Wedding Planning Tips for the Elegant Bride.

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A Wedding is a Wonderful thing.  It's a time when you publicly celebrate your love, joined by all those who love you and want the best for you!  it's a time of joy and great anticipation for what lies ahead!

Planning a Wedding is so exciting, yet it can be so stressful!

So, here are some wedding planning tips that are designed to make your job easier.

Start planning long before the wedding.  As soon as you get that engagement ring placed on the left ring finger, pull out that notebook and start working!

The first important thing to do is decide on your budget. After the wedding, the amount of the bills that have to be paid can send a newlywed romantic couple into a stressful spin. So, plan the budget carefully.  Research what the market offers for all vendors and then prioritize where you will spend the majority of your budget.  Things like a Photographer and a Reception Venue are usually on the top of the list, as they will likely be the most expensive (hey!  they're also the most important!) of all vendors.  By hiring those first and foremost, you'll be able to determine the budget distribution, and you can start saving if you go over your limit.

Also, your budget will help you determine the size of your guest list. It's better to have a small memorable event, than a large, poorly planned and "over the limit" one.

Allright, down the list comes the Bridal Gown, which will also take a large part of the budget and set the mood for the day, so make sure you buy the one that is most like you and reflects your style and personality.  Don't judge a Wedding Dress on the rack.  You won't know what's it's like on you unless you try it on.  I don't know how many times I've heard Brides telling me that they never imagined that they would like the style, but once they tried it on, they loved it!

Remember to set aside rooms in a local hotel for your out of town guests. It's best to secure that up to 6 months before the wedding date.

Visiting the local Wedding Shows will also give you a lot of ideas, and expose you to a lot of Vendors that you might not have known before.  Brace yourself, though.  These shows are busy, so make sure to take home lots of literature (business cards, brochures and the like) and peruse them later, in the comfort of your home.  Once I had a couple tell me that they felt so overwhelmed at the show, so they took all the cards home and sorted them through after.  What they also said was that their criteria for sorting Business Cards was: whoever had a website went on a pile, and whoever didn't, went in the garbage. Yikes! 

I also have couples that come by the booth asking if I have a certain date available.  If I do, they take my card and fold it.  This helps them separate me from the millions of other Photographers that they see at the Show.

There are also some great Wedding Resource Websites that make planning so easy!  Check out The Knot and also a local Winnipeg Favorite is WeddingsinWinnipeg.ca

Having said all that, my good friend Andrea tells me that one of the things you can't forget when planning a wedding, is to make sure you also plan the marriage.

Happy marriage, and Happy Wedding everyone!