In planning your wedding, timing is everything. When you and your future spouse make the big decision as to when, it is a good idea to pick several dates and go from there. The reason behind this is that if you have the wedding in one place and the reception in another, which you will probably have to do, you will need to book both places for the same day. This is sometimes nearly impossible to do, especially if you only have one date and one location in mind.
You will want to put the date as far out as possible and still be reasonable. Setting a date of six months to a year from the day you start planning should give you enough time to get everything set up and your guests enough time to ensure they can attend. There is more to planning a wedding that you can possibly imagine and if you have no experience with it and plan on doing it all yourself, you will need as much time as possible to get everything done.
Minor details are key to the success of your wedding. It is always something small that comes back to bite you as the big day approaches. Little things like deciding upon summer wedding favors or if you are marrying at or near the ocean, beach wedding favors. When you have made a decision, don’t forget to order them. While this is a minor detail and is not huge in itself, add a few more minor details to it and you have a potential catastrophe waiting in the wings with the bridesmaids.
One of the very first decisions you will have to make besides location is how many guests will be invited. Even the location depends on this decision. You want to think this through carefully as the more guests you have, the more closely you will have to consider your budget and the more details there will be to overlook. Seek out friends that have been through this before and do not be scared to use the internet to learn as much as possible before you even begin.
Many catering services will charge by the head count. Food is going to be a big expense and what type of wedding theme you plan will play a big part in what kind of food you will serve. Can you see how the decisions seem to snowball off each other? Make a list of what you need to do and then follow your list. It will help to reveal many of the smaller things that you have missed and help you to plan a successful wedding and reception.
Another great reason to start planning early and give yourself plenty of time is that you will need this time to compare caterers and services for price and quality. Remember the difficulty in setting the chapel and the wedding hall dates on the same day. Many caterers that you contact will also be unavailable according to your schedule. If it seems like a daunting task that is because it is a daunting and difficult task but fortunately, it is not impossible, as many people have made it through before you.
The most important thing to do is to give yourself plenty of time to make and correct the mistakes you might make in the order of the services you plan. There will always be something you will have to adjust because it was not decide3d upon in the correct order. That is okay because if you have plenty of time, you can always correct your minor mistakes and forge ahead with confidence.