Wedding Planning: "To Do's" for the Just Engaged is a place for all of you who are about to enter this next chapter of your life. Reverend Mattie has guided brides from thirty states and two continents to perfect wedding days as the former owner of a successful wedding planning firm. In demand as an ordained nondenominational minister, officiant and celebrant, she is known for custom wedding ceremonies performed legally for all beliefs, all traditions, all locations throughout New Jersey, New York and eastern Pennsylvania.
By Reverend Mattie
With "fire on your finger" proof of becoming engaged, the countdown to wedding begins. Scads of "to do" decisions have to be made. Start off right with these five things and prevent over-stressing, too.
1. Timeline
How long will you be engaged? That depends on your ideal wedding date and the lead time you need to prepare for the wedding ceremony, reception and other factors. Many of the best and most in-demand officiants, wedding sites, reception venues and vendors book a year or more in advance.
2. Specific Style
Your engagement ring can be a tip off to your wedding style. Do you and your finance have a vision of your wedding day kicking off at a ceremony on the dock of a lake, in a historic house of worship, at a legendary hotel, or on a baseball diamond? Will it be where you live now, or someplace else? Getting input from your groom and deciphering what his answers really mean will help you start scouting wedding ceremony sites and reception venues.
3. Hard Cash
Ultimately, your dream of a perfect wedding day comes down to dollars. Decisions about the wedding ceremony site, officiant, reception venue, number of guests, food and beverage, decor, overall tone, stationery, attire, date and time, flowers, wedding cake, summer season, evening, weekend, city, country, transportation, and so on, are all determined by your budget.
Without a real budget you still can start booking vendors and making purchases. Unfortunately, shock reigns as you discover you have spent all the set aside wedding money and don't have half of the things you still need.
4. The Date
Are there any conflicts with the date you are considering? Are the Olympics occurring in your preferred city over your selected date? You may not be the only couple getting married among your closest loved ones. Are there graduations, babies on the way, vacations, major life event parties? If you have your heart set on a specific location, caterer, floral designer, photographer, band, DJ or wedding planner, their availability may affect choosing the date. Conventions and events in major cities also can make it difficult for out-of-town guests to reserve accommodations and travel to celebrate your wedding.
5. Engagement Announcement
Whether you want your engagement announcement to appear in your favorite blog, alumni magazine, company e-zine, or major newspapers, you have to find out and abide by the submission requirements. Some publications require a fee, be sure to inquire.
And last but not least, when anxiety and overwhelming pressure start creeping in, try practicing safe stress. Instead of being whipsawed by wedding planning, you can accept the realities of the process, appreciate the complexity of the event, and set in motion the actions essential to achieve a wedding day perfect for you.
Copyright 2011 Reverend Mattie all rights reserved.
