Easy Wedding Planning on Your Lunch Hour

Things you’ll need for planning your wedding-

Binders with side pockets inside front and back
Sheet protectors (these will hold contracts, quotes, etc.)
Page separators – make some standard labels – calendar, contract, deposits, ideas, bridal party & some “custom” ones just for your specific event(s)
Calendar sheets or appointment book – you’ll need this to keep track of wedding related appointments, deposits paid, when balances are due, etc.
Clear plastic zipper pouch with 3 holes to hold paper clips, extra envelopes, post-it pads, etc.

Additional things you might want for planning your wedding-

Separate checking account (easier to budget and organize all expenses)
Computer (to organize details)
Separate binder for your fiancee

Next, your most important item to begin with is location, location, LOCATION!!! But, first you’ll need an idea of how many wedding guests will be in attendance. You’ll be considering your catering budget at this time also.

You might think about a wedding co-ordinator or, at least, a DOC (day of co-ordinator.) A full wedding planner can end up saving you money because they’re very knowledgeable about vendors, pricing, venues, etc. This will help things go more smoothly on your wedding day and you won’t have to bother with any problem situations. A well organized friend or relative might be able to be your DOC but it should not be anyone in the wedding party itself.

Then, you’ll need to come up with a few dates which you’ll check with ceremony and reception venues for their available times and dates.

Fantasize a bit about the ceremony itself and the reception also. Think outside the box – your ideas may be more achievable than you think. A beach, a friend’s home or backyard, a county park – it need not be an expensive venue. Remember to think about the parking for your guests. A beautiful beach with no reserved parking can be problematic. Also, consider whether the general public will be wandering near your private ceremony and/or reception.

For ideas, visit the message boards at theknot.com and other wedding sites. Look at the various wedding magazines out there for additional ideas. No need to buy them; you can look at them at your leisure at Barnes & Nobles, Borders, etc.

As you start to plan your wedding, try to keep the wedding “stuff” to a few tasks during the week and, when possible, only one weekend day. Also, try to plan one weekend every month completely free of wedding duties to allow you and your fiancÃ?© some much needed “time off.”

Ttry to narrow your reception venue to three to five choices. In the evenings look up phone numbers and websites and contact names. You’ll usually contact the catering manager of a banquet center or hotel. You might email them for additional information.

With your list, on a Tuesday on your lunch hour (take early or late if possible,) call your first few choices. Try to set up two to three meetings all in one day if they’re close to each other. In one week-end you’ll be able to see three to five of your possible locations. Most locations are closed on Mondays (since they work both Saturdays and Sundays) and Friday afternoons are especially bad times to contact wedding professionals – many weddings are held on Friday afternoons and evenings.

Logically, the ceremony location would be next unless it’s the same site as your reception

So, the following Tuesday, contact churches or other locations for your actual wedding ceremony. Again, set up the necessary visits for evenings or a Saturday or Sunday.

Once you’ve set up your visits to reception and/or ceremony sites, start arranging one “item” to work on each week. Choose a lunch hour to make calls and set up appointments and/or visits for one evening each week and/or one Saturday or Sunday.

After your ceremony and reception venues are under contract spend a little time deciding on who will be in your wedding. You’ll need a maid/matron of honor and bridesmaids, your fiancÃ?©e will require a best man and groomsmen. Only for a very large wedding would you consider ushers as wells as groomsmen. Usually the groomsmen perform the ushering duties at the church. Then, decide if you’ll want a flower girl, ring bearer and candle lighters. One or two candle lighters is a nice way to honor someone too old to be a flower girl or ring bearer or too young to be a bridesmaid or groomsman. Remember to include these people in your pre-wedding functions if it’s appropriate.

Contact each prospective bridal party member to allow them to check their calendars for availability. It’s also nice at this time if you can give them a heads up as to additional functions they would be attending and an approximate dollar amount they might need to spend. This is especially important if this is a destination wedding or if they must travel to your wedding location. You might consider helping out financially if this is a burden to some of your attendants.

Now, on to all of the details that will make your wedding unique.

If your reception site does not have it’s own caterer you’ll need to call a few caterers to get quotes and set up food tastings. Ask friends or your wedding planner for suggestions – word of mouth is wonderful for this. Again, calling one day a week and setting up your appointments and tastings on one weekend day is a great way of getting this done easily. You might consider asking your parents or his parents to join you at these tastings. They can be set up for four persons quite easily. Some caterers do this for free; others charge a small fee. Following the tasting you might go somewhere for dessert to enjoy the remainder of the day or evening. (Don’t schedule more than one tasting a day – take three to four weeks if necessary to get this done.)

Once you have the sites for the ceremony and the reception and, if necessary, the caterer, you can relax a bit. Think about how you’d like to celebrate your engagement. The bride’s parents should invite the grooms parents to dinner to become acquainted if they haven’t already met. For an engagement party you might consider a dinner party in a restaurant, or a less formal party such as a luau or BBQ in a backyard. It’s fun to do it as a theme – Mexican theme with some (or all) Mexican food or a luau, etc. Remember to send your thank you notes off as quickly as possible. Both the prospective bride and groom should do this task.

What about engagement pictures? This will give you a chance to “try out” a photographer for the wedding itself. Talk to one or two photographers and decide if you’ll want formal or casual engagement pictures, or both.

Think about sending out “save the date” (STD) cards. These are sent out months in advance to let your wedding guests “save” your specific wedding date. There are lots of suggestions of what type of style to select for this in bridal magazines and websites. As you do this, you’ll be forming a list of wedding guests. As you add extra guests, you can easily send a STD as needed.

Now start working on one “item” a week. If you’re planning a year or several months ahead this will be all the time you need. Make a master list of these items – here are some suggestions – purchase of invitations, addressing the invitations, photographer, videographer, DJ, vocalist or other musician(s) at the ceremony, bridal gown, bridesmaid’s gowns, grooms and groomsmen attire, wedding cake, alcohol and non alcoholic beverages (if your caterer doesn’t handle this), favors, programs, out of town boxes (OOT) for out of the area guests, rehearsal dinner, bachelor and bachelorette parties, other functions where the two of you will be the guests of honor, wedding rings and/or gifts, gifts for your bridal party, and honeymoon plans and reservations. Look back through the list to see if there is anything left out.

Remember to enjoy planning your wedding. Have a great wedding day and a terrific marriage.