How To Plan A Courthouse Wedding
Big weddings are not for everyone and many couples decide they want to have a simple courthouse wedding. If you are planning a courthouse wedding here are a few tips.
- Make an appointment. Most courthouses require couples to make an appointment for their wedding ceremony so make sure you call ahead. You will also need to get a marriage license. So gather all of the necessary paperwork before you can actually say I do.
- Hire a photographer. You will want to capture the big day of course so hire a wedding photographer to join you. Take your images before, during , and after the ceremony.
i
Destination weddings are a fun way to celebrate your wedding day and can take place in a variety of locations. At one time a destination wedding meant that it was a beach wedding someplace tropical, but today couples plan destination weddings all over the world in all different locations. So take a look at a few tips for planning your destination wedding:
Only Book Vendors Youre Comfortable With
Whitney Neal Studios
When it comes to booking wedding vendors, it’s essential to not rush into any decisions. Consider at least a few different options to make sure these important wedding day partners understand your vision and can also work within your budget. Wedding vendors are the nuts and bolts to ensuring your day is ultra memorable and everything runs smoothly, so make sure they’re a team of people that you really vibe well with. They should have a good sense of your vision and you should be able to trust them to execute it well.
Take notice of how a vendor communicates as you try to feel them out. If their particular style of communication isn’t a good fit or they seem unreliable or disinterested at this stage, it won’t be a right match for the real work. You should never feel bad about reaching out with any along-the-way questions.
Research Meet & Book Wedding Vendors:
Your wedding date, venue and location, budget, and style are all important factors to know as you contact more wedding professionals. Theyre all some of the first questions you will be asked, and its helpful to be able to answer them. We recommend booking vendors who can only work one wedding on a particular date first. So, have a game plan in mind for pros such as your photographer, videographer, caterer, florist, band or DJ, and day of wedding planner . Once you have decided on those pros, start to consider other details, like stationery, transportation, etc.
You May Like: How To Use A Wedding Hashtag
Take It One Step At A Time
Put together a wedding planning schedule and do things one by one, in a logical order, so you don’t take on too much too fast and end up with everything snowballing around you. Don’t hire any vendors before you’ve confirmed your date don’t design your cake before you’ve envisioned your flowers and don’t book a band before you’ve settled on a space.
Is A Diy Wedding Actually Cheaper
DIY weddings can save you money, but you need to be savvy about it and have a meticulous plan. Otherwise, a DIY wedding can actually cost more than you think.
Some couples choose to have a DIY wedding to express their creativity and pour their heart and soul into their day. Others are simply looking to cut costs or need to look for do-it-yourself options depending on the venue they choose.
If you are looking to save money plan your wedding budget! Then keep track of every penny to stay within it. I recommend planning your DIY elements too when planning your budget, try to cost them out and you can see if going homemade will save you money.
Otherwise, it may be worth contacting a professional wedding supplier to give you a helping hand here and there.
You May Like: How To Address Families On Wedding Invitations
Select The Groomsmen’s Attire And Schedule Fittings Within The Month
Do you want the groom and his guys to be matchy-matchy? How can you ensure the entire entourage gets fitted on time if they live all over the place? What else could go wrong? Breathe. Youve got this, and dont be afraid to get the groom involved. He may be able to easily pull rank and get his men in linea very neat, orderly, and well-dressed one, at that.
For A Registry That’s As Easy For Guests As It Is For You: Amazon
Amazon
If you’ve been saving items to an , it will be easier than ever to get started on the mega e-tailer’s registry site. You can expect to see familiar houseware staples , plus spruced-up sections like a list of the top 100 most popular items, curated lifestyle collections , and “boutiques” for products by Jonathan Adler, Michael C. Fina, and the MoMA Design Store . It’s also a gift for your guests since most just have to log in to shop.
Don’t Miss: When To Send Save The Dates And Wedding Invitations
How To Plan A Reception Only Wedding
Want to plan a reception-only wedding with no ceremony? If youre already married, eloped, or had a small ceremony, well tell you how to throw a reception wedding with your loved ones. But first, for the latest tips to your inbox!
It happened: you had a private wedding ceremony and youre MARRIED! Congratulations! Or perhaps you decided to move forward with your original wedding date last year, but you could only invite three people.
Maybe you eloped with just a witness and your officiant.
Regardless of the how and why, youre married now, and celebrating is in order! Just because you eloped or planned a private wedding ceremony doesnt mean you cant or shouldnt have a huge party with your favorite people. Getting married is a big, wonderful thing and you can and should do it YOUR way.
Im attending a reception-only wedding in a few weeks and I cant wait! Im so excited for the bride and groom and have been waiting to celebrate their marriage ever since they eloped last year.
Planning a wedding reception without a ceremony is not difficult to do at all. And its not rude to have a wedding without a ceremony, particularly in these days and times. ) Many couples are choosing to get married now or already did! and plan a no ceremony wedding to celebrate with family and friends.
Your wedding day should be celebrated, even if its extended just a bit! 🙂
Lets get started: youve got some celebrating to do!
For Nailing Your Venue Layout: Allseated
AllSeated
Having trouble visualizing how to organize tables at your reception? Send Allseated a photo of your venue, and it will deliver a 3D rendering of the space so you can digitally arrange tables, chairs, bars, and other furniture and assign place settings as your RSVPs confirm. Share the graphic with your vendors to make sure the room is set up rightbecause there’s always that one cousin who shouldn’t be within arm’s length of the bar.
