The moment of engagement is high on the list of the most highly romantic moments in any relationship. However, wedding planning can be stressful and not very romantic. The following paragraphs give a number of ideas that engaged couples can utilize to plan their wedding with comfort, ease and maybe even some fun.
Include your children in your wedding to make sure that it’s an enjoyable experience for everyone. Start right when you begin planning by asking them what elements they would like to include in the ceremony. You can even have your oldest child walk you down the aisle and give you away to their new step-parent.
When having an outdoor wedding, the food served can be greatly affected by the weather. If you are planning a wedding during hot weather, ask your caterer if they have experience in serving food when it is hot outside. If the food cannot be kept at the correct temperature, avoid foods that have mayonnaise and any other dishes that will need to be kept cold.
Use food that has an ethnic theme for the reception. Too many people serve up chicken and steak, so go against the grain and spice things up. Variety makes things interesting, so why not incorporate it into your big day?
When you are planning your rehearsal dinner, make sure that it is very intimate, as you will only want to invite members of your family and close friends. This will make things very personal so that you can make toasts that appeal to the people who made a huge impact in your life.
Choose your reception venue with the guests in mind. If your family is mostly elderly then you aren’t likely to choose a location with a lot of stairs, or a big dance floor. If you have anyone in your family who is handicapped then you should ensure that the venue knows they’re coming and will make everything accessible to them.
If you’re really worried about guests at your wedding drinking too much, you can only offer a cash bar. When people are forced to pay for their alcohol, they’re less likely to drink as much. You could also make the bar cash-only, forcing people to go to an ATM if they run out of money which, when your drunk, isn’t easy.
To ensure that you make it down the aisle with ease, be sure to try on your wedding shoes and wear them for one to two hours – at least twice – before the big day. This is especially important if you are unaccustomed to wearing heels, or if your feet are prone to swelling. It will also help you to decide if you need to add strap or heel cushions to your shoes to prevent blisters.
Make sure to let any parents attending your wedding know the itinerary for your day so they can work situations like naps, changing diapers, feedings, or bedtimes into the schedule. They can also plan to have a babysitter, if necessary, and know when they’ll have to leave to go home to relieve her.
The lighting in your venue should be able to be dimmed. This may seem minor, but lighting is important to setting the mood and dimmed lights are preferable for your first dance. Ask the prospective venue about it, before choosing.
Anyone who is willing to use these guidelines is sure to enjoy a smoother, more hassle-free planning process. Jointly planning a successful wedding provides a good foundation for planning the actual marriage and life together that follows. Hopefully these tips can help plan your wedding and prepare you for a lifetime of working together happily.