Finalize Your Wedding Officiant, Plan Your Ceremony

9 Months Before The Wedding

So you’ve done your research and interviewed your potential officiants. Now’s the time to hire one and get the details for your ceremony finalized. You will breathe much better once you have this part of the festivities finalized. As the ceremony flow is such an important part of the big day, it can be stressful but you will feel so relieved when it’s all set. First things first—it’s time to finalize your wedding officiant and discuss the roles and flow of the ceremony itself.

If you are planning a religious ceremony, the flow of it may already be determined for you. There may be parts in which you have a little bit of flexibility and have the ability to insert some of your creative input, but the bulk of the ceremony will be decided upon for you. This makes planning much easier, but the only downfall is that you can’t really get too creative with the vows, prayers or music. This is when the personality of the officiant becomes especially important. You want to rely on their personality to keep the ceremony running smoothly and for them to keep things interesting and easy for guests to understand.

If you are planning your own unique ceremony, then you not only want to ensure you hire an officiant that you can work well with but determine the order of events and how it all flows. This is when you can get a bit more creative with the words and the music, but it will be on you to decide what the important elements will be. If you are selecting an officiant that is close to you but doesn’t perform weddings often, then you may very well have to walk them through the flow and discuss up front what is important to you as a couple. You are in the driver’s seat and you want to be sure that the ceremony is everything you envision it to be—after all this is what will make you officially a married couple!

The focal point of every wedding ceremony should certainly be the vows. This is the foundation of every ceremony and it is these words that bind you together as a couple forever. You can use some of the traditional vows or perhaps add in some words of your own. Just be sure that you are on the same page as the officiant for how these will play out and when they will be incorporated into the ceremony. Plotting out your ceremony well in advance can be helpful to you, the officiant, and everyone involved. Once this task is complete, you can relax a bit knowing that the ceremony is well handled.

One more thing, don’t forget to ask your wedding officiant, what will happen if they are sick or unable to make your ceremony. Do they have a backup, that can fill in for them on a moment’s notice. Do they recommend speaking with a second officiant that could serve as backup? Unexpected things happen and you don’t want to be in scramble mode the day before your wedding trying to find a replacement officiant due to circumstances beyond anyone’s control.

View Video Samples from Local Videographers

Research – 9 Months Before your Wedding
Book – 8 Months Before your Wedding

Your photographs are by far one of the most important part of your wedding. Many couples like to take it one step further and hire a videographer to capture all of the moments of the day. The beauty of a wedding video is that it captures all of the special moments you remember and then the more candid ones that you didn’t even know were happening. It’s such a beautiful memory to have and to be able to sit down and view, so it’s no wonder that many couples are putting a little extra in their wedding budget to cover hiring a good videographer.

As with a wedding photographer, you want to be sure that you take the time to research and find a videographer that is reliable and comes recommended. If you’re just starting to think through how to find the best videographer in your area, you can visit a videographer directory such as Videographer.net to help you get started on creating a list of those you want to get samples from. Aside from this, it can be quite helpful to ask your reception hall or even photographer for referrals. Often times a wedding photographer will work with specific videographers frequently and can pass you along to those that they not only work well with, but whose work they believe is the best. In the wedding business, word of mouth goes a long way. So ask around and you are sure to find some of the most reliable videographers so that you can start looking at their samples.

Every wedding videographer should have a sample video that they have created to showcase their work. If they work within the wedding industry, they know that this is the ticket to getting hired by future brides. Aside from word of mouth, a sample video is the single most important factor in hiring the videographer that is right for your wedding. You want to be sure that all of the major events of the day are captured and that you like the style that the videographer uses. If you want to have the ability to have close family members or friends give messages to you as a couple on the video, you want to ask about that. If you want the videographer to get footage of both the bride and groom before the ceremony, you want to inquire about that too. After viewing the sample video, you should develop a list of questions and elements of the day that you’d like captured on film so that nothing is left to question. This is the time to ask questions and ensure that you not only end up with the videographer that will be a good match for you as a couple, but that you also end up with the wedding video that you envision and can look back at for years to come.

