Your Wedding Planning Checklist

Getting married is not only a difficult decision to make, it is also a difficult event to plan and organize–especially for the couple. Even with a wedding planner or organizer, the couple still plays a heavy role in planning, particularly in deciding on the specific venue, reception area, invitations, caterer, guest lists, and vows. To help couples better organize their wedding planning, here is a short checklist:

1. Budget

It is best to first set a budget and have financial boundaries. This will help keep the event financially organized, providing the couple with an unforgettable wedding while still allowing proficient funds for the honeymoon and the beginning of the marriage.

To determine a budget for the wedding, it would be helpful to set a specific size of the bridal party and the estimated number of guests to invite. This information will also help in estimating the amount of food to be served on the wedding and/or the number of seats to be reserved. It is important to remain practical when coming up with this figure. Always overestimate your needs–there will always be unexpected costs and budgeting those ahead of time can prevent disaster down the road.

2. Wedding venue

The overall theme and ambiance should be determined before choosing a wedding venue as they typically go hand in hand. Even a very vague idea will help–indoor vs outdoor, formal vs casual, and so on. Local spaces offer a wide range of various styles and themes. Wedding venues in Dallas, such as Gilley’s Dallas, are also highly flexible and would surely be perfect for any couple’s dream wedding.

As an added tip, choose a wedding venue with a valet parking especially if you have guests that will be coming from other cities or states. Also, this would provide convenience for your guests, eliminate stress and pressure during the event, and ensure everyone enjoys the occasion.

3. Food, catering services

There are various Dallas wedding caterers that offer different kinds of food and delicious menus for any number of guests. Often, food served during weddings is associated with the overall style and theme of the event and/or reflects a specific cultural tradition of the couple.

Catering for the wedding should be booked as early as possible since the couple will also have to sample the dishes, dessert, and wine before the wedding to ensure that everything is to the couple’s standards.

4. Invitations

In addition deciding the wedding venue and caterer, invitations should also be prepared months before the wedding to ensure sufficient time for distribution. Similarly with the food, invitations often reflect the wedding’s color scheme and overall theme. Depending on the design of the invitation, it usually takes several weeks for printing so it is highly suggested to accomplish this as early as possible.

5. Wedding attire

The wedding gown is often considered the main attraction in every wedding. The wedding dress typically highlights the bride’s natural qualities and tends to match the overall formality of the wedding. The groom and groomsmen’s attire should compliment each other and may also reflect the wedding’s theme through small details such as ties or handkerchiefs. Also, the groom’s attire should be unique, allowing the groom to be easily distinguished from the groomsmen and the rest of the guests.

6. Photographer

Since this is one occasion that no one wants to forget, it is highly suggested to hire a professional photographer or videographer. While there is an endless number of professional photographers and videographers to choose from, looking for one at least several months before the wedding would ensure the couple of booking the best photographer for their wedding.Some weddings provide disposable cameras for guests to use throughout the reception for a more personalized photo album. These are still usually combined with professional shots–that way none of the guests have to focus too hard on taking photos and can have as much fun as possible.

7. Florist

Flowers are also considered an attraction in every wedding and similarly with the attire, invitations, and venue, flowers often match the overall theme and style of the wedding. Aside from the bouquets, corsages, and boutonnieres, flowers are also often used as table centerpieces and accessories for the venue.

Aside from these, other secondary aspects of a wedding that should be addressed include the music for the ceremony and the reception, attendants’ gifts, guest book, the reception program and other favors for the guests. Some couples also undergo a pre and post wedding pictorial that are sometimes included in the editing of their wedding video. Weddings are a special event in one’s life and should be truly unforgettable regardless of how it is celebrated or prepared.