Read Also: How To Plan A Wedding For Under 5000
Make A Uniform Kids Policy
You have four choices: You can welcome children with open arms you can decide to have an “adults only” wedding you can include immediate family only or, you can hire a child care service to provide day care either at the reception space, in a hotel room or at a family member’s home. To prevent hurt feelings, it’s wise to avoid allowing some families to bring children while excluding others .
Wedding Planning Is Like A Roller Coaster
Wow so that was LONG and absolutely FULL of information, but I hope all of this will help some of you out and get you going on the right path as you start planning your wedding! There are of course other things that have to be done as you get closer to your wedding, but all of this will definitely get you started and prepare you for what is to come. And if you have any questions, please know that Im here to answer them! Or you can ask here in the comments! There are no silly questions youve never planned a wedding before, so how are you supposed to know?! 🙂
And remember, sometimes things are done differently depending on your own situation, so its totally fine if you dont follow these steps exactly. In my experience as a wedding planner, this order has been to be the best way to go. 🙂 And most of all, dont forget WHY youre planning a wedding- to spend the rest of your life with your best friend! HAPPY PLANNING!!!
Don’t Miss: Where To Buy Randy Fenoli Wedding Dresses
Find Your Perfect Wedding Venue
Your choice of wedding venue is one of the most important wedding decisions, shortly after the one youre marrying of course! But, seriously the place you say I Do shapes your entire wedding, if you get this right your big day is set to be one of the most momentous ones in your life.
It all starts with the type of ceremony you want religious, a civil ceremony or a blessing. You can then consider important options such as location, guest numbers and finer details such as onsite accomodation, pet friendly and catering options.
Read | Church Wedding Vs a Civil Wedding Ceremony.
Our designer Wedding Venue Finder allows you to easily search through desirable styles whilst selecting specific requirements and adding a location. You can even add your postcode and refine the proximity radius as you wish. Plus our portfolio contains the most inspiring, diverse collection of wedding spaces from around the world!
Viewing potential wedding venues is highly recommended, shortlist a handful of your favourites and book a time to have a good look around. Theres so much more you can get out of a visit compared to photographs and many a bride has told us as soon as you walk in your venue, you just know its the one!
To easily compare venues and remember key questions to ask when viewing, use our wedding venue checklist guide. Once you have found your wedding venue, set your date, get it booked and begin the count down!
Buy Your Dress Bridesmaid Dresses & Groomswear
Choosing your wedding dress will be one of the most exciting and emotional parts of your wedding planning.
A lot of designer wedding gowns can take up to six months to make, so give yourself plenty of time to find the dress of your dreams.
Visit the Hitched bridalwear section and browse our list of local bridal shops to find inspiration.
Once you have chosen your wedding dress, you can think about bridesmaid dresses that will complement your wedding gown, and groomswear that will suit the style of your big day.
What to Read Next
At this point, its important to create a schedule for the days events. Not only will this give you and your suppliers something to work from, but itll remind you if theres anything youve forgotten.
Whats more, writing everything down will help you create your Order of the Day cards or signs which you might want to match with your wedding invitations.
On your schedule, include things like when your vendors will arrive, what time the ceremony will take place, what time youll take photos and what time youll sit down to eat. You can also include what time the first dance will happen and what time youll cut the cake.
Be sure to give a copy of your run of events to your photographer, venue, maid of honour, DJ, ushers and anyone else who should be in the know!
What to Read Next
While youve probably already told everyone you know about your upcoming marriage, now is the time to make it official.
What to Read Next
Recommended Reading: How To Plan A Wedding Under 5000
Stage 3 Of Planning A Wedding
This is the stage of planning a wedding when you can start building the structure for your actual wedding day. This includes your decorations, the food, the cake, your dress, and all the small details that will fill the venue and your wedding days festivities.
Plan for the catering
If your lucky enough to have a venue that provides catering, you need to confirm what food is available for your wedding. You also need to plan a taste test. If you want a private catering company to handle your reception, youll need to explain what type of food you would want on your wedding day. Planning for a wedding means trying everything for yourself before letting your guests experience the food.
What you need to discuss with the caterers:
Find a cake maker
Your caterers may be able to recommend a good cake maker for your big day. But its always best to find the cake maker that suits you and your preferences. Remember, when youre planning for a wedding, its less about what everyone else wants, but rather, what you and your partner want. And choosing the right cake maker is an important part of planning a wedding.
If youre not particularly fussy about your wedding cake, then you can choose an affordable bakery to make you a multi-tier cake for your reception. If you are particular about your desserts, then you can request for a taste test to get a good idea of the flavors you can choose from.
Plan for the decorations
Find the right dress or dressmaker
If youre looking for a dress:
Stage 2 Of Planning A Wedding
This is the stage when the real planning for a wedding begins. Its when you start to pull all of the foundations of your event, from the planner, to the guest list, to the venue, together. This all needs to be done before you can move on to even start considering the food and everything else.
Hire a planner
Hiring a planner is completely optional, but it is also strongly advised. The problem with weddings that do not have planners is that both the bride and groom and their entire entourage end up experiencing the bulk of the stress and exhaustion that comes along with planning a wedding. This results in the entire wedding party feeling significantly tired on the actual wedding day.
You need to hire a planner that you know will be able to accommodate your needs and will prioritize what you want, over what they have experience with.
Factors to consider when hiring a wedding planner:
Start the guest list
The next step is starting your guest list. Dont get this wrong. This isnt the final guest list for your wedding. It is more of an estimate of how many people youre aiming to accommodate at the event. You need this to move on to the next steps of planning a wedding.
Heres a helpful Guestlist table that you can use!
| DEFINITELY INVITED | ITS OKAY IF NOT INVITED |
Look for a venue
Reserve the venue
Also Check: When To Send Save The Dates And Wedding Invitations