Research and Interview Wedding Photographers

Research – 9 Months Before the Wedding
Book – 8 Months Before the Wedding

The one thing that you will have to remember your special day with is the pictures. You will always have wonderful memories undoubtedly but as the years pass by, the only thing that you will have to look back on are the photos. This is the one time that you will have all of your family and friends in one place celebrating your new marriage. It’s the one time that you will get to dress and act the part of a fairy princess. This is your day and you want to have something special to remember it by. That being said, you want to be certain that you hire a reputable photographer that can capture each and every special moment so that you can look back on these for years to come.

Hiring a photographer may not sound like a big task, but it can be. You want to do your part to research the best photographer that will fit your needs. There’s nothing worse than a bride who has terrible pictures to document your special day. You can avoid such a mishap if you take the time to research the best photographers in time. If you aren’t sure where to start your search for a photographer, a national company such as ThePros, with photographers throughout the country, is a start. Or you could browse photographers using a directory like WeddingPhotographers.net to determine what options are available in your area and who might be a match for your needs. You want to be able to view past work of the photographer, check their references if you decide to, and understand their cost structure.

Once you narrow your list a bit, you want to ask as many pertinent questions as possible in the first meeting. You want to understand how they work, determine if their personality will work well with both of yours, and what key shots they will take. If you have any special shots in mind, this is the time to ask about them. If you have a number of locations that you’d like to have pictures taken at, then you want to understand if any additional costs work. Ask questions to understand where they would station themselves at the Church, what they would capture at the reception, how many people you would need to feed, and how the final cost would break down. Some photographers will have a set number of proofs that they will provide and some candid shots that they always take at weddings. The first meeting and interview should be a time to determine if this photographer will fit your needs, take all the pictures that are important to you, and deliver in a timely and cost effective manner. Personality may not seem important, but keep in mind that your photographer will be with you every step of the way on your big day.

Reserve a Block of Rooms for Out-of-Town Guests

9 Months Before the Wedding

Your wedding may be the one occasion that you get to have all of your family and friends in one place. Not only do you get to the be the fairy princess, but you get to see all of your loved ones. You will likely have at least a few guests coming in from out of town—everyone loves a wedding and wants to share in your happiness. Once the save-the-date cards go out, people can plan accordingly and will likely start making any necessary travel arrangements as the wedding approaches.

If you have even a few out-of-town guests coming in for your special day, then you will want to look into possible hotel options. If you are having your wedding in your hometown and know the best hotels in your area, then you’re in luck. However most brides could use a little help in determining which hotels will best fit the needs of their guests. If you need a little help getting started, you can visit a site such as HotelPlanner.com to point you in the right direction of some great hotel options. HotelPlanner.com specializes in group bookings for parties requiring more than five rooms. While your instinct may be to go for the nicest hotel in town, it helps to have a couple of options at various price points.

You can do your research online and then it’s always very helpful to go do a visit. Check out the actual hotel whenever possible and all of the amenities. You want to be sure that it’s clean, close by, and fits the needs of your guests. Keep in mind that some guests may be staying a few days there for all of the wedding festivities, so consider proximity to restaurants and possible activities when possible. As you are reserving a block of rooms, the hotel should work with you to provide a discounted rate. This means that you will have to give a baseline for the number of rooms you think will be reserved at the selected hotels, and in turn your guests should receive a discounted rate that is associated with your wedding when they book. Ideally you want to have the details of this worked out by the time you send out your invitations so that you can include the information within.

Providing two choices with different price points is ideal. If the town your wedding is being held in doesn’t offer more than one hotel, just try to negotiate a good rate for your wedding guests that take advantage of the block. You will have to provide your guests with a deadline to book by or the rooms will be put back into the hotel’s inventory. Including all of this pertinent information on the invitations and even a wedding website can make the whole process of booking seamless for your guests. Easy and effective is the way to go, after all everyone is coming to see you on your big day!

