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A good wedding consultant is worth his/her weight in gold. They have valuable information on reliable wedding vendors such as florists, caterers, photographers, videographers and more. They can save you miles of travel and hours of phone calls by virtue of their contacts alone. A wedding consultant can be involved and help you with your event as much or as little as you want. The consultant can help you plan your whole event from beginning to end; or just help you coordinate the rehearsal and wedding day events.
When considering a wedding consultant, we recommend you seek out one that is a current member of the Association of Bridal Consultants (ABC) and ask to see a current member certificate. All ABC members agree to uphold a Code of Ethics and Standards of Membership.
Roseland Plantation staff can provide wedding planning and coordination support to meet your special needs. A consultation meeting will be scheduled after a bride has booked her date at Roseland and a package will be individually tailored to her desires.
| Guide to Planning your Wedding Event |
The following is a simple, high-level planner to assist you with your wedding event. There are many in-depth planning tools available at bookstores and on-line. Of the ones we’ve seen, we like Brides.com and, in particular, WeddingSolutions.com (their on-line tool and their many planning books).
| First things first – whether you’ve picked a wedding date 18 months away or just eight months away, the following should be done right away. |
Must do…
- Announce engagement
- Set a wedding date
- Purchase a three-ring binder, notebook, or some kind of organizer to keep all your wedding planning information, phone numbers, addresses, reminders, receipts, etc. in one place. You will find this to be a life saver.
- Get a guest list together from both sides of the family
- Find and reserve a ceremony and reception site
- Book your minister or officiant
Other things to consider …
- Introduce your family to his family
- Have an engagement party
- Put an engagement announcement in your local paper.
- Determine your budget and who is willing to pay for what.
- Decide on bridesmaids, groomsmen, ushers, maid of honor, best man, etc. Most of the time deciding who will be an attendant is a simple task. But sometimes making these selections can get problematic and it’s best to settle things as early as possible.
- Decide on “the look” for your wedding event and reception. This will help you with ordering decisions when you work with your caterer, florist and musicians. It will also help determine the style of gown for you, tux (or no tux) for the groom and attire for your attendants.
| The items on this next list are important to capture well in advance (preferably six to eight months) of your wedding date to ensure you get your first choice of the vendors and dresses you want. |
Must do…
- Book a caterer
- Book your photographer and/or videographer.
- Book your musicians and/or DJ
- Book your florist
- Pick out your bridal gown, your attendants’ dresses and flower girl’s dress.
Other things to consider
- Schedule a tasting to sample dishes you’re considering.
- Start a simple fitness plan. This will help keep up your energy, ease your stress, and give you stamina for the months ahead.
- Send out “Save the Date” cards.
- Start thinking about honeymoon locations.
| Anything that requires “ordering” will take time. And if, God forbid, there is a problem with the order, it will require additional time to get it resolved. So, we recommend you allow a minimum of five to six months before the wedding to do the following: |
Must do …
- Order wedding invitations
- Order favors for your guests
- Order/purchase gifts for your wedding attendants to be given at a bridal tea or at the rehearsal dinner.
Other important items that should be taken care of about the same time as the previous list are:
Must do…
- Order your wedding cake
- Reserve rental items for ceremony and reception (candelabras, tables, chairs, dishes, outdoor tent, etc.) especially if you are renting these items from an outside rental company. If your wedding and reception venue has these items for rent, it should not be an issue, but better safe than sorry
Other things to consider…
| About a month and a half to two months before the wedding: |
Must do…
- Get your marriage license.
- Mail your invitations
- Schedule to have your hair, nails and make-up done the day of the wedding.
- Have your formal wedding portrait taken.
- Select and reserve wedding attire for groom, ushers, father of bride and ring bearer.
Other things to consider …
- Collect information and start the process of name change and address change for social security card, drivers license, insurance policies, bank accounts, subscriptions, etc.
- Set up an area in you home or apartment to place gifts that come in as you receive them. Send thank you notes promptly as gifts come in.
| Confirm! Confirm! Confirm! A few weeks before the wedding, touch base with the vendors you booked at the beginning. |
Must do…
- Confirm ceremony details with your minister, rabbi or officiant.
- Confirm details with all service providers.
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Confirm with photographer and videographer special photos you want, special events you want captured, and special people you’d like photographed and/or filmed.
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Confirm with musicians and/or DJ special music to be played as certain times such as processional, recessional, first dance, etc.
- Confirm final floral arrangements with your florist.
- Contact guests who haven’t responded.
- Plan reception room layout and seating with your reception site or caterer.
Other things to consider
- Start packing for your honeymoon.
| One week before the wedding: |
Must do…
- Give your final attendance count to your caterer.
- Make sure every one has picked up their wedding attire and that everything fits.
- Confirm honeymoon travel and accommodations.
- Pick up tickets and travelers checks for your honeymoon trip.
Other things to consider
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Must do…
- Put suitcases in getaway car.
- Review ceremony seating with ushers
- Give Best Man the officiant’s fee and other service provider checks to be handed out the day of the wedding.
- Ask someone to bring small items to the ceremony and reception such ring pillow, guest book, toasting glasses, cake knife, napkins, etc.
Other things to consider
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Must do…
- Eat breakfast.
- Give the groom’s ring to the maid of honor and the bride’s ring to the best man.
- Enjoy your day!
After the Wedding? Yes! Just a few details left.
- Have your wedding dress cleaned and preserved.
- Finish writing your thank-you notes.
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Finish the process for change of name, address, social security card, drivers license, insurance policies, bank accounts, subscriptions, etc.
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