at your reception.
Choosing a Wedding Venue
Since the wedding planning journey begins with the wedding venue, let’s consider the wedding venue. Some venues are bare and offer nothing more than the walls. This would require renting furnishings, décor and extensive design services. There are also other services beyond the design, such as bartender staff, banquet staff, day of event coordination services and food managers. Some venues are all-inclusive, offering the venue, furnishings, décor, chinaware and staff services. A venue with the entire package can save you thousands of dollars by bundling décor and services. Wedding venues that bundle packages and provide upgrades are key to saving more. Create a list of experiences you want to create on your wedding day and bring it with you on your tour. This is the best way to share your vision and to guarantee that you find a wedding venue that can create your unique experience.
Wedding Planning with a Date
Wedding planning involves a date. Some couples have that special date set in their heart and will not budge an inch, while others are a little more flexible. Think about your date, and decide which category you fall into. Sometimes, more than one couple share the love for the same special date; therefore, your wedding date might already be booked and unavailable.
The best way to guarantee that a venue has your date, is to book your venue far in advance. Most couples take about a year to plan their wedding. Some couples book two years in advance. If the date is available, secure your date immediately. This is especially important with popular venues.
You might need to negotiate with the venue and book extra hours. Wedding venues usually have packages with extra hours. Talk about the calendar, your concerns and book accordingly. Consider the extra savings a venue provides, and take that savings to apply it towards the extra time you want at the venue during your celebration.
Wedding Planning with a Team
Immediately after booking your wedding venue, you will need to begin building your wedding team of vendors. The average wedding has about ten wedding vendors. Weddings usually have flowers, cake, entertainment, food, an officiant and photography, at a minimum. Depending on how you envision your wedding day, this could be very different. Some couples want a live band, a master of ceremonies, an elegant garden of fragrant flowers brought inside of a romantic venue, a fine dining experience, a sculptured cake, variety acts to add the perfect entertainment to their fantasy theme, a coffee bar with a barista, bartender services, banquet staff, wedding attire, a day of event coordinator, a photo booth or photo mirror experience, limo service, other transportation, hotel accommodations, photography, videography, live stream services to share their special day with those that could not make it, a hair and makeup artist and an officiant to shape an unforgettable ceremony. A venue with a preferred vendor list can help you plan your entire event, while saving in the process.
Crystal Ballroom on Lake Melva
Crystal Ballroom on Lake Melva is an all-inclusive wedding venue with an in-house design team that is dedicated to bringing your theme to life in an elegant ballroom. Beyond making the picturesque venue and designs affordable, Crystal Ballroom offers additional day of event coordinator services to make every wedding a happily ever after memory. Every wedding package includes all of the furnishings, décor, a bartender, banquet staff and an in-house design team to decorate the entire ceremony space and reception ballroom. Relationships with vendors provide access to professional services at reduced rates to save couples even more. Crystal Ballroom creates an affordable fairy tale.