Order Invitations and Other Stationary Needs

7 Months Before Your Wedding

The first time that people will be introduced to your big day is through a save-the-date card or invitation. The invitation is what will set the whole tone of the affair and that’s why it’s important to make it count. You want this to set the theme and color scheme where applicable, as well as convey the important details. This is one piece of stationary that you don’t want to skimp on—this is where the details really matter! Even the font of the lettering can set a tone, so think through all of your many options and pick the ones that give off the image that you’re looking for.

There are so many choices so take the time to do your research so that you know what sort of things you should be looking for. A good starting point is to browse the Wedding Invitation directory at AllWeddingCompanies.com which can not only guide you through some great ideas, but also point you in the direction of some great vendors. Before you place your invitation order, you want to be sure that you’ve narrowed down your guest list so you know how many invitations and envelopes you’ll need. You also want to think through whatever stationary needs that you might have such as thank you notes, extra envelopes, and personalized napkins. It really helps to place one big order, not only for the cost and shipping but also for your sanity!

It’s helpful to visit several different invitation vendor sites or stores so that you can compare costs and design options. If you’re looking for something unique or theme based then you want to be sure that the vendor you go with has the selections that fit your needs. You can really have fun with the invitations and matching stationary, even just adding in a splash of your color scheme can really make it all come together. You can find some amazing invitation designs too so take your time before you place the final order. It can’t be stressed enough to have a very good idea of how many guests you intend on inviting to the big day, and then go with a few extra just to be safe! You don’t want to be in a situation where you’re just a couple of invitations short or you need one that you forgot about and then have to place an order that will cost you more than you bargained for. So take the time to have fun with picking out your invitations, and this in turn will force you to get going on that guest list—the fun never ends!

Determine the Color Scheme or Theme of Your Wedding

10 Months Before Your Wedding

So you’ve set the date and the location of your wedding and now comes the fun task of picking your colors. This sounds like a lot of fun and it can be, but you want to choose carefully and think through the big picture. You want to consider not only which colors will go well together, but also what hues can carry across the entire wedding. Certain colors may look wonderful in flowers but could look awful in dresses. So start at one point and then run it through all of the different scenarios that the color scheme may appear throughout your wedding.

Creating a list of all instances that you want even a splash of color may be very helpful as you plan this all out. There are the obvious places for color such as the bridesmaid’s flowers, dresses, and centerpieces so you can start there. You could really get adventurous and carry this out to tablecloths, accessories such as vests for the groomsmen, and even the cake. If you find a vibrant or leading color as a starting point, then choosing a more neutral complement to that can make the perfect color scheme. If you choose a very prominent and vibrant color such as a bright purple, then perhaps consider using a more subdued silver or grey to keep it balanced. That way you can incorporate splashes of color throughout your ceremony and reception, some that are quite obvious and some which are a little more subtle.

If you are lucky enough to have a color that you just love and know will work well throughout your wedding, then go with it and pick a complementary hue to use with it. If for example you’ve found bridesmaid dresses in a color that is not only perfect for all the girls but also for the basis of your color scheme then go with it. There are no rules, but it can be helpful to consider the season and location which you are getting married in. Red and green for example can signify the holidays, so just keep things like that in mind.

If you are looking for a theme, consider elements such as season, location, and things that are important to you as a couple or part of your lifestyle. A theme isn’t always necessary but sometimes it can be automatically built in and can be fun to incorporate into all of your wedding planning. Say you’re getting married on an island or even on the water, you automatically have that theme built in and can choose your colors and everything associated with the wedding accordingly. You can use the theme to select your invitations, favors, and decorations for the day. Using a theme can be a lot of fun, but using more subtle accents for it can go a long way. Have fun with this stage and choose wisely for the color scheme and theme will be part of your wedding memories and pictures forever.

