Monday musings and developing your wedding timeline!

Hello Monday, February 22, 2010!



Before we get to the wedding goodness, I have to share.

I had a bad morning, so I wrote a mini rap. Keep in mind, I have no lyrical skills, but had to do something to make myself laugh! So, here goes....



Woke up late,

With a headache

Off to work

Awwww maaaaan....

I forgot my purse

No parking pass or any cash for gas

It's gonna be a long day, that's my hunch

Oh well, at least I've got my lunch



Now that you've chuckled at my corny sense of humor, let's get back to regularly scheduled programming.....



Since we're talking about running late, there is no time like the present to offer up some tips to keep your wedding day running smoothly.



1. Create a timeline or itinerary for the wedding party. Distribute the timeline the week before the wedding so that if anyone has questions or concerns you have time to adjust accordingly. You should also advise your wedding party, in detail, about your expectations.



2. Make sure to include the street addresses and phone numbers of all the important places they will need to be in the itinerary (i.e. the salon, ceremony site, reception site, rehearsal dinner venue, etc.) A lot of people use GPS devices, so make it easy for them to plug in the address and GO!



3. Allow extra time for getting ready. It goes without saying, we girls do a lot of stuff to get "wedding ready"! I always build in extra time (at least a 1/2 hour) for hair and makeup. If you are hiring a professional make-up artist or hair stylist, your maids or mothers won't have had a trial run with the professional. Or, there could be a case of "DIY- bad hair day" going on. So, having extra time to tweak make-up or hair styles is imperative. No one wants to look less than their best on the wedding day!



4. When it's time to depart for the ceremony, build in a little extra time in your itinerary. This isn't like running to the store where you grab your purse and keys and hit the road. You've got to make sure you have your dress, toiletries, rings, etc. all packed and arranged in the car, limo, etc. (no crushing the gown!). If all of the ladies are leaving together from one centralized location, then you have multiple purses, make-up bags, dresses, etc. to contend with.



5. Remember what I said about expectations? This is key for photographs. One of my brides last year was extremely worried about post-ceremony pictures taking too long. She had been in a wedding where the bridal party kept wandering away, resulting in chaos during formal pictures. My suggestion is to choose a central gathering location for post-ceremony pics and ask everyone to gather there immediately after the recessional. Moreover, remind them to remain in that area until all of the pictures are completed.



Are there any timing tips or concerns that you have? Please share!

You're Engaged....Now what????

First, congratulations on your engagement! I know that you're beaming....looking at your finger constantly and just loving life! That's exactly how you're supposed to feel! hehe!


Now that you two are on the way to marital bliss, what should you do next? Well, here are a few tips to get you started.


1. Discuss your budget. That means talking to everyone who is contributing to the wedding fund. Also discuss contingency plans. What happens if someone loses their job or gets sick and cannot contribute? What will you do?



2. Talk about your dream wedding with your fiance. Will it be outdoors in a remote field, at the church where you grew up? Do you want a lounge/cocktail fete for the reception or a 5 course sit down dinner? Do you want it in the morning or evening? Get all of the ideas down on paper and come to some type of consensus....and remember it's two people getting married....not one!!



3. Make a guest list. This gives you an idea of how many people you've got to plan for. Yes, your parents get to invite their friends!


4. Select a wedding date and an alternate wedding date. What if your dream venue is booked on the first date? You want to have a back-up plan.


5. Select your bridal party (bridesmaids, groomsmen, ushers, flower girl, etc.) You need to know how many people will be standing at the altar with you. Nothing is worse than cramming in a lot of people in a little bitty space! Plus, your bridal party needs to starting planning and budgeting for the big day.

6. Research and visit ceremony venues. Look at different types and locations. Pictures often can't tell the story of a place. Remember to consider the vicinity to lodging if you will have a lot of out of town guests. Also consider the distance to the reception and how easy it will be to navigate.

7. Research and visit reception venues. The same notes apply. But, also look at the restrooms. Are they adequate? Is there space to store items (you and your maids purses and make-up bags) so that you can keep them handy, but safe. Is there enough dressing space? Take a look at the catering kitchen and know what amenities are present.

8. Now, go dress shopping! I know how exciting it is to buy a dress, but you want to make sure that the dress fits the ceremony space and reception space that you and the hubbie-to-be hav chosen. What if you picked this long, grecian style dress just knowing that you're going to have a simple, outdoor wedding and then fell in love with a beautiful chapel and decided to go a little more formal. That dress doesn't fit the venue and may look a little out of place. To satisfy the need to shop, look at lots of magazines and The Knot.

9. Choose a photographer. Pay attention to each individuals' style. Are albums included? What about the rights to images? Do they offer those cute thank-you cards you adore?

10. Hire an officiant. You do want to get married....legally.....don't you?

Okay, this should get you started for now. Does anyone have any questions about what to do next? If so, leave or comment or email me at Sharon@kiss-events.com.

Happy Planning!