Useful Links
Choosing Your Color Palette -by Padma Pickering

To Generate Ideas for Your Wedding, Buy 2-3 Wedding Magazines

11 Months Before Your Wedding

Even if you’ve spent most of your life dreaming about your wedding day, the planning can be quite overwhelming. You likely have a vision of what your special day should be, but getting from Point A to Point B can be quite overwhelming. There are so many small details to remember and so many choices to make, even the most composed bride can launch into a full on meltdown. No need to panic! There are so many wonderful resources out there to help you in every step of your wedding planning journey, so take the time at the beginning to find the ones that work best for you.

Not only are there great websites out there, but you can find some amazing bridal magazines to help you in your journey. These magazines can not only give you checklists and planning tips, but they can also offer some excellent ideas. By looking through the pages of these magazines targeted at the excited bride-to-be, you can get great ideas for centerpieces, locations, and even special little touches that will make your wedding day truly unique. Whether you are a bride on a mission looking for ideas or one who doesn’t know where to start, these magazines can be magic when it comes to idea starters.

There are so many magazines to choose from, but you want to be sure to find a few that will prove to be helpful to you. Ask around to other brides, check on trusted websites, or just take the time on your own to go thumb through a few until you find the ones that will be helpful in your planning process. As you are still twelve months out from your wonderful event, it may prove to be helpful in subscribing to a few magazines so that you keep current with new trends and tips. Not only could you find an image of your dream wedding cake, but you could also find some ideas of what to incorporate into your vows.

It’s worth consulting these magazines for all elements of your planning. You’re likely to find some really helpful tips and fantastic ideas, and you may even find that keeping a folder or binder with clippings can help you to keep them all organized. If you’re looking for the perfect hairstyle with your veil or a unique introduction for your bridal party, then consulting your bridal magazines may really help to get your mind heading in the right direction. To help pull it all together and inspire you with new ideas, bridal magazines can be an excellent starting point in your planning process.

Interview and Hire a Wedding Coordinator

11 Months Before Your Wedding

Some brides are better at the details than others. Some have dreamed of this day for so long that they may already have a binder chock full of wedding information. Some brides keep very detailed records of every conversation, interview, and decision made in their journey to the altar. Others however find the whole task of planning a wedding to be exhausting and overwhelming. If you fall into the category of the overwhelmed bride, then perhaps a wedding coordinator may be a key part of your wedding planning.

A wedding coordinator can really help a bride pull it altogether. Whether you struggle with the details of it all or just don’t have the necessary time to dedicate to all of the planning, a wedding coordinator can become a very reliable and crucial part of your journey to the altar. You must be careful to select a coordinator whose personality will blend well with your own—there’s nothing worse than a stressed out bride and a coordinator should help to manage that and not add to it. The role of a coordinator can vary, ranging from assistance with a few simple details all the way up to playing an active role in everything including the day of. The choice is yours so be sure to find a match for the tasks that you truly need help with, as well as what your budget can support.

Take the time to research wedding coordinators in the area before you select one. You can use helpful resources such as AllWedding.com that can help match you up with a local professional based on your budget and availability for your big day. A coordinator should have some credentials to offer and since they will play such a big role in your wedding planning, it may be worth calling previous clients to be sure that the work they did was to your standard. A wedding coordinator may very well turn into your right hand resource and you want to be absolutely certain that who you’re selecting matches your expectations.

Once you have done your research and found somebody that fits all of your criteria, it can be quite helpful to lay out your expectations. Discuss important parts of the wedding day such as budget, timelines, any special circumstances, and any elements that are important to you. If for example you have an unusual family situation, you’ll want to make your coordinator aware of that to avoid any possible situations later on. If as a bride you have always envisioned all white flowers, then be sure to inform your coordinator so that she can help you find the very best to be featured in your dream wedding. A wedding coordinator can truly take the stress out of the big day for you and help you to enjoy the journey as much as the big day!

Once Venues are Finalized, Set the Date/Time of Your Wedding

12 Months Before Your Wedding

Okay you can finally breathe a sigh of relief! Being a bride-to-be is a lot of work and there are so many things to think about. You’ve done your research and made your visits, and you have proudly selected your venues. You have fortunately found the ceremony and reception locations, and this is the most important chapter in your wedding planning journey. Now it’s time to set the details for the big day, and once this is determined you can plan everything else around it. This is huge but will provide such a sense of relief once complete!

You want to be sure to match up some possible dates with your ceremony and reception locations. Hopefully you’ve gone through some potential dates with each location so that you have a broad idea of what is available. If you are open within a particular timeframe or season, then that will give you a bit of much needed flexibility. Keep in mind too that holding a wedding on a Friday night or Sunday afternoon or at a less popular time of year can save you bundles on your final wedding budget. The key is to match up the date with the ceremony and reception locations—once you’ve done that then you are in great shape! A date has been set and now it’s all about the details, for most this is the fun part.

In determining the time for your wedding on the big day, it may be helpful to lay out a timeline. If you’ve always wanted an evening wedding, then you need to plan everything around it. If you are getting married in a Church or synagogue then the time may be selected for you and everything else can be planned around. In your timeline consider the amount of time it will take you and the entire bridal party to get ready, build things like that into your overall timeline. Hair appointments and just the simple act of getting dressed can take much longer on your wedding day than normal. Consider when you want pictures taken, and how you will fit in your family photos as well as those at the ceremony and reception halls respectively. Photography can take up a lot of time on your wedding day, and while it’s well worth it in obtaining the memories you deserve to have, you just want to be careful to build in time for everything on your wedding day. Once you’ve decided upon a timeline that works for you both as a couple, you can quickly confirm the time for your ceremony and reception to start. This completes one big phase in the wedding planning process, and now you can relax and get into the fun details of the whole affair!

Research, Visit and Reserve Your Ceremony Location

12 Months Before Your Wedding

Along with your reception, the most important part of your wedding is the ceremony. This is where in front of all your family and friends you will proclaim your love for each other—and it has to be just perfect! Maybe you are lucky enough to have had a vision of where your ceremony would be held since you were a little girl. Perhaps you have grown up in a Church or synagogue and feel as part of that parish that you must celebrate the sacrament of marriage there. If however you are either not tied to any particular religious venue or you need to find a location that can easily coincide with your reception hall, then you must do some careful research.

Some couples decide that they don’t want to hold their ceremony in a religious venue at all. This can make the location for the ceremony a little easier because if you luck out, you might just find a reception hall that can also be conducive to your ceremony as well. You can sometimes have the perfect location that has a separate area for a short ceremony and then guests can enjoy cocktails and appetizers in between this and the reception. This may not work for every couple however, and sometimes you need to find a ceremony location that’s located close to your reception hall.

In considering your ceremony location, you want to look at criteria that are important to you as a couple. Of course religious affiliation is crucial if that’s an important aspect of your wedding. Otherwise you want to look at where exactly the location can be held within each venue you are considering. If for example having an outdoor ceremony is important to you, you want to be sure to take this into consideration as you narrow down your list of venues. As with your reception location, it may be helpful to create a list of locations that you’ve narrowed down and then schedule visits to each one.

As you walk through each ceremony venue, consider the things that will be important to you. It’s imperative that you be able to envision yourself walking down the aisle and how the ceremony will unfold at each venue you visit. Understanding how the ceremony will work in detailed order, as well as any stipulations or guidelines that you must follow are also equally as important. If you select a Church for which you are not a member based on proximity alone, you will want to understand how the ceremony will take place and what choices you have in elements of the mass such as prayers and songs. If you are considering a venue that can hold your ceremony outdoors, you want to understand their contingency plan if the weather doesn’t cooperate. All of these factors are important and will help you to determine what the very best location is for your ceremony to be held. Then it’s time to start the daydreams as you picture yourself walking down the aisle of your selected venue to meet your Prince Charming at the other end!

If you just don’t know where to start or how to get your short list together for ceremony locations, visit CeremonySites.com . You can use the Venue Match service to get introduced to local venues that match your budget, needs, and availability for your special day.

Useful Links
CeremonySites.com – Directory of Ceremony Locations

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